Heralding A Herald

An angel appears to Zechariah while he is serving in the temple, bringing the announcement of John's birth. After 400 years, the silence has been broken. God is speaking. God is moving again in the life of Israel. An angel speaking to one from Aaron's line. A man and his wife who are old and barren but promised a child. A vow that this child will be set apart and reserved for the service of the Lord. A prophet in the spirit and power of Elijah. These are all so reminiscent of the great things that God has done in the patriarchs, the judges, and the prophets. All signaling - "The Messiah is soon at hand."

We all share in the human tendency to grow forgetful. Like Israel, the cares of today drive the truth of yesterday from our hearts and minds, and the evidence of God's Kingdom faithfulness fades as we drift into sleepiness. But here in Luke 1, we have the opportunity to have our hearts stirred once more. To lean in and find hope. Hope in a God who patiently persists and stirs the hearts of a sleepy, forgetful people.⁠