The old Italian woodworker leaned back to admire his latest creation. Before him sat one of the finest pieces he had ever created. The arms and legs, hands and feet were masterfully sculpted, and the eyes and lips were skillfully painted. As the old woodworker gazed upon his creation, it pleased him to see how much it resembled a real boy. The old woodworker had no children of his own and later that evening he lay in his bed thinking how nice it would be if the puppet he had created became a real boy. He looked out his window at the night sky and said, “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight.” And, with the help of the Disney animation department, overnight the wooden puppet became a real boy… well a real cartoon fairytale boy.
Pinocchio was the first animated feature to win an Academy Award and is considered by many to be one of the greatest animated films ever made. It is a fantastic fairytale and an entertaining story but, in the real world, wishing upon a star is at best a waste of breath. Regardless of what Jiminy Cricket maintains wishing upon a star will not make your dreams come true.
Zechariah wanted a real boy. He and his wife Elizabeth were pillars of their community. Zechariah was a priest. His wife Elizabeth was the daughter of a priest. They were the religious equivalent of a power couple in their community. The tabloids would have called them “Zechabeth” and compared them to “Kimye” and “Brangelina”. The bible describes them as, “6… upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.” “7 But (the bible continues) they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.”. For years Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for a child of their own, but after years of unanswered prayers eventually, when it no longer seemed physically possible to have children, the couple gave up. I imagine, in their darkest moments, they bitterly considered all those years of prayer to be a waste of breath and cynically wondered if they might not have been better off wishing upon a star.
Have you ever felt that way? In your darkest moments have you ever thought of your prayers as nothing more than a wish upon the stars? I wouldn’t be surprised if you have. Is it safe for me to say that you have never had a prayer answered on the first go around? Would it further be accurate of me to say that you have never heard a voice speak to you from heaven in response to one of your prayers? Think about your prayers that have been answered, were any of them answered exactly how you expected? Punctual, perceptible, predictable – fairytale wishes get answered that way, but prayers seldom do. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if in your darkest moments you wondered if you might be better off wishing upon a star.
Zechariah was “an old man” and his wife Elizabeth was “well along in years”. It is likely Zechariah had given up on his prayer for a son. Which is ironic when you think about Zechariah standing before the altar of burning incense. In verses 8-10 we read, “8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.” The incense that burned on the altar before Zechariah symbolized the prayers of the people. As the smoke rose from the embers, God’s people were to be reassured that their prayers had been heard. In Psalm 141 King David made a connection between the burning of incense and prayer when he wrote, “1 O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. 2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”
As Zechariah stood before a visual symbol of prayer “11 an angel of the Lord (later identified as Gabriel) appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense” and said, “13 Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.” Gabriel then proceeded to tell Zechariah how the Lord was going to answer his prayer.
Gabriel told Zechariah he and Elizabeth were going to have a son who would be a “14 joy and delight” to them (which is no doubt exactly what they had been praying for these many years). However, Gabriel further explained, this son was not only going to be an answer to their prayers, but he was also going to be the answer to the prayers of countless others who would “14 rejoice because of his birth”. Gabriel told Zechariah, “15 he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.” Zechariah would have understood that his son was to be a Nazarite, that is a special servant of the Lord who was to be set aside from the people and consecrated to the Lord. Only two others (Samson and Samuel) had been designated as Nazarites from birth. That alone would have made Zechariah’s son special, but the angel Gabriel had more to say.
Gabriel told Zechariah “16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.” As a priest, Zechariah knew from personal experience how difficult it was to lead one person to repentance. To be told that the Lord would use his son to lead “many” to repentance, suggested that not only was his son going to follow in his father’s footsteps, but he was going to be a far more effective minister than his father. This was beyond Zechariah’s wildest dreams, but still the angel Gabriel had more to say.
Gabriel told Zechariah, “17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous —to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” These words would have reverberated in the soul of Zechariah like thunder rolling through a valley. In the last verses, of the last chapter, of the last book in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Malachi to write, “5 See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”[1] For 400 years the people of God had waited for the second Elijah to come. For 400 years they had waited for the appearance of the Messiah’s forerunner. For 400 years the people of God had been waiting for / praying for this very moment. Gabriel told Zechariah his son was going to be the fulfillment of a 400-year-old prophecy and the forerunner of the world’s Savior.
“13 Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard…” As you know, Zechariah struggled to hark what this herald angel was saying. “18 How can I be sure of this?”, he asked. The herald was less than thrilled at Zechariah’s response. “19 I am Gabriel. (He said) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.” Apparently, Gabriel doesn’t like being treated like a fairy godmother.
I wonder if part of the reason Zechariah struggled to hark the angel was heralding was because he had lost confidence in the power of prayer. I am likely projecting my own spiritual weaknesses upon Zechariah. Perhaps there was some other reason he struggled to believe that the Lord had heard his prayer. But if I were Zechariah and I had spent a lifetime offering up seemingly unanswered prayers I think I might struggle to hark what the herald angel was saying. Wouldn’t you? Don’t you?
This lesson obviously occurs in the season of Advent because it anticipates the birth of our Savior Jesus. But when you focus in on Gabriel’s message you notice it also teaches us an important lesson about the power of prayer. Zechariah’s prayer was not answered when he wanted or how he anticipated. But the Lord heard Zechariah’s prayer and answered his prayer when the time was right and in a way that brought more blessings to Zechariah than he was able to imagine. And my friends, the Lord answers your prayers in the same way. I am not saying that your children will go before the Lord in the power and spirit of Elijah, John the Baptist has already gone before the Lord and the Messiah has already paid for your sins. But one of the things we can learn from Zechariah is even if we spend a lifetime offering up seemingly unanswered prayers the Lord hears them.
So, pray, Christians. Whatever it is that troubles your heart, take it to the Lord in prayer. Whoever it is that you are concerned about, share those concerns with the Lord. Even if you don’t get a verbal confirmation that your prayer has been received, even if it takes a lifetime for that prayer to be answered, pray. Pray with the assurance that you are not wishing upon a star, pray with the confidence that the Lord will always answer your prayers at the right time and in a way that will bring you blessings. The Lord may not answer your prayers punctually, perceptibly, or predictably, but I hope you hark the words of this herald angel and trust that your prayers have been heard. Amen.
[1] Malachi 4:5-6