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Celebrating Advent - December 6

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Sing: One or two songs of your choice

Reading: Luke 1:11-13
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

Summary: There are two main themes that can be addressed in this passage. One, the fear of Zechariah as he encountered the angel of the Lord. The reason Zechariah feared is because, even though blameless before God he still had sin. When God's presence draws near to sinful mankind they realize that they are sinful compared to God and that they deserve his punishment. Second, this passage tells us that Zechariah's prayer for a child has been heard, highlighting the faithfulness of God and his sometimes mysterious ways.

Teaching Tip: Be sure to really make your children wrestle with why Zechariah was in fear at the angel of the Lord. In some ways, this is illogical that fear would be the response. Your children might come to realize that if they give it thought, they really don't understand why Zechariah would fear in this moment. When they realize that they don't understand the answer that you provide will be something they are invested in and will be more meaningful to them.

Questions/Responses:

Can you name a few things that, if they appeared unexpectedly, would make you afraid? ...Lion, Robber, Snake, Monster, Unicorn, Leprechaun, Clown...? 

 Why would Zechariah fear when he saw the angel of the Lord? ???

Didn't Zechariah love God? Wouldn't he be happy to see the angel of the Lord? ????

Aren't angels that come from God good? Why would he be in fear then? ????

 The reason Zechariah was in fear was because God is holy and sinless and Zechariah was a sinner. When the angel of the Lord came to Zechariah he realized that he deserves to be punished by God for his sinful heart and mind. 

 Did God send the angel to Zechariah to punish him or bless him? To bless him. 

 What was the good news that the angel delivered to him? That God heard his prayer for a baby and that Zechariah and Elizabeth were going to have a baby that they were to name John. 

Do you think Zechariah doubted God's goodness all the years that he and his wife had to wait? He probably did but God never gave up on him!

What does this tell us about God? God hears our prayers and is pleased with faith. God sometimes waits longer than we want to. Because of Jesus, God is kind and merciful to sinners who don't deserve his blessings. 

 *If time permits, perhaps you can ask your children if they have ever gotten anything good that they don't deserve. Help them to see that all undeserved blessings are connected to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

 Prayer and Ending

Suggested Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to live a righteous life so that sinners can be forgiven and receive your blessing. We thank you that as we believe in the Lord Jesus that we are your children and we can have peace with you, the almighty God. We thank you that you have forgiven our sin and you treat us as your beloved children and not your enemies. Help us to rejoice that we don't have to fear Jesus' return but instead, it is something that we look forward to. 

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