This morning I read a
passage from an unknown author, which said, “Blessed are they who find
Christmas in the age-old story of a babe born in
We are waiting. We are waiting with anticipation for the
coming of our King.
In two chapters, the
Gospel of Luke presents six characters who are waiting
with anticipation for the fulfillment of God’s promise to this world.
Who are these people?
Zachariah
and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna.
Zachariah was a priest. He and his wife Elizabeth did pray
very long for a child. For many years,
Zachariah blessed his congregation’s children.
For many long years, he prayed for them.
You can imagine how tough the couple’s life was. Can you hear the talk of the people about
their infertility? Many used to think
that infertility was God’s punishment for sin.
Zachariah and Elizabeth did not stop praying and waiting. There, God’s angel gives the good news of the
coming of JOHN, (The Lord is gracious).
“But the angel said to
him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah;
your prayer has been heard. Your wife
Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many
will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the
Lord.” (Luke 1:13-15)
He is the one who will
prepare the way for coming of the Messiah.
The next couple is Joseph
and Mary. They were engaged. also imagine the talk of the
town about this couple when Mary was pregnant with Jesus.
Again the news was given
by the Lord’s angel Gabriel. “But the
angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with
God. You will be with child and give
birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son
of the Most High” (Luke 1:30-32).
I don’t know how much
Joseph and Mary understood, yet they waited with anticipation. They obeyed God’s will. Most likely people’s talk bothered them, yet
their trust in the Lord was greater.
Then we have Simeon,
the righteous and devout man. He was
waiting for a long time for the Promised One.
We do not know much about him, but as we read here, we see that the
Spirit of the Lord led him to come to the
His anticipation was
fulfilled when he saw Jesus. He saw the
promised Messiah. He saw salvation for
ALL PEOPLE. It is unique to hear such
words from a Jewish man.
Then we have a woman Anna,
a prophetess from the tribe of Asher, (read Genesis 30:13). She was in her 80s and still waiting. Now she was rejoicing, most likely singing
and dancing. She did not live the
temple. Now that she saw Jesus, she gave thanks to God for this moment and spoke
about this child to all people.
All six characters have
something common in their life. They did
wait for the Lord. They had a promise
from the Lord and expected its fulfillment.
They knew that God would keep His promises. But the title of this sermon is “Seven People
Waiting”. Who is the seventh
person? You and I are
the seventh person.
This morning, perhaps you
are also waiting for an answer for your prayer. Maybe you are praying for an
important issue. Please examine:
Does your prayer request contradict with God’s will? Are you seeking His will or yours?
Are you praying with patience? These
people prayed for long time. Some even
were ridiculed by the public but did not lose their focus.
We are waiting for the
coming of the Lord. Pray that you will be ready to welcome the King.