Hopes and Fears | Zechariah
Hopes and Fears-Zechariah
Luke 1:5-25
Sermon Recap
This week we opened the season of Advent by exploring the story of Zechariah—an ordinary, faithful man living in extraordinarily dark days. Luke situates his story “in the days of King Herod,” a detail that signals disappointment, fear, and political and spiritual heaviness
Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous, devout, and blameless—and still, their lives were marked by deep disappointment. They carried the stigma of barrenness, the weariness of unanswered prayers, and the ache of a hope they had quietly let go of over time. As you said: “They were weary—they were tired in more ways than one… they had grown tired of unanswered prayer… they were both very old.”
Into that weariness God speaks a surprising word through the angel Gabriel: “Do not be afraid… your prayer has been heard.”
Zechariah can barely believe it. His faith is still there, but it's threadbare. And yet God works with tired faith. The story reveals not only that God remembers (the meaning of Zechariah’s name), but that God acts—even when we cannot muster much faith of our own.
Finally, we remembered how “we must not mistake God’s silence for God’s absence” and how Advent invites us to hold our hopes and our fears together in the presence of God.
-Go a Little Deeper
“In the days of Herod” — A loaded phrase
Luke’s opening line intentionally echoes the beginning of Old Testament prophetic books (“In the days of…”). It signals: God is doing something big again.
Herod the Great was known for brilliance and brutality—his reign epitomized spiritual fatigue and political oppression. Luke wants readers to feel the tension: hope is always born in real-world darkness. This is the same pattern as the Exodus, the Exile, and the prophets.
Zechariah’s priestly service is no small assignment
There were around 18,000 priests at this time, divided into 24 divisions, each serving two weeks per year. Only one priest per day was chosen by lot to offer incense. Scholars estimate a priest would likely never receive this honor in his lifetime.
This is the moment Zechariah has waited for his whole life—the high point of his ministry—and that’s exactly when God interrupts him.
Burning incense = standing in for the whole nation
Incense symbolized Israel’s prayers rising to God (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:3–4). Zechariah is not offering his ownprayer—he’s offering Israel’s. But Gabriel breaks in with deeply personal news:
“YOUR prayer has been heard.” This suggests God can respond to the prayers we’ve stopped praying.
Gabriel standing “on the right side of the altar”
In the temple, the right side was associated with favor, blessing, and deliverance. Luke includes this detail to say: God’s messenger comes not with judgment but with blessing.
Zechariah’s muteness isn’t punishment so much as formation
Luke presents his silence as both sign and gift. For nine months Zechariah—who doubts with his words—must listen. In Scripture, silence often creates space for God to reshape a person’s imagination (think Elijah in the cave or Ezekiel’s enforced silence).
John’s name means “The Lord is gracious”
Names carry theological weight in Luke.
· Zechariah = God remembers
· Elizabeth = God is my promise / God has been faithful
· John = The Lord is gracious
Taken together, they tell the story: God remembers. God keeps promises. God is gracious.
The people waiting outside
While Zechariah meets Gabriel inside, the people are outside praying. They don’t know what’s happening, but they’re participating in God’s story. Advent reminds us: Sometimes God is doing His deepest work where we cannot see.
-Discussion Questions
Scripture & Reflection
1. What part of Zechariah’s story resonates with your own experience of waiting, hoping, or feeling forgotten?
2. Why do you think Luke emphasizes the age and weariness of Zechariah and Elizabeth?
3. What do you make of the angel’s words, “Do not be afraid”? Why do you think this is heaven’s first word so often?
4. What’s the difference between God’s silence and God’s absence? How have you experienced that distinction in your life?
Formation & Practice
5. Are there prayers you’ve quietly stopped praying—either because they hurt too much or because they felt hopeless?
6. What lies does despair tend to whisper to you in hard seasons? (e.g., “It’ll never get better,” “It’s too late,” “No good can come from this.”)
7. When you consider your own hopes and fears this Advent, which feel louder? Which feel harder to name?
Suggested Practices
Name Your Hope
This week, take time—individually or as a group—to name one specific hope you carry into this Advent season.
This could be:
· a place of lack or longing in your own life,
· a relationship that feels strained,
· a broken place in the world,
· or a burden you’ve felt but haven’t spoken aloud.
The point is not to “fix it” or even to say it triumphantly. The point is simply to acknowledge it before God—like lighting a single candle in the dark.
Try this practice:
1. Sit quietly for one minute.
2. Ask: What do I hope for? What am I longing for? What feels barren or forgotten?
3. Write it down on a small piece of paper.
4. Pray: “God who remembers, I entrust this hope to You. Let Your light grow in me.”
5. Place the paper somewhere you’ll see it—near a candle, in your Bible, or on your bedside table.
This week, every time you notice it, pause and breathe this prayer: “Lord, grow in me an Advent sort of hope.”
Closing Prayer
God of remembering and restoring, You meet us in the silence and you meet us in our questions. You see the weariness we carry, the disappointments we don’t say out loud, and the hopes we hardly dare to name. As we wait this Advent, grow in us a quiet and steady hope. Help us trust that Your timing is good, Your presence is near, and Your promises are still unfolding in our lives and in this world You love. Amen.