Why did Zacharias “fear”
(Luke 1:13) when he saw
the angel?
An angel suddenly appearing would have been startling in any setting,
but Zacharias had been standing in front of and burning incense on the
altar of incense, which is only 18 inches (45.7 centimeters) wide.
Since the angel “appeared to him, standing on the right side of the
altar of incense” (Luke 1:11), he was very close to Zacharias,
especially if he appeared in between or through the poles for carrying
the altar of incense that stuck out to the altar's left and right.
For what had Zacharias been praying?
His wife Elizabeth to bear him “a son” (Luke 1:13).
What kind of news did the angel bring?
Good. The kid was already even named.
What does John being “filled with the Holy Spirit
even from his mother's womb” (Luke 1:15) indicate?
Only a human being can be filled with the Holy Spirit, so John was a human being while he
was growing inside his mother's womb.
What then is abortion?
Murder of a human being.
What about women's right to choose?
The baby's right to not be murdered trumps the mother's right to not be
inconvenienced.
What about in cases of rape or incest?
Imagine a woman was incestuously raped and then fell into a coma, during
which she became pregnant, carried her pregnancy to term, and gave
birth. If she then wakes up from her coma, learns that the baby in a crib
near her is hers from the rape, and asks you to kill the baby, would you? If a
rapist's baby shouldn't be murdered while in a crib, neither should the baby
be murdered while in the mother.
Does “strong drink” (Luke 1:15) mean hard liquor
like whiskey or vodka?
σικερα (sikera), the original Greek word
translated “strong drink,” refers to an
alcoholic drink that is fermented from a grain or fruit other than
grapes, so it could have been beer but not hard liquor, which requires
distillation, which wasn't invented for drinks until the 10th century.
Why won't John the Baptist drink “wine or strong
drink”?
He was to grow up as a Nazarite (see
Nazarite vow).
What will Zacharias' son do to be “great in the
sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15)?
He will forego materialistic comforts,
eat “locusts,” wear “camel's
hair” (Matthew 34), and preach in the
“wilderness” (Matthew 3:1), telling sinners
to repent (see
John the Baptist).
Who are great in the sight of seminary alumni today?
Those who gain materialistic comforts, live and dress like celebrities, and
preach in palatial buildings, telling sinners what they want to hear.
Do your choices indicate that you want to be great in
the sight of the Lord or world?