Advent Week 1: Waiting for the Promise

Advent is a season in which we reflect on the miraculous hope found in the form of a helpless baby. During the four weeks leading up to Christmas, Christians throughout the centuries have reflected on the events surrounding the birth of Christ. Within this story, we also see how God fulfilled the promises made to generations of faithful people. But living in a world where Jesus has already gloriously conquered death and ascended into heaven, it can be hard to see how these long-ago promises impact our faith lives today. While we can see how God works in the lives of others, our own dreams and desires can still feel empty and unanswered. This Advent season, we will be walking through the first two chapters of Luke and looking at the promises made to specific people that echo the longings of generations, and how we, too, can find hope in this season.

Boiled down, the primary symbol of Christmas is a baby. Granted, this baby is also Christ the Savior incarnate, but still, he is a baby. We joyously celebrate the miracle of a child born to a young virgin. But for many people longing for their own baby, this story can be filled with great sorrow and pain. This is why it’s so important that Luke’s narrative starts off focusing not on the miracle child of Jesus. Instead, Luke starts with the miracle of John, who is the fulfillment of a promise not only to old and barren parents who have long awaited a child of their own but also a messenger of the miracles yet to come.

When the Gospel of Luke introduces Zechariah and Elizabeth, there is a tangible feeling of heartbreak for two people who had written off having any children, assuming it was impossible (see Luke 1:5-7). For years, their prayers felt unanswered. And it wasn’t just them—God had been considered silent for 400 years. Prayers of generations had felt unheard, and the Israelites were weary and losing hope amid their oppression. If we are honest with ourselves, it is easy to imagine bitterness overshadowing hope in these moments. In our own lives, we each have our own prayers that we have presented to God that still await an answer. Whether it is prayers for peace, love, or direction, waiting on God can feel tiresome.

Zechariah and Elizabeth are described as having lived perfect lives, walking with God. They continued in faith, and their prayers were heard. Thankfully, our prayers today are still heard by the same loving God. When we feel like the waiting is cultivating bitterness and disappointment instead of hope, we can look to the example of these two faithful believers.

God worked in Zechariah’s life through a rare opportunity to perform sacred duties within the Temple, sending the angel Gabriel with an important promise. When Gabriel tells Zechariah that their prayers for a child had been heard, Zechariah is understandably shocked. After what felt like such a long period of silence, Zechariah and the people of Israel knew that this was something extraordinary.

But Zechariah’s doubt and boldness to question an angel are also understandable. After such a long wait, this promise seems too good to be true. Zechariah expresses a weariness that can feel familiar to us, even when we have chosen to remain faithful, because our grip on hope has weakened. It is not that we don’t trust God, but in our limited human minds, we struggle to move our mindset from our logical processes to the miraculous methods of God.

For the next five months, Zechariah and Elizabeth are silent and in seclusion—this pregnancy, while an answer to prayer, still feels to them like it could be ripped away. But God’s glory and kindness can’t be hidden. While Zechariah wrestles with doubt and Elizabeth is still bewildered at the child growing within her, Gabriel proclaims the news of the first of these miracle children as proof of God’s power to Mary.
Mary’s questions to Gabriel follow almost the same words as Zechariah's. From both Mary’s and Zechariah’s reactions, we can be assured that God still hears us and works powerfully through our questions. This time, instead of silencing her, Gabriel replies by telling Mary that Elizabeth is pregnant, which is proof that “the word of God will never fail” (Luke 1:37, NLT). With those words, Mary recognizes that God truly was at work and rushes off to witness the miracle. Her perspective shifts, and her sense of hope is restored as she watches God’s handiwork. Through these two women, God’s promises became evident, and hope contagiously grew amongst the people of God.

As we reflect on this story, let hope begin to stir within us. God has heard our prayers and is not silent. Even in our questioning, God shows us evidence of how promises are being fulfilled in powerful ways. Miracles are still at work; they are not just a thing of the past. And when we need reminders to hope this Advent season, let us consider how Elizabeth and Zechariah became long-awaited parents to the first of the miraculous babies in Luke’s gospel. Their story is just the beginning.

Advent is a season in which we reflect on the miraculous hope found in the form of a helpless baby. During the four weeks leading up to Christmas, Christians throughout the centuries have reflected on the events surrounding the birth of Christ. Within this story, we also see how God fulfilled the promises made to generations of faithful people. But living in a world where Jesus has already gloriously conquered death and ascended into heaven, it can be hard to see how these long-ago promises impact our faith lives today. While we can see how God works in the lives of others, our own dreams and desires can still feel empty and unanswered. This Advent season, we will be walking through the first two chapters of Luke and looking at the promises made to specific people that echo the longings of generations, and how we, too, can find hope in this season.

Boiled down, the primary symbol of Christmas is a baby. Granted, this baby is also Christ the Savior incarnate, but still, he is a baby. We joyously celebrate the miracle of a child born to a young virgin. But for many people longing for their own baby, this story can be filled with great sorrow and pain. This is why it’s so important that Luke’s narrative starts off focusing not on the miracle child of Jesus. Instead, Luke starts with the miracle of John, who is the fulfillment of a promise not only to old and barren parents who have long awaited a child of their own but also a messenger of the miracles yet to come.

When the Gospel of Luke introduces Zechariah and Elizabeth, there is a tangible feeling of heartbreak for two people who had written off having any children, assuming it was impossible (see Luke 1:5-7). For years, their prayers felt unanswered. And it wasn’t just them—God had been considered silent for 400 years. Prayers of generations had felt unheard, and the Israelites were weary and losing hope amid their oppression. If we are honest with ourselves, it is easy to imagine bitterness overshadowing hope in these moments. In our own lives, we each have our own prayers that we have presented to God that still await an answer. Whether it is prayers for peace, love, or direction, waiting on God can feel tiresome.

Zechariah and Elizabeth are described as having lived perfect lives, walking with God. They continued in faith, and their prayers were heard. Thankfully, our prayers today are still heard by the same loving God. When we feel like the waiting is cultivating bitterness and disappointment instead of hope, we can look to the example of these two faithful believers.

God worked in Zechariah’s life through a rare opportunity to perform sacred duties within the Temple, sending the angel Gabriel with an important promise. When Gabriel tells Zechariah that their prayers for a child had been heard, Zechariah is understandably shocked. After what felt like such a long period of silence, Zechariah and the people of Israel knew that this was something extraordinary.

But Zechariah’s doubt and boldness to question an angel are also understandable. After such a long wait, this promise seems too good to be true. Zechariah expresses a weariness that can feel familiar to us, even when we have chosen to remain faithful, because our grip on hope has weakened. It is not that we don’t trust God, but in our limited human minds, we struggle to move our mindset from our logical processes to the miraculous methods of God.

For the next five months, Zechariah and Elizabeth are silent and in seclusion—this pregnancy, while an answer to prayer, still feels to them like it could be ripped away. But God’s glory and kindness can’t be hidden. While Zechariah wrestles with doubt and Elizabeth is still bewildered at the child growing within her, Gabriel proclaims the news of the first of these miracle children as proof of God’s power to Mary.
Mary’s questions to Gabriel follow almost the same words as Zechariah's. From both Mary’s and Zechariah’s reactions, we can be assured that God still hears us and works powerfully through our questions. This time, instead of silencing her, Gabriel replies by telling Mary that Elizabeth is pregnant, which is proof that “the word of God will never fail” (Luke 1:37, NLT). With those words, Mary recognizes that God truly was at work and rushes off to witness the miracle. Her perspective shifts, and her sense of hope is restored as she watches God’s handiwork. Through these two women, God’s promises became evident, and hope contagiously grew amongst the people of God.

As we reflect on this story, let hope begin to stir within us. God has heard our prayers and is not silent. Even in our questioning, God shows us evidence of how promises are being fulfilled in powerful ways. Miracles are still at work; they are not just a thing of the past. And when we need reminders to hope this Advent season, let us consider how Elizabeth and Zechariah became long-awaited parents to the first of the miraculous babies in Luke’s gospel. Their story is just the beginning.