But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were to be the next in the series of biblical couples who had not been able to have children on their own, but were enabled to conceive by God himself. Like Sarah, Hannah, and Manoah's wife, Elizabeth too seemed past the age of childbearing but nothing would be impossible for God. Zechariah, being righteous and obedient, ought to have understood the precedent for this promised divine intervention. But instead he doubted. In faith he should have spoken his agreement with the angel. But instead he gave voice to his doubt.
Then Zechariah said to the angel,
"How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
Instead of considering the fact that there was before him a messenger from God Zechariah chose to focus on his circumstances, and the way those circumstances dictated things would normally unfold. We should be sympathetic because we too often look at our circumstances rather than the promises of God. Creatures such as ourselves whose minds have been affected by the fall, tend to doubt the goodness of God, and lack trust in our creator. He makes promises that seem to us to be too good to be true.
Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 397).
We should make no mistake. The promises to Zechariah from Gabriel were indeed impressive. It was not just any son his wife would bear, but a nazarite after the mold of Samson and Samuel. Further, he would fulfill the prophecy of Malachi to prepare a people for the Lord. The child would revive the voice of prophecy which had long since seemed to be silent in Israel. Zechariah was perhaps perfectly capable of believing in the goodness of God in the abstract. But when it came to his own life it was easier to believe, based on circumstances, that he was an exception to that goodness.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.
Happily, this doubt of Zechariah did not cause Gabriel to go off and find another more worthy of the promise. Instead, he provided a way in which Zechariah could reflect and mentally prepare until he was ready to speak in agreement with God's plan. So too with us, when the promises seem to good to be true. If we aren't ready right away that doesn't change God's desire to bless us. It may be that we need to fast a while from an excess of our own words and ideas until the reality of the word of God finally takes hold of us.
I will treat of the mighty works of the LORD;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
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