“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.”
Luke 1:13 KJV
Zechariah (whose name means ‘Yah is mindful’), is the officiating priest at this time whose job is to place incense on the altar, heated with coals from the brazen altar of sacrifice and then prostrate himself in prayer. The incense represents the prayers of the people and outside the people are reciting their prayers. The angel standing before Zechariah said, “Yah is mindful, Zechariah, you have no reason to fear! This is the moment for your dream to realise! Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John.” Zechariah had most likely ceased to ask for offspring owing to his extreme years and he certainly was not offering this prayer during this solemn moment. God is saying that the prayer Zechariah no longer prayed, was heard! So Zechariah is startled to the core by the mercy and favour of God. Yahweh’s mercy introduces and unveils the Lamb of God, Who would take away the sin of the world, through Yohannan which means Yahweh is gracious. John the Baptist embodied the grace of God in his person and mission. The entire prophetic priesthood and sacrificial system was to be rendered redundant when God Himself became the sacrifice concluding the judgment of creation in His death and resurrection! Glory to God!
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