Dear Explorer,
Okay, so Zechariah is chosen to go into the Holy Place and even though he has confessed and paid for his sins and thinks he's in a right relationship with God, I believe he was still a little nervous and probably pretty excited. Remember, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him to come close to God's presence.
Would you have been excited?
Read Luke 1:11-17
When Zechariah entered the Holy Place, I'm sure his mind was concentrating on worshiping God. Then what happened?
That must have been a shock! I probably would have screamed and run! But how did Luke describe how Zechariah felt?
What two pieces of wonderful news did Zechariah hear while in the Holy Place?
Remember, as far as we know, this was the first time that God had spoken or sent a messenger to anyone in about 400 years. So, take a few minutes to realize how special this was. When the angel said that Zechariah's son would “go before the Lord in the Spirit and power of Elijah (or Elias),” Zechariah recognized this as a Jewish prophecy that meant that it was time for the Messiah to arrive.
That's two major answers to prayer for Zechariah. Zechariah knew all the prophecies concerning the Messiah and as a good Jew, he had been praying daily for Messiah to come soon. Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless and past the age of childbearing. He had probably prayed earnestly for a child when they were younger but had probably given up by now and quit praying for it. But God heard his prayers and said he was answering both!
We'll talk more about God's answers to prayer later. Right now, I just want to remind you that God cares about you and still answers prayers today.
When I was 12, I began asking God for a good husband that would love Jesus and want to serve Him. I didn't meet David until 5 years later. God gave me a wonderful man who loved Jesus and served Him faithfully. God loves it when His kids talk to him about their heart's desires.
In His service, dale
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