In the Bible, New Testament, Book of Luke, there’s a priest named Zechariah. He’s married to Elizabeth. The angel Gabriel (yeah, they really do exist) appeared to him while he was doing his duty at the altar. Zechariah was terrified… as most people were when they saw angels. The angel calmed him down because, basically, if you were met by an angel while performing your priestly duties, it usually meant something was wrong. But the angel reassured him that he had found favor with God, and God was going to bless his wife with a son, whom Zechariah should name John.

Nine verses later in the same chapter, Gabriel shows up again: this time to Mary, the future mother of Jesus. Mary, too, was “greatly troubled” that an angel had appeared. He reassures her that she, too, has found favor with God and that she will give birth to a son. She is to give him the name Jesus. Hmmm, interesting.

So, the similarities are stunning between Zechariah’s encounter with Gabriel and Mary’s, and not coincidental. Both come from the line of priest Aaron. Both were afraid when Gabriel appeared. Both had favor with God, both received good news, and both Elizabeth and Mary were going to have baby boys. And, for both, it was physically impossible for them to have a baby: Mary was a virgin, and Elizabeth was barren and “well along in years”. But there’s a difference in attitude between Mary and Zechariah, which exposes the level of faith in God each had.

Zechariah’s response to Gabriel’s good news was, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” Mary’s response was, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Do they sound the same to you? On the surface, maybe, but let’s dig deeper.  What happens to Zechariah? The angel rightly calls out his disbelief that God will make it happen and he is struck dumb until the baby is born. Zechariah wasn’t asking how God was going to do this miracle; he was asking, “How can I know for sure that God will do it?” Doubt; skepticism; lack of faith. After all the years waiting and praying for a baby, Zechariah had given up on God.

Mary’s response could be rephrased to, “How do you plan to do this, Lord, since I have never slept with a man?” See the difference? Mary believes God will do exactly what He’s promising to do; she just wonders how He will do it. “What can I expect?” “How are you going to accomplish this amazing thing?”

In both stories, God made a promise through Gabriel: a promise of blessing to two people he favored. God’s promises never fail; know how I know? He says so: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:33)

But the real star of this article is not Zechariah or Mary. It’s really about Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth! What’s so cool about Elizabeth? Whereas Zechariah (eventually) and Mary (immediately) believed God after they encountered Gabriel with their own eyes, Elizabeth believed God just based on the account she had been told! Jesus taught on this very topic: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Remember “Doubting Thomas”? Jesus was declaring the special blessing on those who believe God simply from hearing the Good News. Elizabeth believed God, not because God showed himself to her or that she saw an angel. Elizabeth believed because she knew that God always made good on his promises.

Mary and Elizabeth are examples to us all, of people who just trusted God. Life for them was an adventure with God, not one of fear of man. When we believe God’s Word is a love letter to us, We can believe, because we know who we are to the promise-keeper. Don’t allow your head to resist him, just because your brain thinks it’s impossible.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Jesus, John 16:33)