One of my favorite TV shows was “Touched by an Angel,” starring Roma Downey and Della Reese. Each week, these two angels paid a visit to someone in need of some divine help. Sometimes the person or persons had prayed and asked for God’s help, but just as often there was no indication that they had. Of course, the angels didn’t reveal their true nature at first, but instead became involved in the lives of the persons they were sent to help. They tried to help the person see for himself or herself what it was that God wanted them to see. But usually, the angels had to make themselves known and bring God’s message directly to the individuals. The one constant message in the show, week after week, repeated by the angels to every person they met, was, “God loves you.” The specifics of what needed to happen in the individuals’ lives might be very different, but in each case the primary message to them was that God loved them. For that reason alone, the show was worthwhile; after all, who wouldn’t want to hear a message direct from an angel, especially the message that God loved them?
Our notions about angels are sometimes influenced more from our culture or TV shows or artwork through the centuries than they are from scripture. How many of you, when you hear the word angel, see a figure with wings and a halo? That, my friends, is not in the Bible anywhere. In fact, scripture doesn’t give us a lot of details about angels. We know that angels are spiritual beings who are subordinate to God and who serve God, most often by delivering messages, helping people, or punishing people. Angels do appear in the Old Testament, but there is a great deal of ambiguity about what form they take, what type of beings they are, and what their relation to God is.
As religious thinking developed, people’s perceptions about angels also began to change. There were thought to be both good angels and bad angels, and some sort of hierarchy of angels, with specific duties assigned to each angel or group of angels. Most of these ideas are found in the apocryphal and pseudepigraphic writings that were produced between the Old Testament and New Testament. By New Testament times, angels were understood to be superhuman or spiritual beings who were allied with God in opposition to Satan and his angels (or demons). The angels had many functions: praising God, serving as messengers, watching over God’s people, and sometimes acting as instruments of God’s judgment.
For the next few weeks, we are going to consider the angel appearances in the stories surrounding the birth of Jesus. The angel who figures most prominently in these stories is Gabriel. Gabriel was one of the archangels in both Jewish and early Christian thought. He appeared in the Old Testament only in the book of Daniel (8:15-26; 9:21-27). In the New Testament, he was associated with the birth of Jesus. He appeared as a messenger from God and as an interpreter of those messages. In apocryphal and pseudepigraphic writings, Gabriel is one of the top four angels in rank, just behind Michael. His duties included intercession on behalf of God’s people and serving as an instrument of judgment to destroy the wicked. He was also associated with the archangel whose trumpet blast would announce the return of Christ.
In this morning’s scripture, we find Gabriel appearing to the priest Zechariah while he was serving in the Temple burning incense. Zechariah was blessed in that he was married to a woman, Elizabeth, who was also descended from Aaron, in other words, from the priestly line. We are told that they lived righteous lives, keeping all of the commandments without fail. But their one hardship was that they had no children. It was assumed that this was became Elizabeth was barren, because in those days infertility was always considered a female problem. It was also considered to be a sign of God’s displeasure, which in this case makes no sense, because we have been told that they lived good, obedient lives.
While Zechariah was in the Temple, he had an incredible experience. An angel of the Lord appeared to him; we are not told his name right away. This angel stood directly beside the altar of incense, where Zechariah couldn’t possibly miss him. In fact, Zechariah did see the angel, and he was not only startled by his presence, but was also gripped with fear. Why would he be so afraid? Well, wouldn’t you be afraid if an angel suddenly appeared in front of you? And Gabriel said what every angel said first thing, “Don’t be afraid.” Then the angel went on to say, “Your prayer has been heard. Your wife will bear you a son.”
We haven’t been told that Zechariah was praying, at least not for anything in particular, much less for himself, while he was offering the incense. All we are told is that the people who were worshiping outside the Holy of Holies were praying. But I have to think that this wish, this prayer, was never far from Zechariah’s lips. Even though he was now an old man, and his wife was “well along in years” (don’t you love how even back then a woman’s age was a sensitive topic?), they must never have stopped longing for a child to make their lives complete.
This child would not be just any child. This child would be a boy and they would name him John. Funny thing about names in the Bible; you need to pay attention to them. You see, Zechariah means “Yahweh has remembered.” Elizabeth means “God is the faithful One.” And John? John means “Yahweh has been gracious.” Indeed. This son, John, would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth and would be set apart as a Nazarite. That meant that he would be consecrated to serve God, would refrain from drinking any alcohol, would let his hair grow, and would avoid contact with corpses. John would bring many people back to the Lord and would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for his coming. In other words, John would prepare the way for the Messiah, for Jesus.
Well, Zechariah couldn’t help being a little skeptical. After all, he was an old man, and his wife was “well along in years.” So he asked Gabriel, “How can I be sure of this?” Gabriel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God. I have been sent to tell you this good news.” As a sign that Zechariah had not believed Gabriel, he would not be able to speak until after John was born. Until then, he would be speechless. Of course, you might wonder if he wasn’t struck speechless just by being in the presence of an angel. James R. Luck, Jr., a UCC ministry specialist in NC, writes, “When the holy crashes into our world, and our assumptions are confronted with new realities, a response of fear, shock, and even speechlessness would seem to be reasonable.” Perhaps his speechlessness was the sign that what Gabriel had told him would in fact come to pass.
When Zechariah came out of the Temple, the people had been wondering what was taking him so long in there. But when they realized that he was unable to speak, they understood that he had seen some kind of vision while he was in the Temple. When the time came for his service in the Temple to end, Zechariah went home. Elizabeth did, in fact, become pregnant. For five months she remained in seclusion. She said, “The Lord has done this for me. He has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
So what does the story of the angel and the priest have to do with us in 21st-century America during the Advent season of 2024?
How many of you came to church this morning expecting to meet God in worship? I know, you’re present for worship, you have prayed and sung and listened and maybe even been moved in some meaningful way. But did you really think God would be here this morning? Were you actually expecting that God might be here in his holiness today? Or could you have imagined that God might be trying to tell you that your prayer has been answered? Are any of you here this morning expecting God to do something new in your life? In the world?
Zechariah probably never expected to have an experience of God quite like the one that he had on that day in the Temple. He probably came in to do his duty as he may have done before, though it was an honor to be chosen to enter the most holy part of the Temple to offer the incense. He performed his duties with attention to detail. He may even have thought about the fact that God was believed to be in this place in a particular and special way. But Zechariah was completely unprepared to be met by an angel and to receive a message from God. He never expected to encounter God in God’s house!
Do you come to church as if on autopilot? Do you assume that you know what will happen while you’re here? Do you have low expectations of a divine encounter? Or do you come with your hearts and spirits open to the presence of the Spirit of God? Are you ready to hear a message from God? It may not come out of my mouth; I am no angel. But perhaps it is in the scripture text, or a prayer, or a hymn, or the words of the anthem, or even in the instrumental pieces of the handbell choir or organ. Maybe you will meet God in the silence. But did you come today thinking that God would be present? And that God would have a message for you? And that God might even answer your prayer?
This morning we also celebrate Holy Communion. What more obvious way can we meet God in this place than through the elements of the Lord’s supper. We remember that God came into the world through Jesus Christ, God became human like us. God lived and breathed and died for us. And we remember that sacrifice through Christ as we taste the bread and the juice. We tangibly encounter God at his table. As we move in a moment into the Great Thanksgiving, listen for God, look for God. And know that there are angels in this place with messages for you, if you just listen for them.
