Our biographical sketches last year began with Adam, the first man in the Old Testament. As we turn the calendar to a new year, let’s consider Zacharias, the first man we meet in the New Testament. Even before Joseph or Mary are introduced, Scripture instead presents a priest of the Lord in Luke chapter one.

Four hundred years of silence from God were suddenly interrupted by a messenger sent from Heaven. The setting was the exact time as foretold by Daniel. The place was the sanctuary of the Temple, as foretold by Malachi. The recipient of the message was a priest named Zacharias, whose Hebrew name very fittingly means “the Lord Remembers.”

According to Luke 1:5–7, “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.”

The description of Zacharias and Elisabeth living righteously “before God” is a very significant one. We should always remember, not only at the dawn of a new year, but every single day that we have breath, that we are living in the presence of God.

As we have emphasized throughout the Matters of Life and Death study, a proper view of the attributes of God should influence the way that we live. Despite what is happening in our communities, in our nation, or even in the world, as God’s people we should never lose focus of our primary duty, which is to live uprightly before Him and those around us.

Let’s continue with Luke 1:8–10: “And it came to pass, that while he [Zacharias] executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.”

The burning of incense in the sanctuary of the Holy Place was a great and exalted privilege for a priest. It has been estimated that a priest might hope to have this duty only once in his lifetime!

Zacharias had the rare opportunity to enter the sanctuary of the Temple where the table of shewbread, the golden candlestick, and the altar of incense stood. The sanctuary walls were covered with gold. The golden altar stood in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary where the Mercy Seat crowned the Ark of the Covenant. During those few moments of intercession, Zacharias was the man in Israel nearest to the Mercy Seat!

“And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him” (Luke 1:11–12). According to Scripture, an angel had not been seen since the days of Daniel, approximately six centuries earlier! No wonder Zacharias was troubled and fearful.

The priest listened in awe and wonder to the news from the Heavenly messenger. The angel’s news was of a promise that referenced the Messianic hope of Isaiah chapter 40 and Malachi chapter 4.

“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:13–15).

This barren couple would bear a child! Yet there was more news from the angel about their coming child’s purpose. The angel continued, “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:16–17).

In response to this good news from Heaven, Zacharias’s response revealed his doubts and lack of faith in God’s promise. “And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years” (Luke 1:18).

Later in this same chapter, Mary the mother of Jesus had responded differently to equally incredulous news: “How shall this be?” (Luke 1:34). Mary believed first and then sought an explanation. In contrast, Zacharias sought an explanation before he was willing to believe. God’s ways often call for us as His people to exercise faith first, then later He will grant understanding.

The angel answered Zacharias, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season” (Luke 1:19–20).

Over the course of the next nine long months, the lips of the righteous priest were sealed from sharing the glad tidings. During that time, the angel Gabriel appeared again to Mary in Nazareth to give her the news of the coming of God’s Son. Afterward, Mary traveled into the mountains of Judea to visit her cousin, Elisabeth, Zacharias’s wife. In her greeting to her cousin, Mary gave utterance to her song of faith. Meanwhile, in all this time, Zacharias was silent.

Finally, the promised son was born to Elisabeth and Zacharias. When a controversy about the boy’s name arose among the well-wishers who gathered around the new mother and infant, the silent, aged priest signaled for a writing tablet. On it he wrote, “His name is John” (Luke 1:63).

Upon his words of faith and obedience, the lips of the priest were unsealed! All the joys and praises of the last nine months came flowing forth as a fountain. According to Luke 1:64–66, “And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.”

The song that follows is known in church history as the “Benedictus” or “Canticle (Song) of Zacharias.” Benedictus simply means “blessing,” and is taken from the first word spoken by the priest. It is a song, a prayer, a praise, and a prophecy all mingled into a joyful expression of thanksgiving for what God was doing in the world through the coming of the Messiah.

The Benedictus

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

—Luke 1:68–79

Just as Zacharias the priest lived at the dawn of the first coming of Christ, so we live in expectation of the second coming of Christ. May God give us the grace in this new year to trust His promises without doubt, to proclaim His glad tidings without fear, and to live righteously before God and blamelessly before men.