Interruptions are a constant irritant for most of us. Our phones beep and buzz with notifications at all hours, and I battle the need to stay connected with the need to minimize distractions so I can concentrate.
And the holiday season is the worst. Between November 1 and December 31, interruptions fill my calendar and disrupt my life. Parties and dinners, pageants and cantatas all vying for the few open dates that I have. It can be fun and frustrating all at once.
The incarnation. A divine interruption.
But have you ever experienced a divine interruption? Has God ever disrupted your calendar, maybe your whole life?
The incarnation was inconvenient for most of those involved. While God’s people had given lip service to expecting the Messiah, 400 years stood between them and the last message from God. Their lives had descended into a routine of sameness. They had learned to survive without a word from God. Then came the divine interruption.
A set routine.
Zechariah and Elisabeth had built their lives around his job. He was a priest, and his duties didn’t change much. While he was home with Elisabeth, he was responsible for the religious education of his community.
The couple were known for the piety, and the priesthood demanded respect. But they had no children. And they lived in a community that considered children a visible sign of the blessing of God.
Three times, all the priests of Israel traveled to Jerusalem. The law required that every male was to make the journey for the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Booths. The priests needed to be in residence to slaughter the sacrifices, accept the offerings and make sure everything was carried out according to Torah.
And twice a year, each family of priests served for a week, maintaining the regular order of the Temple. Priests offered morning and evening sacrifices, accepted alms from the people and burned incense before the Holy of Holies.
A routine set on edge
It was on one of those routine trips that Zechariah had a divine interruption. He had faithfully made the trek to Jerusalem with the others. And he knew what to expect. Or at least he thought he did.
Set up for a divine interruption
When Zechariah got to Jerusalem that year, he went to the temple along with the others of his order and waited for lots to be cast for assignments. In order to avoid nepotism and favoritism on the part of the High Priest, the best jobs were assigned by lot.
I’m sure there had to be some excitement on Zacharias’ part when he was chosen to burn incense in the Holy Place of the temple. Many priests only got to do this special task once in their lives. And the old man had to smile at this prime assignment.
He stood outside the veil, waiting for the signal that it was time. It must have been overwhelming to be so near the Presence of God. He went through the ritual in his mind, making sure not to omit any steps, nor to add any. Being so near the Holy of Holies was terrifying.
Once inside the veil, he carefully approached the golden altar of incense to light the precious compound, creating clouds of smoke to veil the Holy of Holies.
Gabriel’s appearance
That’s when happened, the divine interruption. To the right of the altar, Zechariah saw a figure. But he had been alone here just a moment ago. 
Was he imagining things? No. It was a man. Or it looked like human anyway. Zacharias trembled with fear.
Then the man spoke. “Do not fear Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. And you shall name him John.” Zechariah was dumbfounded. It was no secret that he had prayed years for a son. But now? It just didn’t seem possible. The angel continued. John “will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” Zechariah had studied scripture his whole life. The angel was telling him that Messiah was coming, and Zechariah’s own son would be the forerunner sent to prepare Israel for Messiah’s entrance.
It was all too much for the aged priest. Even as he heard the words, doubts filled his mind. There were so many questions. He and Elizabeth hadn’t been able to have any children. And now they would parent the forerunner of Messiah?
Doubting God in the divine interruption
His doubts came tumbling out in his next words. “How will I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in her years.” The words seemed foolish to him.
Though the promise would still be fulfilled, there would be consequences for his doubt. Zechariah needed a reminder that he served a powerful God. The angel responded to his request for a sign, but not in the way Zechariah would have wished. “I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God. And I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.And behold you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place.”
Alone and silent
And suddenly, the angel left. Zechariah was alone again. His hands shook as he prepared to leave.
How long had he been there with Gabriel? He gathered his senses and stepped back into the main court of the temple. Many Israelites had gathered there in prayer, and his fellow priests looked at him with concern. He tried to explain what had happened. But just as had been prophesied, he had no voice. Even if he had been able to speak, it might have been hard to convey. But Zechariah had experienced a divine interruption. And he would never be the same again.
A different kind of divine interruption
God was about to break a 400 year silence
Mary went about her daily tasks in Nazareth unaware of the drama that was occurring in Jerusalem. Though Mary and Elisabeth were related, Elisabeth was closer to Mary’s grandmother’s age than her own. And even if they were in communication, Elisabeth had kept her pregnancy secret for the first five months. Maybe she feared yet another disappointment. Or maybe she just wanted to treasure this experience.
Am I ready for this?
Mary was young, barely a teenager. While Joseph, her betrothed husband prepared their future home, Mary prepared to move out from her parents’ home and protection.
As she went about her daily activities, she was shocked when a strange man spoke to her. “Greetings favored one. the Lord is with you.” She searched for the words to respond. The man continued. “Don’t be afraid, Mary. For you have found favor with God. And you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son. And you shall name Him Jesus.“
Messiah: a divine interruption
It was all starting to make sense to her. She had heard that Messiah was coming. Jesus, or Yeshua in her native language, meant Jehovah Saves. The meaning of the message was clear. She would give birth to God’s Messiah. But how? She and Joseph weren’t intimate yet. Was this a message for later? She voiced her question. “How can this be since I am a virgin?” Gabriel’s words burned into her should. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Holy Spirit will overshadow you. For that reason the holy child will be called the Son of God.” And just case she needed some verification, he added, “Your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son in her old age. And she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month.”
Mary knew that saying yes would irrevocably change her life. She had no idea how Joseph would respond, how her parents would react. She may not have known how she really felt. But she said yes to God. Yes to the divine interruption.
Am I open to a divine interruption?
Advent challenges us to think differently. During this time, we focus on the incarnation and we ask God to interrupt our routine. But do we mean it? Do I mean it?
When I light candles on an Advent wreath, do I really want to experience God? Or am I just asking Him to bless what I’m already doing? When God interrupts, He requires a response. I want to respond like Mary.. “Yes, I don’t understand all of this. But yes.”
I hope you and I both experience a divine interruption during this Advent season.
“Do I really want to experience God? Or am I just asking Him to bless what I’m already doing?” Great questions, Lisa. Thank you.
I want a Divine interruption! Come, Lord Jesus! Come!
Thank you for this, dear friend!
💚