▪️ The Gospel According to Luke 1:13 ▪️
 
Luke 1:13 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…”
 
Zacharias could suppose different reasons for the appearance of God’s messenger, including the sins of the people and shortcomings in the service of the priests. But the angel immediately said: “Do not be afraid.”
 
“For your prayer is heard” — here it speaks about some particular prayer of Zacharias. For many years he and Elizabeth prayed that they might have children, but the time when they could hope for this had long passed.
 
Most likely, Zacharias was praying for the needs of the people, that the Messiah would come. But the way had to be prepared in their hearts. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” (Isaiah 40:3)
 
Zacharias did not expect the appearance of an angel…