✨ Summary

Introduction: A Different Christmas Perspective

• Christmas isn't about deep theology-it's about a story.
• Looking at a small but crucial part of the first Christmas story.
• The first Christmas was the culmination of God’s "gonna do it anyway" plan.
  • When God decides to act, He just does.
  • We often read the Bible devotionally for personal encouragement, but the bigger picture is about God’s redemption story.
  • Christianity is not just about individual promises-it’s about God’s unstoppable plan for salvation.

The Promise Begins: Abraham & God’s Unbelievable Plan

• 2000 years before Jesus, God made a promise to Abraham.
  • In a violent world where tribes fought constantly, God promised Abraham a family that would become a nation.
  • This nation would bless all the families of the earth-a radical, unheard-of idea.
  • Yet, God did it anyway.
• Abraham wasn’t always faithful, but God remained faithful.
  • The Old Testament is full of imperfect people failing, yet God keeps rescuing.
  • Repeated phrases:
    • "Yet, for my name’s sake…"
    • "Because of my covenant…"
    • "I will not destroy you completely."
  • The entire Bible is the story of sinful people who can’t save themselves-but God saves them anyway.

400 Years of Silence

• After the last prophet (Malachi), God was silent for 400 years.
  • No prophets, no fresh word-just waiting.
  • That’s longer than Australia has been a nation.
  • Imagine being an Israelite-used to hearing from God-now experiencing centuries of silence.
• Many feel like God is silent in their own lives today.
  • But silence isn’t absence. Delay isn’t denial.
  • Sometimes, God’s timing is about aligning everything perfectly.

The World of Zechariah & Elizabeth

• Enter Zechariah and Elizabeth-a righteous but childless couple.
  • In Jewish culture, barrenness was seen as a curse.
  • Despite the stigma, they remained faithful to God.
  • Lesson: You can be faithful and still feel forgotten.
• Meanwhile, society under King Herod was brutal:
  • Herod was a puppet king for Rome-violent, paranoid, and oppressive.
  • He massacred male children in Bethlehem, executed his wife, and even killed his own sons.
  • The Jewish people were living in the darkest of times.
• Then, after 400 years, God speaks again.

Zechariah’s Divine Encounter

• Zechariah, a priest, was randomly chosen by lot (God’s providence) to burn incense in the temple.
  • Out of 18,000-20,000 priests, most never got this honor in their lifetime.
  • This moment represented the prayers of Israel going up before God.
• An angel appears. First divine message in 400 years.
  • Zechariah is terrified.
  • The angel says: "Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son. Name him John."
  • John (the Baptist) would prepare the way for Jesus.
• Instead of celebrating, Zechariah doubts.
  • "How can this be? I’m old."
  • Angel’s response: "I am Gabriel. I stand in God’s presence."
  • Lesson: Stop telling God how impossible your situation is and let Him show His power.
• Zechariah is struck mute as both a discipline and a mercy.
  • Discipline: He doubted the very thing he had prayed for.
  • Mercy: A forced pause to reflect and strengthen his faith.
  • Lesson: Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith-it’s what we do with doubt that matters.
    • Will we become cynical, or will we choose to trust God?

God Moves Despite Doubt

• Zechariah finishes his temple duty and goes home.
• Sure enough, Elizabeth becomes pregnant.
  • She keeps it secret for five months, but God was on the move.
  • God’s timing is perfect. He doesn’t forget His people.
• Meanwhile, God is preparing for the next chapter.
  • Six months later, the angel Gabriel appears again-this time to Mary.
  • The story of Jesus is set in motion.

Key Takeaways: Living with Expectation

• God always shows up-sometimes in unexpected ways and at unexpected times.
• Are we faithful in the waiting, or do we give up when things seem silent?
• Christmas isn’t just about cozy traditions-it’s about living in expectation of God’s presence.
  • Are we living like we expect God to move?
  • Or are we treating Him like a friend who always cancels last-minute?

Encouragement For Today

• Maybe you feel forgotten.
  • Zechariah & Elizabeth had every reason to give up, but they remained faithful.
  • Even when God seemed silent, He was working behind the scenes.
• Maybe you’re struggling with doubt.
  • Doubt isn’t the enemy-how you respond to it matters.
  • Will you let doubt harden you, or will you choose faith?
• Maybe you’re waiting for God’s timing.
  • God’s delays are not His denials.
  • The silence before the first Christmas reminds us that He is always moving.

Final Challenge

• Be like Zechariah-not in his doubt, but in his devotion.
• Stay faithful, even in the silence.
• Expect God to show up.
• Trust that His plan is already in motion, whether you see it or not.
• Ready or not, believe it or not-God is on the move.

📝 Final Sermon Script

• Tender & mild.
• Xmas - no deep theology or words that you need a Biblical professor to know…
• Read a narrative together, an account of the very first Xmas..
• Not even the whole narrative, just an ITY-BITY part that no one pays attention to

In a sense the very first Xmas was the culmination of what I like to call ‘God’s gonna do it anyway plan’

• God just decided God’s gonna do something & when God decides God’s gonna do something, God just does something
• & one of the challenges of reading Bible=tendency to read it devotionally… find something that speaks to me/addresses my issue/makes me a promise/solves my problem
• But the beauty/most amazing thing about Xianity is not a specific story/verse… It’s the story arc
• It’s this epic, unimaginable, almost too good to be true story… & it’s the story of our redemption/salvation/salvation of the world
• & it’s God’s ‘gonna do it anyway’ story because God decided He was just gonna do it anyway

And the story, in some ways begins 2000 years before the birth of Christ with a man named Abraham

• Abraham lived in the ancient world, where tribes were constantly at war, raiding one another, stealing each other's wives… It was dark
• And God appears to Abraham and says "you’re gonna become a family that will become a nation, & through you I’m gonna bless all the families & all the nations of the earth"
• Naaahhh… people only travel like, 80km MAX in their entire lives… plus, tribes dont even bless other tribes, let alone the world

So the idea that God was going to do something through Abraham that would bless the whole world? Unheard of

• But as the story begins God’s gonna do it anyway & so God decided to do it in spite of Abraham, with Abraham
• & Abraham didnt always co-operate if you know the story of Abraham…
• But God went ahead anyway… in fact the whole story of the Old Testament leading up to the birth of Jesus was God choosing & using imperfect people all along the way.
• Who here is glad that God chooses to work with imperfect people? That's you & me!
• And sometimes it sucks because you've heard it "that church wasn't what I wanted" or "christians are just hypocrites"… YEAH, we're all working this out, how to follow Christ, how to live righteously.
• In fact, every person throughout the whole Bible would believe & disbelieve, & they would behave & then misbehave
• YET, God still worked with them… In fact, the whole Old Testament is Israel messing up and then we see god say things like:
  • Yet, for MY names' sake
  • But because of my covenant
  • Yet, I will not destroy you completely
• The whole of Scripture is just sinful people, who can't save themselves, being constantly saved by God.

That was, until 430BC.

• See, God would appoint prophets to speak to His people and deliver His Words to the people… Some of them you might know are Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and the final book in the Old Testament… Micah
• Yet, after Micah, God was silent. For 400 YEARS. Sure, He was probably still at work cause all things happen by His hand.
• But 400 YEARS… no prophets, no fresh word-Just a nation of people waiting.
• Think about it… That's longer than Australia has been a nation… Longer than the United States.
• Imagine Israel… God has always been vocal, there was always prophets speaking… But now, nothing.
• Have you ever felt like God is silent in your life? Like your prayers are hitting the ceiling? Welcome to the world of Israel… And welcome to the world of Zachariah and Elizabeth.

Luke 1

• Can you imagine being a priest and God hasn't spoken in 400 years?
• Worse than that was the actual situation of society at the time… See, the days of Herod wasn't sunshine and lollipops.
• Herod was know as Herod the Great mostly because of some of the great buildings & temples that he built; both Jewish and Pagan.
• He was a puppet king of Rome, who was the ruling power at the time. Herod was tasked at keeping peace and eliminating and anti-Rome rebellions.
• And he was RUTHLESS. We know from the Bible that he ordered the massacre of all male children under two in Bethlehem.
• But this is only a footnote in most historians accounts because he did much worse… Josephus said "it is better to be one of Herod's pigs than to be one of his children".
• He murdered his own wife, several of his own sons. He taxed the people into poverty. He was so corrupt, so paranoid, and so ruthless.
• For the Jewish people, these were the darkest of dark days.
• Again, imagine being a priest? During these days… and God had been silent.

Luke 1

• So in these dark and silent days, we see two beacons of righteous living.
• Yet they were childless and…. advanced in years (what a nice way of putting it)
• The reason why this is important is that in Jewish culture to be childless was seen as a curse from God.
• So the implication was that God has sealed up her womb because of some sin or secret thing God wasn't pleased about.
• We know that's not true because we read here they were righteous before God… God was happy with them.
• Zachariah and Elizabeth didn't know that, but they remained faithful to the commandments of God.
• Maybe this resonates with someone here… You can be faithful and still feel forgotten. That doesn’t mean God isn’t working behind the scenes.
• Because, while I'd love to unfold this story as if you don't know what happens… We all know what's about to happen, we all know Jesus is on the way.
• And so Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story reminds us that delay doesn’t mean denial. What feels like silence is often a setup.
• God’s delay isn’t because He’s on some cosmic vacation, watching shows on Heavenly Prime.
• Sometimes, His timing isn’t about us-it’s about aligning everything for His glory and our good.

Luke 1

• Zechariah was one of between 18000 - 20000 priests who worked in the temple during his lifetime
• The temple was such a big complex & there was so much going on it took 18-20000 employees to keep it operating
• & Zechariah was one of these priests… & it just so happened that Zechariah got a really high honour
• to be able to go into the temple all alone & present an offering of incense before the Holy of Holies.
• This offering of incense was to represent the prayers of Israel, so Zechariah was essentially mediating the prayers of Israel before the Lord.
• This was a really big deal… Because the only way you could do this was to cast lots… He wasn't chosen by merit
• Instead they left it up to God, we'll cast these lots and whoever God wants, God will choose
• Most priests in their lifetime would never have an opportunity to do this..
• So this, professionally, was the best day of Zechariah’s life.

Luke 1

• Can we just pause here and recognise the gravity of this. 400 YEARS… this is the first time God speaks again, through the sending of an angel.
• At this point Zechariah and the other priests, they had not relationship with, no presence, no communication. Their service was ritual, it was routine.
• Their job was to represent a people waiting, hoping, but losing faith people.
• All they could do was obey the Lords commandments. We often like to give religion and ritual a bad wrap, yet it was in ritual that God turns up.
• God didn’t just send an angel to Zechariah-He met him in his ordinary faithfulness. Showing up to the temple wasn’t glamorous, but God often breaks into our lives when we’re just doing the mundane faithfully
• Can I say, don't allow silence to quite your praise… don't allow dark days to prevent your devotion to His Word… don't allow unanswered prayers to shut up your prayers… don't allow disappointment to stop you from church… remain faithful.
• Religious routine/spiritual discipline can be the very place God chooses to break through.
• I wonder, what ordinary moments, what monotonous routines are we missing where God might be speaking?
• Here’s the thing: God doesn’t need Instagram-worthy moments to speak.
  • He meets you in the middle of your 9-to-5, in the carpool lane, or when you’re unloading the dishwasher for the third time today.
  • Faithfulness opens the door to divine encounters.

Luke 1

• & he says "Zechariah, God has heard your prayers… You and Elizabeth are going to have a baby"
• He and his wife had never had children, & they had prayed+prayed for children
• & the angel Gabriel says you’re going to have a child/a son…I’m gonna tell u what to name him = John
• Incredible… already the best day of his life & he just received the best news he could possibly hear as an older man who had never had children

And this was His response… In fact, this is the response mirrored through the entire biblical story that God decided to do anyway

Luke 1

• Seriously, you’re standing in the temple, an angel has appeared to you & has made you a promise & you need more information?
• Interestingly, the word the angel uses is the same we use for the term Apostle…
• So, just as we know that the Apostles were given a message from God to deliver to us… The angel is the same
• I am not just visiting you, I have been SENT BY GOD… peasant

Luke 1

• Because in spite of your doubt/confusion/lack of faith/question… God’s gonna do it anyway
• God is on the move in history & Zechariah, God chose you out of 18-20000 priests
• "because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time" Lke 1:20
• Because God has chosen this time to enter history in a way that would change the world forever
• God is going to do it anyway, He’s going to bless you anyway
• God's response to making Zechariah silent was both disciplinary but also merciful.
  • Disciplinary because here's a man who has lived righteously his whole life, doubting the very thing he has been praying for His entire life.
  • Merciful because… "dude, stop doubting… you've wanted this your entire life… be silent, and consider your lack of faith"
• Can I say this… Doubt is not the OPPOSITE to faith… in fact, we all doubt… But it's what we do with doubt that matters.
  • Will we allow doubt to turn into cynicism; there's no way, even if you say God, I don't know.
  • Or will we allow our doubt to be shaped by a faith in His word; I have doubt, but I CHOOSE to believe.
• Zechariah’s like, ‘Uh, Gabriel, you realise I’m old, right?’
  • And Gabriel’s like, ‘Dude, I stand in God’s presence. I think He’s got this.’
  • Sometimes we need to stop telling God how impossible our situation is and let Him show us how good He is.

Meanwhile, all the folk are gathered outside the temple & they’re praying & waiting for Zechariah

• This should only take a few minutes & Zechariah isn’t coming out… & they're thinking’someone should go and get him out' but who wants to go in there?
• & then Zechariah came out and the text says…

Luke 1

• So Zechariah is trying to communicate what happened but he couldnt talk…
• & Luke doesnt tell us but I can imagine the conversations after "well, maybe you should go in there", "I’m not going in there"…
• Nobody wants to go back into the temple because Zechariah went in = cant even talk about it

So he finishes his duty that day & he goes home & of course Zechariah just cant stop thinking about what happened

• & that God promised Elizabeth a son & they’re to name him John… & at some point he give Elizabeth that look
• & she thinks "Seriously? I am well along in years!"… But sure enough, she gets pregnant
• & they kept the news of her pregnancy secret for 5 months but God was on the move… at the appointed time

Luke 1

Ready or not. Believe it or not. God is on the move.

Luke 1

Imagine the drama, imagine everything that hung on this next phrase, as Luke is writing this down

• He had no idea what would happen in the future as a result of him telling this story
• cathedrals would be built/wars fought/building all of wrld built/missionaries sent/books written/heretics burned
• People would give their lives to get this this story out of 1st century/translated into language common man can read
• Luke=well I dont know about that, I just want the next gen. to know what has happened here in history among us

Zechariah and Elizabeth's story is a reminder; God always shows up-sometimes in unexpected ways and at unexpected times.

• The question is, are we ready to receive what He has for us?
• Are we asleep at the wheel, or are we faithful is seeking and serving Him, ready for Him?

This Christmas season, live with expectation.

• God isn’t done with your story.
• Be faithful, stay hopeful, and trust the God who shows up-even in the silence.
• The Christmas season for Christians isn’t just a cozy candlelight vibe with hot chocolates and twinkly lights.
• It’s a callout: Are you living like you expect God to show up? Or are you treating Him like the friend who always cancels last-minute?"

Zachariah & Elizabeth had more reason than all of us to lose hope, to give up, to just remain content with mediocrity.

• God hadn't spoken for 400 years, the world was darker than any point in history, they were old and barren.
• Yet, in their faithfulness.. In their everyday faith, God shows up
• Here’s the thing: God’s silence isn’t Him ghosting or avoiding you.
• It’s not like He left you on read and moved on to someone else.
• His silence is more like Airplane Mode-He’s working on something bigger, and it’s about to land.

Maybe you're here and you feel forgotten, or your struggling with doubt, or you're just waiting for God's timing.

• Christmas is a reminder that He is active.
• Be reminded that He has already sent the Saviour into the world and we now have a hope beyond death, beyond pain, beyond suffering.
• Be reminded to be, like Zechariah, faithful even in the silence.
• Be reminded that God shows up in the most unexpected ways and times.
• Be reminded to trust again…