Less Baggage, More FreedomSample

The story of Zachariah and Elizabeth ends with some excellent news.

As we explore this story more, I want to share three lessons with you over the next three days. If you are weary and have been waiting, I hope these three lessons encourage you.

The first lesson is that God heard our prayers and sent a Messiah.

God didn't send good advice to Humanity. He didn't send us five tips to survive the holidays or a gift-giving guide to improve the holiday season.

No, He sent His Son. In fact, in Luke 1, we read about an Angel appearing to Zechariah in the Temple, leaving him terrified and overcome with fear. The Angel announced that Zechariah would have a son who would prepare the way for the Messiah.

Every time priests entered the Temple, they would recite the same prayer. It was a prayer for the Messiah's coming—an arrival promised for hundreds of years.

This moment was the pinnacle in the life of a priest. Once in his life, Zechariah would get up, go to the Temple, and enter the Holy Place. He would light the incense candle, pour the incense onto the altar, and watch the smoke rise from the altar as a symbol of the people's prayers rising to God.

Zechariah probably prayed a second prayer, perhaps something like, "God, I want to have a son."

When Gabriel the Angel appeared to Zechariah, his first message was, "Your prayers have been heard." This message is significant because the meaning of Zechariah's name is, "The Lord has remembered."

Amazing, right? After not having children for decades, every time Zechariah heard his name, I wondered if he thought, "Did the Lord forget?"

This moment in Luke 1 communicates a powerful message that God hears our prayers and invites us to trust Him. This Angel didn't come to give good advice—the Angel came to give Good News. Gabriel told Zechariah, "Your son will go before him, the Messiah, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children."

Zechariah's son would become a tool of God, working in the hearts of His people to help them prepare for the coming Messiah.

What do you need to do to prepare to welcome Jesus?

Are there grievances you need to surrender?

Are there hurts you need to invite God to heal?

Are there people you need to forgive?

Are there people you need to ask to forgive you?

Are there sins you need to confess to God and repent of today?

Before you move to the next Day in this Plan, pause and consider what it would mean for God to hear your prayers. If God heard your prayers and began preparing you for His Movement in your life, what would you need to do to get ready?

When you're ready, check out the next Day in this Plan, where I'll share the second lesson I want you to receive.