The first chapter of Luke tells the stories of two appearances made by the angel Gabriel. The first was to a priest named Zacharias, who would become the father of John the Baptist. The second was to Mary, who would become the mother of Jesus the Christ. I don’t know how excited an angel ever gets, but I might expect that this one would be about as excited as ever, delivering the news from God the Father that the arrival of God the Son was about to happen on earth.
If there was an angel delivering some of the greatest news in history, I might also expect that angel to think the news would stir immediate joy in those who heard it first. Gabriel told Zacharias that his prayers had been heard, and the answer to those prayers was the on the way. Zacharias responded by asking why he should believe the angel. Zacharias asked what could only be an insulting question when addressed to Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and carries His message. He was praying for a child, and yet when he heard that he would have one, he did not accept it. We can be like that: praying with our minds, while our hearts gradually close off to the very thing we say we are asking for. Zacharias got caught in that position, and even with Gabriel standing there fresh from the presence of God, he was in a settled position of unbelief.
Gabriel might have been a little let down. In response to the continuous prayers of a priest and his wife, God said they would have what they asked for, and even more. God said their child was to be someone great in the kingdom and plan of God. The news was fantastic, and Gabriel showed up to deliver it. He might have expected that Zacharias would be overjoyed, and would have shown his gladness and gratefulness. Instead, he showed doubt.
Six months later, Gabriel came to Mary and delivered similar but even greater news. She would have a son, and this One would be the greatest ever to be born. The coming of this child had been predicted by prophets for hundreds of years, and the predictions were about to come true. This would be God in flesh, the Christ, prophet, priest and king!
Mary’s response? Picture this tentative teen as she raised her hand and said “Excuse me. I have a question. Exactly how will this happen?” She did not respond with doubt, but the situation that the angel described created quite a few uncertainties in her mind regarding the mechanics of her future. Was this going to happen after she was married, in a natural way, or was this to be something else?
We can certainly understand the questions, but at the same time we should not be surprised if maybe Gabriel anticipated a bit more excitement here. He had just announced the greatest news possible: the arrival of God in flesh, to take away the sin of the world, establish His kingdom and rule forever! Somebody should have started jumping for joy, dancing because they just could not contain themselves. Instead, there were questions.
After the announcements were made, Mary went to visit Elizabeth, because the angel had said she was also expecting. As soon as Mary greeted Elizabeth, guess what happened. The baby in her jumped for joy. Why was he the one to respond with uncontained joy? Maybe it was because he was filled by the Holy Spirit. He did not yet know enough to put a sentence together, but because of the Holy Spirit, he was the one who responded properly to what the Almighty was doing.
Live with joy. Live filled with the Spirit. The greatest possible circumstances or answers to life-long prayers can not guarantee joy. That is a gift of the Holy Spirit of God. Live filled with the Spirit, and live with joy.
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