Get Ready for Christmas
November 27, 2005
Luke 1:5-25

There is so much to do to get ready for Christmas that, even though it is not even December, if you haven't started yet you are already behind! It's true! The biggest shopping day of the year was two days ago. If you didn't hit the malls the day after Thanksgiving you missed out. The good stuff is already gone! Now you have to start your shopping late and still deal with all the other preparations. Choose cards and get them mailed out. Put the lights on the house and the snowmen on the lawn. Keep your eyes peeled for the tree lots with the best prices. Try to remember where all those boxes of tree ornaments went last January, get them out of the attic and dust them off. Check your calendar and make sure everything is written down - the church Christmas play (and the rehearsals for the church Christmas play), the staff Christmas party, the annual presentation of Handel's Messiah at First Church downtown. "And when are we getting together with mom and dad and the kids and Uncle Joey, especially with Christmas falling on a Sunday this year?"

December can be crazy! But did you know that you can do all these things and still fail to prepare yourself for Christmas in the most important way? You can have red and green bows on boxes, you can fill the air with strains of "Silent Night," yet not be ready. If your heart is not ready for Christmas, you are not ready. The heart always needs preparation.

Today I want to share with you how to prepare your heart. We will see one way, a very important way, to get ready for the holidays in order to make the most of them. This is heart preparation, or attitude adjustment, and it makes such a big difference.

Then I will show you a character in the Christmas story whose heart was not prepared in this way, but should have been. He is not a major character (in fact, when I tell you who he is you may not associate him with the Christmas story at all), but he is there. And he is a man who needed an attitude adjustment.

Then I want to challenge you to prepare your heart in such a way that this could be your best Christmas season ever. Our point today is not to just take notice of what someone else did wrong, our point is to personalize it for each of us. I truly believe that this December can be a wonderfully enriching season for you spiritually, and I want to challenge you to make it so.

First, let's think about heart preparation. In my heart, in my spirit, how can I best prepare myself for the Advent season? Regardless of the number of decorations or holiday parties, how can I as a person make myself ready? You and I can best prepare our hearts for Christmas by cultivating a sense of expectancy. Instead of "hoping for the best" but really expecting nothing special we can be full of a sense of anticipation - anticipation that God is going to do something truly wonderful and exciting. We can go about our December routines with the attitude that God, at any moment, is going to come through for us in a mighty way. This is the best way to get ready for Christmas, to cultivate a sense of expectancy.

Expectancy is not par-for-the-course for us believers, though it should be. Rather, throughout the year, Sunday after Sunday, we can simply walk through our routines, saying the right things, following through with commitments as usual, without our hearts being in what we are doing. We are not really expecting God to answer our prayers in dramatic fashion. We don't expect him to show up at our services. Officially, we believe in miracles, and even pray for them sometimes, but we are not expecting any. This is more true during Advent than perhaps any other time of year. Advent should be a season of hope because we rejoice in the fact that God came through in the biggest way possible by bringing Christ into the world. God can do anything. This time of year we should be on the edge of our seats, with eyes plastered open, heads bobbing from side to side in anticipation of all that God will do. Alas, instead of being filled with expectancy we are often filled with doubt.

We are very much like one of the characters in the Christmas story. We are very much like Zechariah. Who is Zechariah, and why do I say he is one of the characters in the Christmas story? He was not an angel, a wise man or a shepherd. He was the husband of Elizabeth, the same Elizabeth whose cousin was Mary, the mother of Jesus. Zechariah's and Elizabeth's story is interwoven with Mary's in Luke's gospel. And in fact before we meet Mary or Joseph, or any angels or shepherds, we meet Zechariah. It was to Zechariah's and Elizabeth's home that Mary went after receiving the word of the miraculous pregnancy from the angel. Zechariah is there in the Christmas story, though he can be seen only in the shadows.

Please turn in your Bibles today to the account of Zechariah. It is found in Luke, chapter one. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the first three books of the New Testament. Luke's Gospel comes about three-quarters of the way through the Bible. The story of Zechariah (or Zacharias as he is called in some translations) is found in the very first chapter, verses 5 to 10, where we read this:

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

On the surface, there seems to be nothing to indicate that Zechariah lacked expectancy. We might think just the opposite, that he was the most hopeful of all men. Certainly he was a pious man. He was a priest, after all, and from a long line of priests. The priestly division of Abijah could trace their ancestry all the way back to Aaron, the brother of Moses, who lived some 1400 years before Christ. The privileges and duties of the priesthood had been passed along generation after generation after generation, and now Zechariah was carrying the torch. And this he had been doing his whole life, which now was mostly spent. He was an old man, still faithfully serving God.

We get a hint, however, about the lack of expectancy on Zechariah's part, from the fact that he is old. As I said, the torch had been passed down to him from his father and his father's father, and his father's father's father, etc. But to whom will he pass the torch? Zechariah and Elizabeth had never had children. It wasn't because of any obvious sin on either person's part. We are told that Elizabeth herself was a descendant of Aaron and that "both of them were upright in the sight of God."

But hope for a child was hard now for Zechariah and Elizabeth because they were getting along in years, now passed the point where Elizabeth might expect to conceive. There he is, taking his turn burning incense before God, offering his own prayers and the prayers of the people. That one prayer, for a son, was still on his lips, though hope now only barely smoldered, much like the burned out embers on the altar. Yes, God answers prayers, he believed theologically. "But what about mine?" he must have thought. "What about mine?"

But the prayer was answered, and in dramatic fashion! The answer came by way of personal messenger. Gabriel himself, who will, in about six months, visit the virgin Mary in Nazareth, brought the exciting news. Reading on in Luke, in verses 11 through 17, we find:

Then an angel of the Lord... (We will discover this angel's identity in just a minute.) ...appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was 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, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 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 from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 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."

What news! What great news! How could the elderly priest hope to hear anything more exciting than this? A son (so he too will be a priest). And a son who will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will bring many people back to the Lord their God. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Wow!

Was this a mere phantom, a figment of the old man's imagination? No, we are sure it was not, and Zechariah must have been sure also. We are sure because of several vivid details. The angel was not mysteriously floating mid-air, but was standing in a specific spot - "at the right side of the altar of incense," it says. The angel knew both Zechariah's and his wife's names, knew they had been praying for a son, and had a complete resume about this son who would come in answer to their prayers. His name, how he was to be raised, the kind of ministry he would have - it was all there.

How did Zechariah react to this great news? Listen. Luke will tell us in verse 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."

How did he react? He didn't believe it. Had he prayed for it? Yes. Did he believe that God answers prayers? Yes. Did he think that God would answer this particular prayer? No. We see him just going through the routines, dressing for the part, lighting the fire on the altar, mouthing the words, but living without any sense of expectancy.

The angel reacted strongly to this lack of faith, and with good reason. Verses 19 through 22:

The angel answered, "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. 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." Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

This seems to be a harsh judgment by the angel, especially if you compare it to the account where Gabriel visits Mary later in Luke, chapter one, but I think it makes sense.

The accounts of the angel's visitations to Zechariah and Mary are similar in some ways, including in the way each person receiving the news reacts to it. Here, as we have seen, Gabriel is announcing to Zechariah that his wife, in her old age, would finally conceive and bear a son. And Zechariah is skeptical. In the account with Mary, Gabriel announces to her that she, a virgin, would conceive and bear a son without having relations with a man. She too is skeptical: "How will this be since I am a virgin?" she asks. In that case, however, Gabriel will not render her mute or even rebuke her but, more tenderly and compassionately, he will explain the miracle. What is the difference? The difference is that Zechariah should have known better. He is not a young, unschooled, girl. He is a man who has been leading his nation as a priest for many years. If anyone should have been filled with expectation and hope it was him. Sadly, he was not, and because of that he was rendered mute for the next nine months.

Before leaving Zechariah, we must comment on God's grace and how it was shown to the elderly priest and his wife. Although Zechariah was "muted," this was not to be a permanent disability. And the wonderful promise made by God, announced by Gabriel, still came true. Verses 23 through 25:

When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

Praise God that he is so patient with our limitations. Praise him that his promises come true. Praise him that he answers prayer. Even in spite of Zechariah's feeble faith, God still did a wonderful, exciting thing. But I can't help thinking that the whole experience would have been so much richer if Zechariah had been able to talk about it. There were no discussions over the dinner table about adding on a room, no funny stories to tell to the other priests about Elizabeth's strange cravings. His heart was full of exciting news but he could share it with no one, not with words, anyway. And all of this because he lacked that spirit of expectancy.

How about you? Is such a spirit in your heart?

I challenge you today to prepare your heart for Christmas by cultivating an attitude of expectancy. I challenge you to put aside doubt that God will come through for you in an exciting way. Put aside the doubt that interferes with your hope. Christmas is all about hope. Starting right now, look for the God who answers prayer to answer your prayers. Expect that the God who works miracles will work a miracle for you.

We know what Zechariah's deepest prayer was, what is yours? And, along with that prayer, are you really expecting God to come through?

Is your deepest prayer to be reunited with an estranged family member? She is your sister, and the two of you used to be so close - one year Christmas was at your house, the next year at hers. Now you don't hear from her for months at a time and each time brings that bad taste back into your mouth as you reflect on the argument the two of you had. Can God put families back together? Can he put your family back together? Will you ask him to? Will you expect him to?

Is your deepest prayer to break the stranglehold of that addiction that has come to control you? It began with a prescription for a pain reliever after your automobile accident. When it got to the point where your doctor would not write any more prescriptions you looked around for other ways to relieve pain, and you've gotten yourself hooked on something that is slowly eating away your savings. Don't go into the new year that way. Give it over to God. Expect him to deliver you.

Is your deepest prayer to finally get a real job? What you are doing now is not what you trained for. It doesn't pay enough, and even if it did, you just don't like it. So far, interviews have not gone well in the field in which you would really like to work so you have stopped going for the interviews. But it's hard to explain to your friends why you stay with the job you have now, and it's hard to understand why God hasn't allowed something better to open up. But have you stopped expecting him to? Have you stopped praying because the answer just doesn't come? Set aside that doubt and ask once more.

Is your deepest prayer to hear from God regarding a tough decision that has been hanging over your head, and very soon needs to be made? It may have to do with something you have learned about one of your neighbors, and you struggle to know whether or not to tell his family. The easiest thing is just to look the other way and pretend - pretend you don't know, pretend that things have not changed, pretend that it is none of your business. If you tell what you know, someone may get angry, feelings may be hurt. You could get burned. Isn't this problem within the scope of God's wisdom? Are you seeking his guidance, and really expecting it?

Is your deepest prayer for healing, either for yourself or someone you love? The doctors' visits have increased, the pile of pills to take each day keeps growing. The cure seems to be worse than the disease. How long will this go on? Doesn't God heal?
Haven't you prayed many times for healing without receiving it? Haven't your friends prayed too? But what are you expecting? Where, really, is your faith? Do you expect to spend another New Year's Day in pain? Or do you expect God to come through for you any day now - maybe today?

Is your deepest prayer that you might recover from a broken heart? You didn't expect your marriage to end as it did. You didn't want the divorce - still don't. But there it is, and here you are. Every day when you look in the mirror you see the sadness, and your friends can see it too. You are depressed. You feel cast off, not only by your ex. You even feel cast off by God. Where is he in all of this? Do you expect God to bring you new hope this Advent season? Not necessarily hope for reconciliation, it may be too late for that. New hope for life. Can God show you that your life is not over and that there are still good things to look forward to?

This is how you can best prepare for Christmas, by cultivating expectancy. Advent season is all about expectations. You can expect Starbucks to carry special holiday blends of coffee. You can expect to see streets lined with colorful lights after dark. You can expect your mailbox to be full of cards and advertisements (hopefully more cards than advertisements). You can expect traffic jams and a full calendar. These are always part of the season. But don't forget the most important expectation of all. Expect God. Expect God to come through for you this Christmas season in an exciting way.