Hopes and Fears 1 (Luke 1.5-25)

“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”  This line from the old Christmas song O Little Town In Bethlehem captures a profound truth: Jesus is both the fulfillment of every hope of the human heart and also the One who is able to drive away every fear.

In this message, we look at the hopes and fears of Elizabeth & Zechariah, the parents of John the Baptist.  Though righteous, they were childless.  Though a priest, Zechariah could scarcely believe the promise of the angel that God would answer their prayers.  But the Lord had a larger plan in the works that they could not have imagined.  They would, in fact, have a son and he would help prepare the way for the Savior of the world.  Any fears they had regarding God’s love, the significance of their lives, or the value of prayer were swept away.