Big things and little things

What has always been amazing to me is the way the Bible records God’s actions. He cares for the big things, like the redemption of the world, but he also cares for the little things as well. One of the stories to help see this great truth is found in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke begins with a problem that is familiar to anyone who has read through the Bible. It is the problem of barrenness. Zechariah and Elizabeth were married, but the Lord had not blessed them with any children. Barrenness is a common theme throughout scripture. In fact, often when God is going to do something great in history, he causes this sort of “pregnant pause” through barrenness. Think of Isaac being born to Sarah (Gen 18:11), Samson born to the wife of Manoah (Judges 13:2, 5) and Samuel born to Hannah (1 Sam).

We are told that they are “advanced in years” which reminds us of Abraham and Sarah in story of Isaac’s birth in Genesis 12-22. As we read all these historic accounts, we have an expectation that God is going to do something great. All of these stories remind us of awaiting the fulfillment of a promise and the waiting simply makes God’s purposes clear. It is the Lord who will open the womb, in his own time. The situation ought to make a student of the Bible prepare for God’s doing something great.

We see many times in Scripture, “the Lord opened her womb.” Barrenness was often seen as a reproach, or curse, from God. This makes sense since children are a blessing and inheritance from God. Barrenness would necessarily cause one to doubt their usefulness to God. Luke tells us, though, that Elizabeth, upon becoming pregnant, speaks of taking away her reproach, or disgrace. A big reason for this is because of how the Bible views children. They were considered a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3).

This is a perspective that is often lacking in our own day. The Bible does not disparage those who cannot have children, for their inheritance is the Lord himself. But the Bible also does not shirk from reminding us that children are a blessing from God. Why was this? On the one hand it is natural. The bond between a mother and child is a wonderful and beautiful thing. So natural is it that when it is broken, we consider it a tragedy.

Something more is going on in these stories of births in the Bible though. It is more than nature that God’s word is concerned to tell. The Bible is a story about redemption. Zechariah and Elizabeth will have a child whose name will be John and he will be called John the Baptist. His birth is significant and recorded because he is the one who will prepare the way of the Lord. All these births are recorded so we can trace the promise of Genesis 3:15 all the way to the birth of Jesus Christ. But there’s also the work that God is doing in the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth. They trusted the Lord, and he would provide!

This near impossibility of barrenness will be dwarfed by the truly impossible, a virgin birth. While God has used barrenness in redemptive history, he is about to do something new; he will use a virgin, a teenage girl, to carry His Son into this world. While Jesus will not come from an impeccable pedigree, in every way, Jesus is superior to John. John is born out of barrenness; Jesus is born of a virgin. John will be great as a prophet before the Lord; but Jesus is great as the promised Messiah who will save his people. John paves the way of the Lord; Jesus is the Way; Jesus is Lord.

What is amazing is that alongside all these big themes is the simple and personal story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. As God works his plan of salvation for the world, he is also meeting very real human needs. Luke depicts God’s sovereign involvement in the lives of believers, in the lives of those who are loved by God. In my life and in your life. As God is bringing his kingdom glory to bear on this world through his Son, he is also working all things out to the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. God fulfills his promises.

Pastor Everett Henes, the pastor of the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church, can be reached at pastorhenes@gmail.com.

Everett Henes
Everett Henes

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Opinion