May 7, 2023 – A Message From God
Angels are always working behind the scenes, but why do they sometimes appear? Perhaps it has to do with the name “angel”, which means messenger. When angels appear, be sure to listen for the message God is delivering.
Luke 1:11-20
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When
Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 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. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for 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 before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. 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 appointed time..
Going Deeper
If God decided to send an angel to you personally, for a personal message from God, what would the message be?
If you had to pick the top thing God wants you to know, what do you think it would it be?
What message of good news could you use today?
What message does the angel Gabriel deliver in Luke 1:17? What you you learn about angels from that verse?
Do you know anything else about angels? Brainstorm and share with each other, recalling what you remember from the sermon. The list of facts from the sermon is on page three of this Worship to Weekday study.
Read Luke 1: 5-25, and summarize the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. The reason they did not have any children was not because God was punishing them. How does the Bible describe this couple? Luke 1:6
In our reading, it is his division’s turn to serve in the temple. To determine which one of the priests would go in and offer the sacrifice of incense on the altar inside the temple, they drew lots. And, Zechariah’s lot was selected for the honor. He goes inside the temple. Not inside the Holy of Holies, the room outside that. Zechariah goes in alone while everyone else waits outside. Why would he respond as verse 12 suggests?
The angel delivers a message. What was the first message Gabriel proclaimed and why?
In the Bible, you will often see one layer of fulfillment followed by a greater level of fulfillment. The second message around the son Zechariah and Elizabeth were to have was not only an answer to prayer, but there is good news beyond that. How does this proclamation point to Jesus?
The angel proclaims, “Your prayer has been heard.” Do you need that message? For what are you praying right now?
