This morning, Citylight Church begins our celebration of the Advent season. If you’re new to Christianity, Advent is a Latin term meaning the arrival of a notable person or event. Advent is the season leading up to Christmas when Christians around the world both celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ’s first arrival some 2,000 years ago to save us from our sins, and wait with anticipation for his second arrival when he will make all things new. Advent is, at its core, a season of waiting.

But many of us also find ourselves in personal seasons of waiting. I imagine many of you kids are waiting for Christmas morning to finally arrive so you can open your presents and see whether you received that one thing you want more than anything. Many students are waiting for Christmas break to come so they can get a reprieve from their studies. Empty nesters may be eagerly waiting to see children or grandchildren who no longer live nearby. Pregnant moms are waiting.

But others of us are in seasons of waiting that are far heavier. We’ve been praying for the Lord to fulfill good desires of our hearts, and we’re waiting on him. We’ve been praying for a husband or wife, to conceive a child, to land a job. We’ve been praying for reconciliation in a strained relationship, for healing from a disease, for spiritual breakthrough in the battle against a particular sin, or for the salvation of someone we love. And we find ourselves in a season of waiting on the Lord.

What are you waiting on the Lord for these days?

Whether your personal season is especially heavy or relatively light, all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are fundamentally a waiting people. We know that life in this present creation is full of futility, and we are waiting for Jesus Christ to return, wipe away every tear, finally defeat death, and make all things new for those who love him. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a waiting people—and waiting is painful.

How do we walk closely with and honor the Lord in our seasons of waiting?

How do we walk with God while we wait for him to fulfill the promises he has made in Scripture—like Christ’s return? And how do we walk with God while we wait for him to fulfill desires we pray for that he has not promised in Scripture—like healing a sick child?

Our passage this morning from the Gospel of Luke introduces us to people who were waiting. We meet an elderly priest named Zechariah and his aged, barren wife Elizabeth—and they were waiting. They were prayerfully waiting for a child of their own, and along with all of God’s people, they were prayerfully waiting for the child who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Right in the midst of their waiting, God promised to fulfill both of their longings. He promised they would have a child in their old age, and that their child would prepare the way for the Savior.

Big idea of our passage:
When you’re waiting, believe that God will fulfill his promise.

How? Our passage unfolds three answers:

1. Serve God faithfully while you wait.

2. Consider the source of the promise.

3. Thank God when you see the fulfillment.

SERVE GOD FAITHFULLY WHILE YOU WAIT

What are you waiting for?

Notice how Luke describes Zechariah and Elizabeth in their waiting:

Luke 1:6–7
And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. [7] But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

That word but is important. It reminds us that their season of waiting was not punishment for ungodliness—and that godliness does not exempt us from painful seasons of waiting. They were godly, but God still brought them into a season of waiting more painful than most: waiting to conceive a child.

Some of you are in a similar situation. You love the Lord Jesus Christ, he loves you even more, and still he has ordained a season of waiting for you that is far heavier than most: the waiting of infertility. Please know that God loves you. Please know you’re not alone and don’t need to suffer alone. Your pastors regularly pray for those struggling with infertility, and we would be honored to pray for you, care for you, and connect you with others experiencing the same season of waiting.

And whether you’re in a heavy personal season or simply experiencing the waiting common to all Christians—the longing for our Lord’s return—let Zechariah and Elizabeth encourage you. Their waiting wasn’t punishment; it was purposeful, even though they could not see it.

The late Bishop of Liverpool, J.C. Ryle, wrote of this passage:

“The grace of God exempts no one from trouble. As righteous as this holy priest and his wife were, they had a ‘crook in their lot.’ Let us remember this, if we serve Christ, and let us not count trials as strange things. Let us rather believe that a hand of perfect wisdom is measuring out all our portion, and that when God chastises us, it is to make us share His holiness (Hebrews 12:10). If afflictions drive us nearer to Christ, the Bible, and prayer, then they are positive blessings. We may not think so now. But we shall think so when we wake up in the eternal world.”

What does it look like when we believe this? It looks like serving God faithfully while you wait.

Again, Luke says they were righteous, walking blamelessly, even though their longing remained unfulfilled.

What are you waiting on the Lord for? A job? A spouse? A child? Reconciliation? Spiritual breakthrough? Or—most foundationally—the return of Christ?

Serve God faithfully while you wait.
In your home, your church, your school, your workplace, and your world.

While you’re waiting, sign up for a serving team. And if you’re thinking, “I’ll serve God faithfully as soon as ______ is resolved,” talk to any seasoned believer. They’ll tell you that the Christian life is paradoxical: the more you weigh yourself down with serving God, the lighter your season of waiting becomes.

When you’re waiting, believe that God will fulfill his promise—first, by serving God faithfully while you wait.

Second:

CONSIDER THE SOURCE OF THE PROMISE

Zechariah and Elizabeth served faithfully while waiting—for their child and for the child who would prepare the way for the Savior. One day, during this extended season of waiting, Zechariah was chosen to enter the temple and burn incense. While in the temple, an angel appeared—understandably frightening him.

In response, the angel delivered a stunning promise:

Luke 1:13–14
“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. [14] And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth…”

Notice: John’s birth would bring joy and gladness—not just to Zechariah and Elizabeth, but to many. God was promising far more than to open Elizabeth’s womb. He was promising the birth of the one who would prepare God’s people for the coming of the Lord.

Luke 1:16–17 explains why many would rejoice:

“…he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God… to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

John’s birth signaled the fulfillment of God’s long-awaited promise in Malachi 3:1 that a messenger would prepare the way for the Lord himself.

The angel was declaring: “The time has come—your son will prepare God’s people for the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

But Zechariah, after years of waiting, allowed unbelief to creep in:

Luke 1:18
“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”

We know this was unbelief because Gabriel responds:

Luke 1:20
“…because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

At first glance, Zechariah’s question doesn’t look sinful. Aren’t questions good? Yes—when they seek understanding. But Zechariah wasn’t simply asking; he was questioning God, demanding a sign.

His response warns us:
If unbelief can creep into the heart of a man described as righteous and blameless, it can creep into any of our hearts.

True Christians are tempted toward unbelief.
So we must pray daily against it—against unbelief in God’s character, in his Word, in the goodness of his commands, in the full forgiveness found in Christ, in his providential care, and in Christ’s return.

How do we battle unbelief?
Consider the source.

Listen to Gabriel:

Luke 1:19
“I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent… to bring you this good news.”

In other words: “Zechariah, look at who is speaking. This is God’s promise.”

Every word of Scripture is God’s Word.
Every promise in Scripture is God’s promise—and in Christ, they are all “Yes” and “Amen.”

When tempted toward unbelief, pray:
“Help me remember the source. This is your promise, and for your name’s sake you always keep your promises.”

And, importantly—I am not calling you to believe God for things he hasn’t promised. He hasn’t promised to give me, in this life, many of the good things I pray for. I ask expectantly, because he is my Father, but I don’t put my weight on receiving them unless he has promised them in Scripture.

Would you please stand up?
Now please sit back down.

You trusted the chair. You considered the source.

In seasons of waiting, believing God will fulfill his promise means considering the source and putting all your weight on him—because he is faithful, both when waiting persists and when fulfillment comes.

Finally:

THANK GOD WHEN YOU SEE THE FULFILLMENT

Our passage ends with God fulfilling his promise to Zechariah—despite his imperfect faith.

Luke 1:23–25
After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived… saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me… to take away my reproach among people.”

In the ancient world, childlessness carried deep shame. But God was faithful. He kept his promise, and Elizabeth responded with gratitude.

When we see God fulfill his promises—when we see him work even the worst things for our good and his glory—our response should be thanksgiving.

And we have even more reason to give thanks than Elizabeth. She only understood that God had taken away her earthly reproach. But her son prepared the way for the One who takes away our eternal reproach.

We were spiritually barren, destined for judgment. But God placed all our reproach upon his Son.

Therefore, even in seasons of waiting—even when the test is still negative, the job still denied, the child still sick or wayward, the relationship still unreconciled, the funds still insufficient, and Christ’s return still awaited—the church of Jesus Christ can be marked by thanksgiving.

We rejoice because the greatest fulfillment has already come:
Jesus Christ has taken away our eternal reproach.

So when you’re waiting, believe that God will fulfill his promise by:

1. Serving God faithfully while you wait.

2. Considering that God is the source of the promise.

3. Thanking God when you see the fulfillment.