"Zechariah, just about beaten by life, kept on serving God"

It doesn’t seem fair, does it? When someone lives a God-fearing, honourable life, ensuring that they obey all the customs their religion asks of them to, and even into their old age, pursuing blameless living, at the end of it all they still don’t get the thing that they desire more than anything else in the world, a baby.

Read the whole story in Luke chapter 1 

Zechariah Gave His life in Service to God

For goodness sake, the wife’s husband worked full time as a priest, he gave his life in service of God, to prayer, and to worship, and where did it get them? Seemingly nowhere! Elizabeth had lived all her life under the oppression of bareness and the judging eyes of society, and now she and her husband Zechariah were old, there was no hope.

To top it off, Elizabeth’s young relative, Mary, was about to get married, and would probably, as was the custom, be pregnant pretty soon. Elizabeth had just about given up on her dream. Yet despite letting go of her dream, she would not let go of God.

Life was 'Not Fair' for Zechariah and Elizabeth: The Reality of a Fallen Creation

Life is not fair. The world we live in, is not fair. This world delivers a lot of bad punches and a whole lot of disappointment. That is the reality of a fallen creation. But how do we choose to respond?

Zechariah, just about beaten by life, kept on serving God. Just as he had spent decades watching everyone else around him having children whilst he became increasingly disappointed, he had also spent decades watching his colleagues advancing in their jobs. Every year, one priest from Zechariah's devision would be chosen by a ballot, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. This was the kind of opportunity that only happened once in a lifetime. Zechariah was coming to the end of his career and it didn’t look like he would ever get a chance to go into the temple to burn incense.

The Day Everything Changed for Zechariah 

Ready to resign himself to the fact that he probably would never get the chance to serve God in such a way, Zechariah’s heart must have jumped out of his chest when he heard his name called to offer the sacrifices. Finally things were looking up for him!

Within the course of a few days, life was completely turned on it’s head for Elizabeth and Zechariah. Whilst Zechariah was fulfilling his priestly duties, an angel appeared to him, and proclaimed that Elizabeth would be barren no longer. Zechariah and Elizabeth would conceive, and would give birth to a son, who was to be called John. Understandably, Zechariah at first struggled to understand the power of God, and questioned what was being spoken to him. Perhaps to demonstrate God’s power, the angel caused Zechariah to be silent, and he could not speak until John was born.

In time Elizabeth became pregnant. She was understandably ecstatic and told the whole village her news. She felt that her shame and disgrace had been removed. She felt that God had shown her mercy.

So, in the right time, Elizabeth and Zechariah gave birth to a son. They called him John, just as the angel had told them to. The probability is that John didn’t get to spend much time with his parents. Due to their old age they probably died shortly into John’s life. Before they did Zechariah ensured that John knew just how special he was in God’s big plan. John was to prepare the way for Jesus, calling people to repentance.

Why Did God Wait Until the End of Zechariah's Life to Transform it? 

I can’t say why Zechariah and Elizabeth seemed to spend most of their lives overshadowed with disappointment. I can’t say why God chose the time he did to reverse that disappointment. I can’t say why God doesn’t seem to reverse everyone’s disappointment.

But I can draw encouragement and inspiration from Zechariah and Elizabeth’s perseverance, and their gritty determination to honour God, even in the darkness night of their souls.

Try and Find Joy in the Middle of Pain

Isaiah says: “Sing O barren women, you who never bore a child, burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour.”

Sing? burst into song? be joyful? in the middle of heart-wrenching pain, agony and disappointment? this is not easy. But it seems Elizabeth and Zechariah spent their lives giving it a go, and look what happened for them.