Luke 1:5-25
Below is a sermon manuscript from November 23, 2025. Watch the sermon here.
Introduction
Have you ever had a recurring nightmare? A big moment in life that was wrecked somehow. I remember going through seminary and having a repeat dream that I wouldn’t be able to complete the program because my high school credits were messed up, and I had to go to high school and retake a couple of classes. I’ve had dreams where I was preaching but couldn’t remember where a book of the Bible was. Have you had anything like this? Maybe it has to do with school or work, or a disaster that throws everything for a loop. That is what happens in our passage this morning: a priest, on the biggest day of his life, goes before the people and is unable to speak the blessing. But there is so much more involved; let’s turn to Luke 1:5-25 together.
Setting the Scene
Luke makes a shift in his style. The opening four verses were formal, giving a purpose and methods to his writing, but here he transitions, mimicking Old Testament writing. He does so, though, by setting the scene. He gives us the name of the ruler. Judea could have a narrow sense or a broader sense – relating to greater Palestine – and it seems like the broader is in view here; this map represents the extent of Herod’s rule, which would later be divided among three heirs. And “Judea will soon come under the direct rule of a Roman governor.[1]” Herod’s rule was from 37 BC to 4 BC. This gives details that we shouldn’t miss. In addition to helping us situate it historically, it also gives us insight into the conditions. Here we have the people of God being ruled not by a Jewish king but by a lackey of Rome.
Your Life’s Events Are In God’s Hands
Difficulty can lead to bitterness or opportunity.
Difficulty in life is often an opportunity for faith. We are not called to gloss over the bad in life as if it’s not a big deal, but instead we trust God in the midst of it. We see how Elizabeth’s childlessness affected her when she says that a child takes away her reproach among people.” But even though the reproach was there while she was barren, the passage tells us that she and Zechariah were righteous and walking blameless in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. Bock writes,
God never guarantees that life will come without pain and disappointment. The central issue is how we handle it. Bitterness will yield the fruit of anger and frustration, sapping the joy from life. Trust and dependence will cause us to find fulfillment in ways we would not even have considered otherwise[2]
If you long to have kids or be married and that hasn’t come, know that you are loved. Also, know that you can serve God right where you are. I have been encouraged time after time hearing stories of those who have longed for something specific in life and reflected how not getting it has led to increased opportunities in other areas of life.
God is using the details of our lives in a much bigger story
Have you thought about that? The priests were on rotation. Garland writes,
The priesthood in Israel was divided into twenty-four courses, each providing temple service for one week twice a year (1 Chron. 24:1–19). Abijah is identified as the eighth division of the priesthood in 1 Chronicles 24:10.[3]
Burning incense was a special task. It was decided by lots because there were so many priests in that day. In my study this week, I came across a variety of estimates ranging from 6,000 to 18,000. When a priest was selected for the task of burning incense, their name was taken off so they couldn’t be chosen again. This was a special day for him. The priests would serve twice a day, before the morning sacrifice and after the afternoon sacrifice.[4] Because there is a crowd here, it seems likely that this is in the afternoon.
Zechariah’s silence was deafening. Think about this, the priests left the temple and spoke a blessing to the people. But where was the blessing? Instead, we see a miming priest who probably looks like he’s seen a ghost. I want you to think about what would happen if you came to church one Sunday and the pastor couldn’t speak. He got up and just started doing motions. Eyes were bugging out, and it looked strange. What would happen? Well, people sitting at the booth next to you at the Waffle Shop would probably hear you talking about it! You would probably call someone and say, “Weirdest church service ever!” Zechariah’s non-blessing, his extra time in the Temple, and his inability to talk are all being used to prepare the way. Here is the truth: God can use faithful obedience to Him, but he is unhindered by our disobedience; He is still at work bringing about his purposes. The difference, of course, is that we are robbed of the blessing of being a part of it.
But when we enter in, we get to receive by faith and pass it on to others. When we do not accept in faith, then whether our mouths are physically silenced or not, we lack the convictional power and active participation of someone who does believe. To be clear, God can still work through a faithless person, but that is in spite of them not because of them.
The Second Helvetic Confession of Faith says it like this,
Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is preached, and received of the faithful; and that neither any other Word of God is to be feigned, nor to be expected from heaven: and that now the Word itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches; who, although he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God abides true and good.[5]
God works through prayer, not always in the way we expect
“The people” (τοῦ λαοῦ) in Luke usually refers to Israel as the elect nation. Incense was a symbol of prayer (Ps 141:2; Rev 5:8; 8:3–4). The whole assembly appropriately prays outside during the Tamid service. Significant things happen in Luke-Acts during times of prayer.[6]
An interpretive question is what was Zechariah’s prayer? It says that God was answering his prayer. Likely, he had prayed for children over and over. Perhaps this was his life’s prayer. Maybe he took the opportunity to pray one more time for a child during his time burning the incense.
Or maybe this was something different. Like Mary’s song later on, which points to the work of her son beyond how it impacts her personally, maybe this was an answer to a broader prayer. Zechariah may be praying for the good of the nation, for the salvation of the people, for the messiah to come. This was a typical prayer that would be prayed by the priest who performed this duty.
This prayer is certainly answered in the coming of John, who prepares the way for Jesus. We see the details of his life here. He is set apart. Whereas people are filled with the Holy Spirit for periods of time or tasks in the Old Testament, John is filled with the Holy Spirit even in the womb. He has a ministry of calling people to repentance and preparing the way. We know at this point that it is for the coming messiah. But the Scripture alluded to by the Angel is about God coming. John is preparing for God to come. We have additional context for what that looked like, but they are left wondering. John is an answer bigger than they could have thought. He is ushering not only a new work of God, but the ultimate work of God.
In this, we should also keep in mind that God often answers prayers by providing the means. Think about this in your own life, perhaps God is raising up co-workers, friends, random encounters with your loved ones that you desire to know Jesus Christ. Maybe you are the answer to the prayers of your co-workers’ mother who has prayed for the spiritual wellbeing of her daughter since she left the faith.
Even The Righteous Can Doubt God’s Word
The object of our faith is worthy to be trusted
Wait, so you’re telling me he is a priest and a godly man. You are telling me that his wife is from a priestly lineage and is righteous. You’re telling me that he has been praying for a son. You’re telling me that he is having an encounter with an angel on the most important day of his life as a priest, and the angel is mentioning how his son will fulfill the prophecy that Zechariah is well aware of and likely astounded by.
Listen to the words of Malachi 3:1
Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.[7]
And Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.[8]
You are telling me that the man who knows about Abraham and Isaac, knows about Hannah praying for a son, knows about the birth of Samson, knows all of this, and thinks “yeah, not sure that’s going to happen.” Yes. That is exactly what is taking place. As readers, we pull our hair out, if we have any left, and think, “Dude, just believe the angel!” But that is us, isn’t it? We so often view God’s power through our circumstances instead of through His word of promise. We test it by our life experience instead of His track record. Luke could have left this section out. He could have skipped from verse 17 to 24. But he didn’t. Why? Because Luke is a book with a purpose. It is meant to strengthen faith. How does this section do it? By stirring up the very feelings we just expressed through the truth presented. By helping us see the foolishness of doubting God’s Word. To realize that even those who check all the boxes can struggle with doubt, but that God is worthy to be trusted.
It’s not that Zechariah was unsure about how this would happen. It’s that he was questioning if it could happen. This distinction is important. His wording seems to imply that he wants additional proof; he wants a sign, a way for him to believe. We might recall Jesus’ words later in Luke 11:29, which say,
When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
We will see Mary next week, and she will ask how it will be. She asks, knowing it will take place – because of faith – but not understanding all the details. Here it tells us that Zechariah lacks faith, it’s not about figuring out the details – what we might call faith seeking understanding – it’s about not trusting that God can do it.
But Zechariah does get a sign of sorts. It’s a sign that renders him speechless.
God’s promises are not dependent upon your perception.
What are you doubting? Where have you trusted in your own wisdom instead of the promises of God? We tend to frame reality through our interpretive lens rather than through the lens of Scripture. I am not saying to turn off our thinking or that there is only true knowledge through Scripture. Don’t misunderstand. But sometimes we operate purely within the realm of naturalism even as Christians. We have a God of the supernatural, and he has proven himself, but we don’t take Him at His Word. It’s less intellectual and more moral. Did Zechariah have reason to doubt God’s Word? He was aware that God acted this way in the past. He had the necessary knowledge, but in the moment, he let the circumstances frame God’s promises instead of framing his circumstances in light of God’s promises.
Think about this. Those who originally received this were aware that Jesus conquered death. Tombs are normally the end. Our perception would say “Game Over.” But God. God acted in history. He doesn’t stay in a neat box of “this is how things normally happen.” But he can transcend that.
I just had a conversation with our eight-year-old this past week. He asked, “Dad, how can we live forever. How does that work? Everything has an end. A football game has an end. How can we live forever?” He wasn’t asking because he didn’t believe it, but because he couldn’t wrap his mind around it. We were able to think together about whether or not God is eternal and what that means for us.
But this is what the Christian life is all about. It’s about faith seeking understanding. It’s “I believe, help my unbelief.”
God Redeems What Seems Hopeless
The Emptiness Is About to Be Filled
We mentioned the barrenness of Elizabeth already, but that is not the only detail in this long for something to be made right. This episode is coming on the heels of the absence of prophets for the people of God. God seems silent. But that is not all. We see in Ezekiel 11 that God’s special presence is no longer in the temple. So here in this scene, you have a barren couple, which would have been looked down upon by society, because God speaks of fruitfulness for his people. According to Deut. 7:14, if Israel heeds the “laws” (δικαιώματα, 7:12 LXX), “you will be the blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young.” Something is wrong[9]
And this seems to be a picture of the people as a whole. You have God’s people under foreign rule – and a priest doing duty in a temple lacking the same power. Oh, and God had been silent. Everything seems to be stacking up in the wrong direction. But in one act, God brings it all together. God is at work in history, and all that seems to be going wrong will be made right. A baby will be born. God’s presence will be with his people. The true King is coming, and His kingdom will never end. Oh, and unlike the perpetual sacrifice that is taking place at the same time that Zechariah is performing his duties, the true King is coming as the once-for-all sacrifice.
Maybe right now with events happening in your life, in your family’s life, in your circle, in the country, in the world at large, you are thinking “what hope is there in all of this.” The hope was about to be born. The original audience would have heard these details and thought, “Oh man, I remember those feelings – everything has changed now.” You are closer to hope than Zechariah or Elizabeth were in that moment. The hope that strung together all the frayed cords of “when will this end” is the hope that holds history in His hand. Your prayers can be heard as they rise up to God because your hope, Jesus Christ, sits at the Father’s right hand.
Receive the good news with faith and bring the good news to others.
This story invites us in. We examine the scene and immediately want to shout, “Zechariah, you should have known better.” But again, that’s the whole point? Luke told us that he aims to increase our faith. And immediately his audience sits and thinks, “How could you doubt?” But these words that we speak to Zechariah also serve as a mirror to us and our own lives. We can doubt the good news that God brings us when it’s just as sure as the good news that Zechariah heard. In Luke 1:19, the word good news “ is where we get the word gospel. When the good news is received by faith, it makes the hearers ambassadors of that truth. We will see this over and over again in the gospel of Luke. But here Zechariah’s doubt limits his active participation in God’s activity. We too can accept the good news by faith or be governed by our doubt.
Today is the day to trust in the good news of what God has done in Christ. It’s good news that changes everything.
[1] David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 64.
[2] Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 53.
[3] Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 326.
[4] Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 326.
[5] Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical Notes: The Evangelical Protestant Creeds, with Translations, vol. 3 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1882), 832.
[6] David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 66.
[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mal 3:1.
[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mal 4:5.
[9] David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 65.
[10] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Nu 6:24–26.
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