Xanthe Hancox

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.  Luke 1:5-7

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.  Luke 1:11-13

What a year 2016 has been. Drought! Brexit! State capture! Fees must fall! Trump! The Springboks! (Although I think it’s still too soon to talk about that last one).

Between an ever-shifting political and economic landscape both in South Africa and abroad and new struggles in my own personal life, I think it’s safe to say 2016 was an unsettling year for me. And I don’t think I’m alone. The constant barrage of bad news and the drama that each day seems to bring has left me reeling.

As Christians, it’s important to remind ourselves that nothing that has happened, or will happen, comes as a surprise to God. Christmas is a wonderful time to take a step back and look at the world from an eternal perspective once more.

Over the next couple of week before Verse-a-Day takes a break, we’ll be looking at that first Christmas and the people who were there. First up is Zechariah.

Things weren’t great for him. He and his wife Elizabeth were getting on in years, and were childless. There was a tremendous stigma attached to being without children and he would have felt the shame keenly.

For most of the year, Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in a small village "in the hill country of Judea," (Luke 1:39), except when Zechariah's was on duty in the Temple. He was obscure and insignificant and thought of as something of country bumpkin. Moreover, they lived in dark days during the tyrannical reign of Herod the Great (37 to 4 BC).

 Zechariah could have easily stopped praying, became bitter, and stopped working for the God who was not providing a child for him. But this is not how Zechariah’s story ends. We know that God answered his prayers and proved himself faithful by blessing him with a son, John the Baptist, who would announce the coming of Jesus.

Prayer: Father, forgive me for my doubt and despair. Thank you for the story of your faithfulness to Zechariah. May we be reminded of it at moments in our lives when we are tempted to give up. Amen