Which Lens?

December 24, 2023

Christmas Eve—the last day of Advent. The wait is almost over, the beginning of the fulfillment is nearly here. This morning as we worshipped, Nate paused to talk briefly about how waiting can sabotage what God wants to do in our lives. No, he didn’t actually express it that way, but…well, allow me to tell the story. 

Zechariah the priest and his wife Elizabeth were old. He had served God faithfully for many years, but there was one problem—they were childless. In a culture that values children and family as did theirs, childlessness was seen as a curse, a sign of God’s displeasure. This was their lot, in spite of his long faithful service. Lord knows, they tried; they did their part, but year after year went by, and now they were old.

One day while attending to his priestly duties, an angel appeared to him telling him that his wife would have a son, and they were to name him John. Zachariah couldn’t believe his ears! Literally. The angel told him that because of his unbelief, he wouldn’t be able to speak until the child was born. Can you imagine? As Elizabeth’s body began to change and fill out, when it became obvious that she was pregnant, Zachariah couldn’t utter a word, couldn’t tell anyone, couldn’t convey his joy. 

When Elizabeth was six months along, the same angel visited a young virgin girl, telling her she too, would have a son, and he was to be named Jesus. She was dumbfounded by the news, and like Zachariah, questioned the angel, but with a difference. Zachariah questioned the ability of God to do what the angel promised. Mary only questioned the means; after all, she was a virgin.

The difference between the two cannot be overstated. Zachariah saw God’s Word through the lens of his past experience. Mary saw her experience through the lens of God’s Word. Whenever we gauge or measure what God can do by what we’ve experienced, we are limiting the power of his Word in us. Far better to measure our experience by God’s Word, allowing it to shape, motivate, and change us, carrying us into a future limited only by his promises, and not by our experiences and unbelief.

2024 is almost upon us. It will bring challenges we cannot foresee. It will also bring the promises of God that are far beyond our ability to ask or imagine. It is ours to dismiss, or to believe, but we must choose. Choose faith…and life! Choose Jesus!