You're a Jewish priest, and you go to the temple to perform your normal priestly duties. You've been at it a while, so you're an old man. You're wife hasn't been able to have children, but you've made your peace with it, and you've walked blamelessly before God. You walk into the temple, just like any other day, and are chosen to burn the incense. You walk towards the table, and everything changes. Right there in front of you, just to the right of the incense table, is an angel. A real, eternal, heavenly creature. This isn't just a vision, you are looking at one of God's holy angels. The sheer majesty of this is enough to paralyze you with fear. The presence of this angel is so overwhelming, you can't even move. The angel tells you not to be afraid, but you say nothing. You just sit there, overwhelmed by it's majesty. The angel has some wonderful news for you. He tells you that your prayers have been heard, and that God will not only give you a son, but a son who will be great in the sight of the Lord, and cause many to turn back to God. The angel then tells you what any priest would give there favorite yamaka and shave their sideburns to hear, that your son will be the forerunner to the Messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
So what is your response? Thanksgiving? Praise? Do you run out of the temple filled with joy? Do you go home and tell your wife the good news? No. You doubt. You have an angel, a majestic being from heaven appear out of thin air to tell you something very specific, and the first thing you can muster out of your trembling lips is, "How will I know this for certain?" What else do you need? A bigger angel? More angels? Maybe Gabriel should of brought you a flow chart. You doubt something God has clearly shown you. You think, "impossible, I'm an old man!" so human reason takes over, and you limit God. Gabriel's answer wasn't intended to assure you, but to rebuke you. He says to you "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. (perhaps you can pick up on a little frustration on Gabriel's part?) And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, (and Gabriel throws this little jab in there, just to make sure you understands God's plan isn't contingent on you) which will be fulfilled in their proper time." Now you can't talk. Now do you believe him?
end scene...
How many times does Jesus say in Scripture, "you would not beleive me." It's sad, we have the testimony of the Law and the prophets, we have an angel appear to a righteous man, and then we have God Himself appear, who performs miracles and healings, and we still doubt. Of course, it's easy to say, "Well, if I had been Zacharias, I wouldn't of doubted." And to you I say, really? Are you sure you wouldn't of doubted? Let me guess, if Jesus had appeared to you, you would have been the first in line to affirm His deity, and would have made Peter look timid. It's easy to think that if we had been Adam, we wouldn't have eaten that apple. We would look at Eve and say 'What are you doing! Are you crazy!!!" It's so easy to read the narratives and assume we wouldn't have doubted like Thomas, deceived ourselves like Peter, or even betrayed Christ like Judas. The good news is we can know right now what our attitudes would have been like in sense, because we have something today that is just as powerful, and in many ways more powerful than anything they had before. I would argue that what we have is a more powerful testimony than what Zacharias had, and is only trumped by the walking and talking Word of God Himself.
So what do you do with the Bible? What is your attitude towards it? Do you believe it even when it's difficult to understand? Or do you allegorize it to make it more pallatable. Are you committed to it? To you study it, and try to understand it? Do you believe what it says about sin, redemption, and Jesus Christ? I hope so, because thankfully for Zacharias, he only had to answer to Gabriel, but if we doubt God's Word, we have to answer to God. What we do with the revealed testimony of God will determine how we live our lives, and it is what we will be held accountable for when we are judged by Him after we leave these physical bodies. Don't be flippant about God's testimony. It is tried, and it is true.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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