God used Gabriel in the Christmas story to reveal some powerful truths about the Kingdom of God…

The great thing about the Holy Spirit is He loves to deliver a message.  Kind of like an individually wrapped present designed specifically for you.

With Christmas in mind, I dug into the gospel account of Christ’s birth.  I studied Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1-2.  Four chapters jammed pack with messages.  But I kept coming back to one message in particular.  A theme I couldn’t get out of my head.

I didn’t make it past Luke 1:23 before Spirit started to reveal a word.  I hope you’ll read the verses for yourself but let’s recap, just in case.

Zechariah was a priest and was married to Elizabeth.  Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. (Luke 1: 6)  (Pretty nice compliment.)  They were both old and had no children.

One day when it was Zechariah’s turn to perform the temple duties.  He entered into the temple and burned incense before God. As the smoke from the incense rose, priests joined in prayer.

And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.  (v. 10)

Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.  When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.  But the angel said to him:  “Do not be afraid, Zechariah: your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son…

Let me highlight a few things that jumped out at me:

1. Smoke from the incense burning to God inside the temple queued the worshippers to start praying.  Worshipper’s praying proceeded the angel appearing. The angel came in response to Zechariah’s prayer.
2. Fear.  Holy fear is often the response to a divine encounter.
3. The angel called Zechariah by name. –-God calls me by name.– His angels know my name.
4.  What prayer???  I’m wondering if when Gabriel told Zechariah his prayer had been heard if he was thinking what prayer?  Maybe, which prayer??  I get the impression that at some point Zechariah had stopped praying for a child.  I think that because a few verses down Zechariah tells Gabriel he and Elizabeth can’t have a child–  they’re too old.  It sounds to me like maybe Zechariah had given up on that prayer. Which is odd because surely Zechariah knew another story in the scriptures about an old woman getting pregnant.
5.  Just because he stopped praying, didn’t mean God stopped answering.  He and Elizabeth’s prayers were seeds God sowed.  It was now time for the seeds to burst forth.  It was time to see the fulfillment of their prayers.

Let’s circle back to #1…praying proceeded heaven coming down.

I guess this is the message God keeps bringing to mind for me..Prayer proceeds heaven coming down.  Prayer proceeds an encounter with the Most High.  God heard Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayer.  He answered their prayer in a powerful way.  If I want to encounter God, I need to encounter prayer.  I need to draw near to Him and then not be surprised when He draws near to me.  (James 1:8)

Truthfully, there are a lot of messages packed in those verses.  I’m not sure if God needs to remind someone that He knows your name.  You are not forgotten.

Or maybe someone needs to know, the prayers we pray are seeds that God sows.  He continues to answer our prayers long after we have stopped praying them. He continues to answer our prayers after we have gone on to meet Him in glory.

Maybe there are some, who can’t imagine any possible way God can answer their prayer.  A little like Zechariah when Gabriel told him they were going to have a son.  Zechariah couldn’t figure out how that could be possible.

Listen to the angel’s response…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…which will come true at (it’s) proper time.  (v. 19-20)

Can you hear the authority?? The confidence??  Gabriel wasn’t struggling with unbelief or doubt.  Gabriel knew God’s word does not return void.  Gabriel didn’t struggle with believing God.

Maybe this season especially –we need to just Believe God. 

If you will read the first two chapters in Matthew and Luke, you will notice they are full of divine encounters.  Encounters that were often proceeded by pray or a prayerful life.  Divine encounters that dramatically impacted the lives of those encountered and prompted some powerful responses in return.

Of course, there was one divine encounter that changed the world. We’ll save that one for next time.

Praying this season especially you with have an encounter with Christ.  An encounter that leaves you changed and Him glorified!