Luke 1:19 Commentary and Bible Study

This obviously is not the angel being offended at Zacharias’ mistrust of his words in a personal way. That sort of response only comes from pride and the holy angels are void of pride. We can be certain that Gabriel had been told in advance what this priest’s reaction would be, just as the disciples in preparing for the triumphal entry were told in advance who they would meet and what he would say. God knows all that will take place whether five minutes from now or five centuries. What is happening is that Zacharias is being rebuked and shown how unreasonable his unbelief is.‘I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God.’ It is a condescension that an angel should come from heaven to speak to an individual man, and such a high-ranking angel as Gabriel. This priest could never have summoned an angel to come and speak to him from above. Does a king come from a distant land to speak to a subject who is far inferior to him, and does that subject fail to take seriously his message, and act contemptuously by questioning all he is told? The angel reveals his name, though Zacharias is not entitled to know it. He has seriously miscalculated. This is Gabriel, the same angel that spoke to Daniel so long before. As Ryle says, Zacharias would no doubt have compared himself with Daniel who behaved so differently on hearing Gabriel’s announcement. He is an angel of great stature, an angel formed at the dawn of creation, who stands in the presence of Almighty God, and sees the glory of God together with all those other angelic spirits that veil their faces before his throne. He has never in all his existence behaved as this man before him is behaving. He has never doubted or questioned a single word that comes out of the mouth of God. What he has been told to say has been given him; it is not Gabriel who has decided Zacharias’ future but the Lord. He has come down to earth into this realm of sin where there is so much ignorance, and where men demonstrate so many inappropriate responses to their Creator. This is for Gabriel a journey into a far country, and what he sees even in this holy man is very strange.He is sent; he has not come on his own. He is on a mission, and he has carried it out to the letter. He has come with a message of glad tidings, of good news, and it should have produced such a different response in Zacharias. He wants to see this man receive this good news with faith and joy and to obtain the benefit from it that it deserves. He is sad to see such wonderful news met with unbelief. The blessing is going to come nonetheless, but there will be a discipline for this man before he sees the fulfilment.