It’s time to start recording some highlights from Luke’s gospel, the next book in our New Testament Reading Plan for this year. Chapter one starts with some vignettes on faith, or its lack.

• Zechariah believes not

And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1.18 – 20, ESV)

• Zechariah believes and “fulfills his ministry.” Zechariah might not have believed at first, but after being struck dumb, he does believe and takes appropriate action.

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived… (Luke 1.24, ESV)

There’s only one virgin birth. John the Baptist’s birth is by ordinary means. Zechariah had a required action for Elizabeth to conceive – this falls under the category that if you’re praying to win the lottery, you must at least buy a ticket!

• Mary believes, understanding, as The Passion Translation puts it:

No promise of God is empty of power for nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1.37, TPT)

This is a great verse, usually translated “For nothing is impossible with God.” But the translator of The Passion Translation explains:

This verse can be translated in two different ways: “There is nothing impossible with God” or “The word of God will never fail.” The translator has chosen to include both for this verse. – Note on Luke 1.37

Dawson Trotman, the founder of The Navigators, preached a sermon on prayer called “The Need of the Hour.” He seemed to understand the double meaning of this verse when he said:

Let me tell you what I believe the need of the hour is. Maybe I should call it the answer to the need of the hour. I believe it is an army of soldiers, dedicated to Jesus Christ, who believe not only that He is God, but that He can fulfill every promise He has ever made, and that there isn’t anything too hard for Him. – Dawson Trotman, The Need of the Hour, emphasis mine

• Then when Mary visits Elizabeth, Elizabeth seems to contrast Mary’s faith with her husband Zechariah’s initial unbelief:

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1.45, ESV)

Do we believe? Do we act on our belief?

[Abraham] did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. (Romans 4.19 – 21, ESV)

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. (Hebrews 11.7 – 12, ESV)