He was planning on moving out of downtown London to suburbia in a small town just outside the city. I was a little skeptical. Like I said, I am a similar age but I am a grandpa. Just thinking of the energy needed to raise children at my age, I get exhausted. Grandkids, you can get them all fired up, then give them back to their parents and go have a nap. Date: December 5-6, 2020 Speaker: Paul McIlwraith – Teaching Pastor Carolyn and I did the pre-marriage counselling with Scripture: The Songs of Christmas - Zechariah Rob and Amanda and saw just how much they loved each other and were together in this. I officiated at their wedding in 2019 and a short while I met Rob around five years ago. Pre-COVID days, later their son, Samuel was born. I can say that I he attends our Saturday night service. He began to have never seen Rob happier and more content. He write me notes just sharing some things he was is a wonderful father to little Sam. learning from the sermons and that led to us going out to dinner and getting to know each other a bit I took a moment to ask him about it. Have a look at better. Rob is a few years older than me but in much the video. better shape. Did you noticed for Rob, the only hesitancy in Through the course of the conversation, I found he having a child this late in his life was, societal was a big hockey fan and has a very successful norms. As I continued that conversation with him career in the financial services sector. I also found off camera, he is just full of praise to God and His out that although Rob had been in a few serious timing in his life. That he brought Amanda and her relationships, he had never married and never had family to him at just the right time. He believes that children. Sam was born at just the right time in his life. He doesn’t know whether he would have loved him in Over the next few years, a friendship was the same way if he was in his twenties or thirties. established with Carolyn and I and Rob. He would He said to me, “Paul, God is in control”. come over for dinner. We sought his advice in financial matters. Then in 2018, after a Saturday Last week, we launched our Christmas message night service, he introduced us to a woman that he series at North Park entitled, The Songs of had brought along. Christmas. Music is such a huge part of the Christmas season. We all have our favourites and Which was nice and we were happy for him. She some, as we discovered last week with Joy To the seemed like a great match for him. A few months World, have a rich history and go back almost 300 after that, Rob reached out to me and shared that he years. and Amanda were getting serious and not only were they talking about marriage, but also about having a We have some songs of Christmas that go back child. I should point out that Amanda is even further than that, almost 2000 years to the time significantly younger. of Jesus’ birth. I have to admit, as happy as I was for him, I thought In this series, we are looking at four of those songs, at 58 years of age, he is going from being a bachelor their significance at the time, and what they mean to never having kids, used to his own independence, us today. Last week, we unpacked Mary’s Song and living in a condo in downtown London, to getting today, we come to Zechariah’s song. married. Amanda had three children from a Zechariah’s story has some similarities to my previous marriage, so he would have three step- friend, Rob. children, and then a baby. Let me explain. school I really liked and teaching the subjects I enjoyed. Zechariah was a temple priest during the time of Jesus’s birth. It was a respectable job but not the Carolyn and I were looking into opportunities to do most important in terms of levels of priests in this a teaching exchange to Australia with our young day. Kind of like Matt Eckert is the Executive Lead family. Things were good. That is when I began to Pastor at North Park and the rest of us pastors, we experience the prompting of God to leave my just sort of fall in behind. That was Zechariah. beloved career and move into full-time vocational ministry. I fought it. I didn’t want to leave the He had a reputation of being a very kind and holy certain and comfortable and go into the unknown. man but a bit of a “country hick” as he came from a As you can see, I didn’t win the fight. God did. He small village on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Probably had a different plan for my life. the way us Londoners feel about those who come from places such as Strathroy or St. Thomas. For Zechariah, he was a mid level priest in the Zechariah was married to Elizabeth, a relative of temple, one of about 18000 priests. He served in the Mary, who would be the mother of Jesus. temple for two, one week periods every year. The rest of the time involved duties away from the main Both Zechariah and Elizabeth would have been over building. A priest on Zechariah’s level only had the the age of 60 when this story takes place and there chance to enter into the inner sanctuary of the was something that distinguished their relationship. temple once in their lifetime, if their name was They did not have any children. This would have chosen by lot. been unusual in this day because, you know, societal norms. This was Zechariah’s lucky day. He is chosen to go into the sacred part of the temple to pour incense on In this culture, not having children was a big social the altar. This was a holy moment and that is when problem and for Zechariah, a priest, to not have an angel of the Lord appears to him. An angel had children was seen as a neglect of his priestly duties. never appeared to someone in that part of the temple Not having children for Elizabeth was a source of before. It was Gabriel, the same angel that had shame. For some of you who are listening who have visited Mary. been in this situation, you know that desperately wanting children but being unable to conceive is What is Zechariah’s reaction? Look at it in Luke heart wrenching. 1:12. “Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him”. Although it was difficult and it was a loss for Zechariah and Elizabeth the fact is that sometimes Do you think? He is in the bowels of the temple, even righteous people have disappointments in life. alone. Carrying out this sacred act of worship to But, like my friend Rob, they trusted that God was God. He is “in the moment” fully focused and in control. He knows best. His timing is always concentrating. This a once in a career opportunity. perfect. He wants to get it right. Just me and God. That is when an angel shows up and says, “Hey dude”. It is interesting that God picks one of the most important moments in Zechariah’s career to make I have been startled like that. There have been times his divine move. Just think of those times when you in here during our services when we would be have felt God’s presence and direction in your life. singing a song and I would just be in the moment, When did it occur? Was it during a high, a good my eyes closed. time, when things were going so well? I would be focused on the song, getting myself In the spring of 1997, I was at a high point in my ready to come up here to preach and Matt will come teaching career. I was in my tenth year of teaching up beside me and grab my elbow because he had to which meant that once the school year ended, I get the mic that was beside me to do Family Life. I would be at the top of the pay grade. I was in a would jump out of my skin, startled because I just wasn’t expecting it. That is Zechariah in this have doubts about God’s promises. Do you ever moment and the angel senses it. doubt God’s promises? Gabriel says to him, Luke 1:13, “Don’t be afraid, We are living in a time when it might be easy to Zechariah”! doubt God’s promises to us in his word. That: It is okay, man. I am here with good news. Relax. • He will never leave us or forsake us Then look what he tells Zechariah. Luke 1:13-17, • He will make everything work together for good for those that love Him “God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him • we can lay our worries and our pain at the John. You will have great joy and gladness, and foot of the cross and He will carry it for us many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in • He will comfort us in the midst of our the eyes of the Lord….And he will turn many despair Israelites to the Lord their God.