Crossroads
Two men stood at the crossroads of God’s plan—one hesitated, the other believed. One questioned, the other acted. What sets them apart?
These men from scripture - Zachariah and Joseph - were both interrupted by an angel with life-altering news. Their reactions, though, were strikingly different.
What causes two people, faced with the same divine interruption, to respond in such opposite ways? What is it about Zachariah’s hesitation and Joseph’s trust that makes their stories so compelling—and so relatable to our own?
Zachariah: The Father of John the Baptist
Zachariah, was a priest, familiar with the rituals of worship and the promises of God. Yet, when the angel Gabriel appeared to him with the news that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son in their old age, his first reaction wasn’t joy or praise. It was fear, followed quickly by doubt. He asked, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke 1:18)
Here’s a man who knew the stories of Abraham and Sarah, of God working miracles in impossible situations, and yet his immediate reaction was self-focused and doubtful—I am old, and my wife is old. Instead of focusing on God’s power, Zachariah looked at his limitations. It was dwelling on, ”what CAN’T I do,” instead of “what can GOD do?” Fear crept in and with it, a reluctance to believe.
We often find ourselves in Zachariah’s shoes, don’t we? When God interrupts our carefully planned lives with a challenge or a calling that seems too big or too hard, we react out of fear. We focus on our limitations—our age, our resources, our abilities—and question whether God could really work through us.
“Am I enough?” tethers itself to us all differently, but it’s still the same grip of fear wearing masks that allure to the vulnerable parts of our heart.
And just like Zachariah, when we give into that fear, we miss the joy that comes from trusting God fully.
God’s response to Zachariah’s doubt was both just and merciful. He struck Zachariah mute, a physical representation of the doubt that had silenced his faith. Yet, even in the silence, God’s promise was fulfilled. Elizabeth conceived, and in the fullness of time, John the Baptist was born, the forerunner of Christ. Zachariah's doubt didn’t nullify God’s plan; it only delayed Zachariah's joy in it.
And then - this part moves me to tears…
“[Zachariah] asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.” Luke 1:63-64
During those long, quiet months, as he watched Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy unfold, Zachariah’s heart was given the chance to ponder, reflect, and, ultimately, to trust.
This moment was far more than a man regaining his voice. It marked a shift in Zachariah’s heart—a movement from doubt to belief, from hesitation to obedience. God had taken away his speech to draw him into silence, where he could confront his own unbelief and begin to trust God’s promises deeply. When he finally surrendered and confirmed his son’s name in obedience to God, his voice was restored. The silence that had once been a consequence of doubt became a platform for proclaiming faith.
God’s discipline was never meant to punish Zachariah but to refine his faith, showing that even in doubt, God’s promises remain true.
Joseph: A Response of Trust and Faith
Contrast Zachariah’s response with that of Joseph. Joseph wasn’t a priest; he wasn’t living in the temple or accustomed to angelic visits. He was a simple carpenter, engaged to a young woman named Mary. When he discovered that Mary was pregnant, he could have easily reacted with anger or fear. After all, from a human perspective, the situation didn’t look good. He had every right to walk away…and planned to.
Even in this Joseph was a righteous man, and before the angel appeared to him, he had already decided to show grace. He planned to walk away from Mary quietly, sparing her public disgrace (Matthew 1:19). Then, in a dream, an angel appeared and told Joseph that the child Mary carried was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel instructed him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife.
Unlike Zachariah, Joseph didn’t question the message. He didn’t ask for a sign or focus on how difficult this new reality would be for him. He simply “did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him.” (Matthew 1:24) Joseph’s immediate response was trust. He embraced the role God had given him, even though it surely came with its challenges—raising the Son of God, protecting his family from Herod, and fleeing to Egypt. Through it all, Joseph demonstrated a quiet, steady faith that trusted in God’s plan, no matter the cost.
Joseph shows us the beauty of a faith-filled response to God’s interruptions. Where Zachariah hesitated, Joseph trusted. Where Zachariah focused on his own limitations, Joseph focused on God’s faithfulness. He trusted that if God was asking him to do something, then God would provide the strength and the wisdom to see it through.
It didn’t mean his path would become less bumpy…in fact, one could say it became even more so. But in response, Joseph gripped tighter to his faith instead of allowing fear to tighten its grip on his heart.
When God calls us, it’s easy to respond like Zachariah. We look at our circumstances, our weaknesses, and our fears, and we dwell in our doubts - our flesh calls us to this way. But Joseph shows us a better way. He reminds us that when God calls, He also equips. When we respond in faith, we open the door to see God’s power and presence in our lives.
The reality is, God’s interruptions will come. They might not look like an angel appearing with a message, but there will be moments when God asks us to step out of our comfort zones, to trust Him in ways we hadn’t planned. In those moments, we can choose to focus on our limitations, or we can focus on God’s limitless power. We can respond in fear, or we can respond in faith.
Both Zachariah and Joseph were part of God’s redemptive plan. Both were visited by an angel. Both received incredible news. But their responses set them on different paths—one of fear and silence, the other of trust and obedience.
When God interrupts your life with His plan, how will you respond? Will you focus on your limitations like Zachariah, or will you trust in God’s faithfulness like Joseph? The choice is ours. But when we choose faith, we’ll find that God’s plans for us are always good, and His promises are always true.
