SATURDAY December 6, 2025

Joy and Gladness

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him [Zacharias], standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”
Luke 1:11-14

Zacharias had been praying for years and years for a child to be given to him and his dear wife Elizabeth. They were both far along in age and resigned to the fact that no child would be given to them.

As always, God’s timing was perfect. There needed to be an alignment of prophecy and the right sequence of events happening before Zacharias’ prayer would be answered. That time had come. The angel Gabriel was sent by God to tell Zacharias that his prayer was finally answered. His wife Elizabeth would have a child, and his name was to be John.

Joy and gladness were usual reactions of answered prayer, so you would expect Zacharias to rejoice, but instead, he had unbelief. He questioned the possibility of having a child in his old age. Joy became quenched by unbelief. Failure to accept God at His Word resulted in a serious rebuke from the angel: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God ... you will be mute ... because you did not believe my words...” (Luke 1:19-20).

As Zacharias encountered the angel, the people waited patiently, wondering why he took so long. Surprisingly, when Zacharias exited the Temple, they noticed he could not speak. The people supposed the priest had seen a vision in the Temple. Zacharias quickly gestured to them––speechless (Luke 1:21-22). Sadly, he could not tell them the good news; they would have to wait until the day of his son’s birth to rejoice with him.

This Christmas, embrace the joy and gladness of the Child in the manger––Jesus. You only need to believe!

Christmas is the most thrilling season of the year because its message is that Jesus brings joy and love through His sacrificial gift of forgiveness and redemption.
~Billy Graham~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!