The Gospel of Luke: The Allure of Unbelief

The Setting of Luke 1 and the Reading of Zechariah’s Encounter

Good morning beloved. You can turn your Bibles to Luke chapter 1. I'm gonna be looking at verses 18 to 25 this morning. Again, the passage this morning is Luke chapter 1. I'm gonna be examining verses 18 and 25.

Please do stand when you have that Hear ye the word of the Lord this morning from Luke chapter 1 starting verse 18. And Zechariah said to the angel, how shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years and the angel answered him.

I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news and Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place.

Because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their time. The day and people were waiting for Zechariah and they were wondering at his delay in the temple when he came out. He was unable to speak to them and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple.

And he kept making signs to them and remained mute and when his time of service was ended. He went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and for five months She kept herself hidden saying thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me to take away my Reproach among people.

These are the words of the Lord. You may be seated Lord God, we do come before you this morning Praying that you would grant to us a Measure of thy spirit and of good faith to be able to receive and comprehend the implanted words, which you have given us today.

Father give us instruction by thy word. Encourage us and strengthen us in the inner man so that we may be able to do all that we can to live holy and upright lives in this wicked age and to Await your glorious appearing that is yet to come.

We pray these things in Christ's name. Amen. Well today's message is the allure of unbelief. Earlier in the gospel narrative of Luke. We were introduced to Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. These are the parents of John the Baptist one of the things that we learn about them very early on in the narrative in Luke chapter 1 Examining verse 6 that they were both righteous before God and Walked blamelessly in the commandments and statutes of the Lord.

God had chosen this couple to bear a son named John who would be the forerunner of our blessed Savior the Messiah. Even Jesus Christ our Lord to whom belongs all the glory and in relation to this narrative of this righteous couple we are then introduced to the scenario in which Zechariah being in the temple is confronted with incredible news.

The news that though he and his wife be old and barren They would conceive a son a son of promise that though in their old age They would see the providence and salvation of the Lord in delivering them a child and Yet, how does this man Zechariah a member of?

The priesthood who is currently serving in the midst of the temple. Offering sacrifices and incense to the Lord. And he receives this grand vision from the angel Gabriel. How does he respond? To this message remember he's blameless.

He's righteous clearly a man of faith clearly a man of dedication who's in the temple serving God. If you were to expect a miracle it probably be while you were at church, wouldn't it? Where else would you expect a miracle if you look at like any any action movie for instance and The hero always finds himself in a church and he's he's looking for a sign.

He's looking for for a miracle and here you have Zechariah in the same scenario. He's in the temple. He's serving God and he's looking for a sign and lo and behold a sign comes. Notice what it says in verse 18 and Zechariah said to the angel after receiving this word.

His response is telling How shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years. Notice how he responds not with Joy, thanksgiving not with praise and worship but instead he makes the strategic error that many of us make in our lives and It's asking and it's making the error of thinking that God is Required to give us the answer to the how and the why?

You see though Zechariah was blameless and righteous. He meets this incredible word with skepticism with doubt. Lord, how can this be? I'm an old man. I don't have what it takes. I don't know. This is not natural.

So so so how are you going to do this God? How will you accomplish this? You see the right response for the believer. When God says he's going to do something it shouldn't be how or why it should be Yes.

Because in Christ all the promises of God are yes and amen and Yet Zechariah though righteous man though blameless man responds with a question. Showing his doubt. How shall I know this? How shall I know this now that's on the surface a very reasonable question.

Again Zechariah is an old man Elizabeth an old woman barren. How could they have a child? How will God do this? How will God accomplish this? It's certainly reasonable to ask the question. How would this be or how should I know this?

Yet it delivers a Stunning admission. When the question is asked That there's a lack of faith in the providence and goodness and grace of God. You see all things are not for us to know or to understand.

But when God speaks we're to receive it with faith. We're to receive it with Thanksgiving when God says he's going to do something. We best believe he's going to do it and not to meet his providence or his declaration With fear or with Trepidation but instead we receive it on the basis of faith because he said he would do it.

Now again his answer Knows Zechariah is righteous. He questions you can write that in there and the insert in today's teaching he questions or doubts the veracity of God's promise. Again God is not required to give us the answer to the how and why of his good plan for humanity and for us and Zechariah refused point-blank in The story here to believe the message that come that came from the angel Gabriel.

Again notice what it says. Trekking back a little bit in verse 13 The angel said to him to Zechariah Do not be afraid Zechariah for your prayer has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son and you shall call his name John and you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth and he will be great before the Lord.

And Zechariah is like, okay, that's cool. But wait a second like how how's that gonna happen? Like this sounds great on the surface Gabriel but But I know I'm a natural man and I'm an old man and I and I don't see how this is gonna work.

I don't see how you're gonna be how God's gonna be able to do this or or if he does I want insight into that. I want to know the angel in verse 19 answered him I am Gabriel. I am Gabriel. I Stand in the presence of God and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

When God sends his messenger. When God sends his angel is one of his most special angels Gabriel, you know, there's only two angels in the Bible that are named. One is Michael the archangel. Daniel refers to him as one of the chief princes and then you have Gabriel who is also named in Scripture and He is mentioned as being that angel that stands in the presence of God and so only two angels are named in the Holy Scripture and Gabriel is one of them and his position is one of great importance as he is the one who stands in the presence of God he is an angel of great significance and of importance and so when Gabriel comes to deliver a word You better believe it.

You better receive it and you better know it comes with the stamp and approval of Almighty God. Gabriel is one of great importance in the narrative here and he is also the one who will bring forth the good news to the Virgin.

That the Virgin will conceive that the Virgin will be with child and later on we'll see the difference between how the Virgin Mary receives the word from Gabriel and how Zechariah a man who is mature a Man who is wise a man who is blameless a man who is righteous how he receives this word from Gabriel.

Elizabeth also Receives the word not directly from the angel Gabriel. But from her husband as she sees the providence of God in the bearing of a child but to think for a moment and the response that Zechariah gives and comparing that for a moment with the With what the Virgin Mary will soon in the narrative respond with.

You see two different responses to the same messenger. One Again a mature man a man who who is blameless and righteous who doesn't really? Respond the way you would think with faith with joyfulness with Thanksgiving but then you have a young woman a virgin who's about to get married and She receives good news from the angel Gabriel.

And she gets the news that she will bear a son who will be the Savior of Israel. Now her life circumstances very different than that of Zechariah and Elizabeth. She is not old and barren. She in fact is young so young that she's still a virgin.

Elizabeth and Zechariah are married and old and established. She young untested unverified. And she is about to get married and she's about to receive the biggest news of her life that she is with child.

How does she respond not with. Okay, God this how? This doesn't sound right or natural. How is it that I will be with child? No, that's not how she responds. She responds with what's called a magnificent.

She praises God. She says my soul magnifies the Lord. She met the word from Gabriel the word about the Savior with joy and Thanksgiving. Zechariah on one hand a man who's got it all figured out a man who is wise beyond his years a man who serves in the temple he Doesn't meet the same message and messenger with the same response of faith joy and exaltation of the true God.

Again, Zechariah refused point-blank to believe the angel and his question is nearly identical To that which was asked by Abraham in Genesis chapter 15 and verse 8. But it is asked in a very different spirit.

Essentially Zechariah. The man who is righteous and blameless. He it amounts his response amounts to a demand for a sign. He demands a sign. You would think that he would know better than to do that than to ask for a sign and yet.

That is exactly what he does as he questions doubts the veracity of God's promise. Therefore the angel Gabriel who stands in the presence of God. We want you to write that in there if you haven't already.

Gabriel who stands in God's presence Was sent to declare good news. This is fantastic in that We know that from the very presence of God comes good news. Do you believe that? Do you receive the good news that he says not only through the mouth of angels?

But even from the mouth of preachers who preach the Word of God that this is indeed good news. Do you believe that do you receive that that the gospel truly is good news? And it comes from the very center of God's heart at the center of God's worship in his throne room is the essence and the flow of all good things.

From him and to him are all things. Especially that which is good for his people because God is good. Amen, and all the time God is good. We'll get you there one day. We'll get you there. But God is good in Every way imaginable.

Therefore that which comes from his presence that which comes from his throne room is good news. And he's delivering it through his messenger. The word angel in the scriptures on hill is in the Greek simply means messenger.

Sometimes we Look at that word and we think of a ontological creature and it can be that the word is used ontologically to some degree but oftentimes it's more of a statement of a job description rather than an ontological statement of Being or creature and scripture men are called angels.

The Apostle Paul is referred to as a messenger as an angel. The book of Revelation talks about the messengers Of the churches, which I would interpret to be the pastors or elders of the church not to be literal angels.

We also see other times in Scripture were on Hill O's or the the Hebrew equivalent is used to describe Human agents or human messengers. It's really a description of a job description a title description more than ontological Description but here this is clearly a spiritual being Gabriel who stands in the presence of God.

This is a ontologically spiritual being who is being sent from the throne room of God to declare good news To Zechariah and soon to the Virgin Mary and it says in verse 20 notice the response and the consequences of Zechariah's questioning and unbelief and behold you will be silent and unable to speak Until the days the day that these things take place.

Because you do not believe my words Which will be fulfilled in their time the consequences to unbelief is the silencing of unbelief. You see what God does here through the angel Gabriel as he meets his unbelief by silencing his doubt.

By showing him that it is Yahweh who has mastery power and authority. Even over the mouth. Even over the mouth it reminds me of the story that we see in Exodus chapter 3 where Yahweh reveals himself in the burning bush to Moses and As God reveals himself.

He says I am that I am. Therefore say to the children of Israel. I am has sent you and Moses Immediately begins questioning saying God. I don't think you got the right man. You do know that I've got like a speech impediment.

I've got all these reasons why I shouldn't be the guy and What does God response? God responds by silencing by silencing the criticism of Moses. By saying do you not know? That is I who made the eye in the mouth to speak.

That it is God who has authority and mastery over all the senses of being able to see hear and speak he silences his doubt and Yahweh through the angel Gabriel does a similar thing to Zechariah. He he silences him Literally making him mute so that he cannot speak.

So he cannot even even declare now. He's no longer even fit To the clear of this good news of his mouth. He must be silent and Contemplation. I've seen movies and depictions of this scene if you've seen nativity movies or films you see how how he becomes a mute and he just begins to to To use his hands to speak and to try to write things down and one particular film.

They ask when the child is born what his name would be and he writes it out. And he just puts a piece of papyri up and says John That's gonna be his name because he couldn't speak. We don't know what that would have looked like and what exactly or how exactly he would have communicated well with others but this is the Point that the angel is making by making him mute.

If there's a consequence for unbelief. There's a consequence for unbelief. You're following along in the teaching. Zechariah is made mute for his unbelief. Notice again the reason it says in verse 20 behold you will be silent and unable to speak until the day.

These things take place because here's the reason. You did not believe my words. These words that came from Gabriel weren't from Gabriel. They were from God. They were God's message. There were God's good news and they were not received of joy and gladness and The and the angel Gabriel says these which will be fulfilled which will be fulfilled in their time.

God meets unbelief by silencing unbelief. Because his promises are sure they will be fulfilled brethren. Let us not fall into the same temptation. The same allure the same place of unbelief. It's easy not to believe in the promises of God.

It's so easy. I mean, let me tell you it's easy even for me to doubt in the promises and providence of God. When life is happening throughout the week and we're not in the constant Grind of of prayer and worship and and the study of the word and Temptations arise and problems arise and issues arise.

It's so easy To be like a grumbling Israelite in the wilderness looking back fondly to the slavery of Egypt. It's easy To think it was better over there than it is following the promises. The allure of unbelief is a powerful thing.

It is a powerful temptation to think that God Who spoke by various means but has in these last days spoken to us by means of his son. That he will not be true to his promises, but let me assure you dear brother and sister That God has not Forsaken his promises therefore be assured of this truth.

He has not forsaken you he's not forsaken you and it's usually in the depths of our pain of our own misery either by sin or the consequences of someone else's sin that we tend to look at the promises of God and what he has said would happen and what he has promised us in his word and we begin to Depart from it.

We begin to doubt it. We begin to doubt the goodness and providence in hand of Almighty God. But believer He is the one who has promised. I will neither leave you nor forsake you. You see even in the discipline that God gives to Zechariah.

He is by no means rejecting Zechariah. He's by no means forsaking Zechariah. He is demonstrating Zechariah to Zechariah his love his goodness his kindness. Even while he disciplines him because it is said in Scripture that God disciplines the ones he loves.

See the discipline of the Almighty as a gesture of love and kindness as it truly is. As Zechariah is now learning the hard way being made mute for his unbelief. Having now to live life. More difficultly in a more difficult circumstances several years ago.

I was preaching on a Sunday and. And I can tell that my voice was like like fading. And and for about a week and a half I had completely lost my voice. And and I'm trying my best actually this happened a couple weeks ago to back in October I was losing my voice as well.

More so a couple years ago when this happened I had a completely lost my voice and I remember getting calls from church members and and it's the most. It was the most difficult thing ever to try to Sound like a mummy on the other side like I was dying and I couldn't Text them and say I really can't talk.

I've lost my voice and trying to communicate with them was almost impossible. Especially when you're needed for various things. It's very it makes life very difficult when you can't speak and here you have Zechariah.

Who's a priest serving in the temple who has many duties and responsibilities? And he certainly now has made life a lot more difficult for himself by means of his unbelief. And I don't know why God took away my voice that time.

Maybe it was unbelief. Maybe it was just laryngitis or something. I don't know what it was. But we have to remember and trust in God's providence in God's hand and God's goodness that even when we're made mute.

Even if we're made blind, even if we're made deaf God is still on his throne and he's accomplishing his Wonders even in the midst of our great difficulties and God was still at work in Zechariah. God was still at work in Elizabeth using them as the as the agents to bring forth John who was the forerunner to our blessed Savior Jesus Christ and so do not be afraid of the consequences.

That God will bestow on us for our unbelief rather. Let us try to meet unbelief with faith. Let us try to remember that even in the difficulties of our circumstances God still at work God is still sovereign God still in the throne and God still has not left us nor forsaken us even as we see in the circumstances surrounding the situation where Zechariah says in verse 21 and the people were waiting for Zechariah and They were wondering at his delay in the temple and when he came out He was unable to speak to them and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple.

He kept making signs to them and remained mute. What an interesting scene that must have been as they as as as Zechariah rises from out of the temple and Maybe like a madman waving his hands and trying to communicate What God has just done in his midst and that's sometimes the way that we Look like as Christians.

Waving our hands like fanatics to the world and the world trying to figure out what exactly are you trying to say? One of the curses of disobedience dear brother and sister is That often time that which is clear becomes unclear that which is a gospel of clarity sometimes gets lost in the confusion of our own circumstances and of our own hang-ups.

You see the gospel is a message That is quite at its foundation simple and pure. Paul in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 refers to the gospel as pure. Simple that's the gospel. It's the gospel. It's a simple.

It's a simple message. We're sinners. We're sinners through Adam. We're sinners through our actions and God has sent forth in the fullness of time the Savior born of the Virgin. To die the death that we all deserved.

Live the life that we could not live holy perfect and blameless. Died on the cross and was raised again on the third day. It's a simple message and that all those who place faith in him and the ascended risen victorious Savior will have eternal life.

That's the gospel yet. Because of our own one belief because of our old sin because our old hang-ups. We often complicate this most beautiful pure and basic message. And we end up looking like Zechariah like a fool sometimes waving our hands in the air.

Try to make sense of the simplicity of the good news that's been delivered to us. So consider for a moment. Your responsibility as a Christian your responsibility to live before God as a messenger as an Angel of the Lord in that sense one who brings forth glad and good news.

Who brings glad tithings about the Savior? Do not overcomplicate the message. By a lack of obedience and by a lack of faith. The message speaks for itself, but it speaks all the more clearly when we live it out authentically as Christians in this fallen world.

Live authentically to the message. Live authentically to the faith that was once and for all delivered to the Saints. So that we do not become like those crazy fanatics who have to wave our hands up in the air.

But it said with true faith and sincerity. Declare the simplicity of the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amen that being said notice the response that we see from Elizabeth in this scenario and verses 24 and 25.

Elizabeth’s Faith and God’s Reproach-Taking Mercy

It says after these days His wife Elizabeth conceived and for five months she kept herself hidden saying. Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among People see Elizabeth had not had a direct encounter with the divine she had not had a direct encounter with the angel Gabriel and yet notice her response to the Conception of her son John thus the Lord has done for me.

She recognized the hand providence and work of Almighty God. She knew that in her barrenness in her circumstances God was working that God was at work and her life in her circumstances. Thus she could declared thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me.

She recognized That God had not forsaken her sometimes in life. Doesn't it feel like God's not even there that God's not even watching that God doesn't even care. It's real easy to fall to that trap. No thinking the Almighty does not see me.

Of thinking that God does not know my circumstances or my pain or my sorrow. God met Elizabeth in that place and She saw and recognized that God's eyes that God's goodness was still on her and Specifically she says to take away my reproach among people.

Why would there be a reproach upon her? Scripture opens up and in the narrative that her and her husband were blameless and righteous. Why would there be a reproach on her? Well, there'd be a reproach on their marriage the reproach Likely stemming from the understanding of the people that time that barrenness was a sign of a curse that if a woman could not bearing conceive a child that that woman was considered cursed in the Old Testament and We see time and time again where God reverses that and he reverses that that that preconceived notion.

And he brings life into barren circumstances. Starting with the very story of our patriarch Abraham if you have a moment Please turn to Genesis chapter 17. Genesis 17. Genesis chapter 17. Starting in verse 15 and God said Abraham.

As for Sarah your wife you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah Shall be her name. I will bless her and moreover. I will give you a son by her. I Will bless her and she shall become nations kings of Peoples shall come from her.

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah who is 90 years old bear a child? Again, notice the response here. Abraham can't believe it.

God is speaking to him. Yahweh the God who spoke stars into existence speaking to this man and yet He laughs and and cries. How can this be? Do you see the similarities in the narrative? And how even Abraham and Zechariah both have a similar response here.

And it says that Abraham in verse 18 Abraham said to God all that Ishmael Might live before you Ishmael being the son that he had with Hagar. Being the son that he bore naturally, you know when God gave him the promise the first time.

What Abraham the sin of Abraham and the sin of Sarah. Was that he they thought that God would accomplish the promise by natural means. That God would accomplish it by means that they could comprehend that they could tangibly touch and feel and Understand and that was their error.

That was their sin. Therefore they brought Ishmael into the world and God says that's not it. That's not it. It's very similar to when evangelicals today eschatologically speaking when they start to say pastor do you hear there's gonna be a red blood moon soon and.

And that that must be the sign of the rapture. That must be the sign of the second coming and I said if you can google it and find out then it's not it. Because that's natural when God breaks into the world.

It's gonna be supernatural and that's what God is doing here in the story of Abraham. It's what God is doing the story of John. It's what God is doing the story of Jesus. He's breaking into the world supernaturally not by natural means not by natural expectations, and that's why he looks at Ishmael and says no, that's not the son that I promised you.

The son I promised you was a son of promise that was gonna come by means of Sarah. That was the promise. And he goes on to say in verse 19 God said No. But Sarah your wife shall bear you a son and you shall call his name Isaac.

I Will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him as for Ishmael I have heard you behold. I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly.

He shall father 12 princes and I will make him into a great nation, but I will establish my covenant with Isaac who Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year. You see the promise is not dependent upon natural means or expectations.

But upon the sovereignty and goodness of Almighty God. God was not deterred By the natural outcome of Ishmael said God even used it for his glory and for the advancement of his purposes and. Yet what was the promise that he made was the promise that he kept?

When God makes a promise believe it and Receive it because it will come to fruition just as he said that it would. This is the difference between operating in the flesh and operating in the spirit. You see Abraham and Sarah for a moment operated in the flesh.

They thought that the natural that the natural means would be the way by which God would accomplish his purposes. But no dear dear beloved. That's not how God often accomplishes his Promises. It is by his supernatural hand.

We have a supernatural God. Oh, sometimes that word might make us feel a little bit uncomfortable if that's the nature of the God that we serve. He supersedes the natural order. He supersedes our Expectations.

He supersedes everything that we can think or imagine. So how will God accomplish his work today? Well by ordinary means as we learned today in the Catechism teaching there are ordinary means by which God has made but let me also frame it this way.

There's nothing ordinary about the ordinary means. There's nothing ordinary about it. That God has ordained these ordinary means for us through the preaching of the word that God is accomplishing his will his purpose for humanity through the Declaration of the gospel with weak and feeble men.

There's nothing ordinary about that. That God the sovereign the universe. Here's our pleas and our cries through prayer and Thanksgiving. There's nothing ordinary about that that we can have communion with Almighty God and Speak to him and we're heard by him.

That's not ordinary. That's extraordinary. That's incredible. That's a blessing. God is at work in us and through us and for us for the advancement of his kingdom. And this is what we see as the promises for us today.

Beloved that God is at work. He's at work in you. He's at work in the church. He's at work in the kingdom. He's at work in the nations. He's at work every single place that there is to be worked every thing that can be seen touch and comprehended even beyond those things God is Accomplishing his great pleasure and his will for all things to work together for good for those who are called according to his purposes.

Therefore Let us remember and receive with great joy. We're of great Thanksgiving That God is at work. Therefore, let us reject the allure of unbelief. Let us come around similar to how Abraham and Zechariah and Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary will eventually in the narrative Receive the good news of Jesus Christ with belief with faith and with joy.

God made it clear to Abraham That he was establishing his covenant in the world through Isaac that God would accomplish this Matter of fact the very name Isaac means laughter. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed at the prospect of having children of having a natural of having a child born to them at such an old age and yet God accomplishes his mercies and his will even in the midst of laughter and he uses laughter itself as he names Isaac.

For that very purpose so that his covenant should be established God has given us now a new covenant a new covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ a covenant that is sure That will not fail us. That cannot be shaken that will not be deterred.

It is a covenant that is signed and has been purchased by the very blood of Jesus Christ. It's that very same covenant That regenerated us brought us into the family of God and it's that very covenant that we're about to partake in and and not just memorialized but spiritually partake of here at this table.

And so help We with God's help We can overcome the allure of unbelief and trust in him. And as we come to this table this afternoon now We're reminded of the promises that are yet to come the promise of our future glory and the glorious Appearing of our great God and Savior for we are to partake of this table until he arrives for the last part of the teaching.

Zechariah and Elizabeth are a parallel to Abraham and Sarah and the parallels that are being drawn. Is that both? Zechariah and Elizabeth are an old age and yet a promise is delivered and yet disbelief is met.

With the delivering of the promise of good news and even in the midst of disbelief God performs the miraculous. So may you trust even today all the more greatly all the more closely the goodness Providence and sovereignty of the God who's at work.

Let me pray Blessed Savior. We are weak and feeble. It is so easy for us Lord to fall into despair to fall into unbelief and to be enticed by all that unbelief brings. But Lord as we have this sure foundation Written in Scripture as we get to look at all these great cloud of witnesses that have come before us Who also met your promise of skepticism?

Help us Lord to learn from their faults and help us Lord to learn from our own faults and to trust in your sovereignty and Your goodness all the more as we wait for the blessed appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ Who through the blood of the eternal covenant has given us an entrance into this new and a better way?

So that we may have fellowship with the Father Fellowship with the Spirit and fellowship with the brotherhood so that we may not depart from that good promise. But instead Lord that we may get to enjoy it all the more even as we come before you at this table Lord bless us as we endeavor to live more Godly lives as we endeavor to draw near to you so that you may not so that you may indeed draw near to us Lord we pray God your blessing over all the things that you've done and will continue to do in the midst of your people.

Help us again Lord to reject the temptation of unbelief and to have our faith firmly rooted in you The fountain of living water in Jesus name we do pray. Amen.