The Big Difference Between Mary & Zechariah [And What We Can Learn]

“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her.” – Luke 1:38

In the book of Luke, we learn how God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. It’s hard to imagine how Mary was feeling after hearing that – shocked, confused, frustrated? While we don’t get insight into exactly what Mary was thinking, we do learn how she responded in this life-changing moment. Mary simply said “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)

What’s so significant about this response? Well, Mary didn’t let doubts or fears overtake her. She didn’t scoff in disbelief or question the angel’s promises. Instead, she uttered a powerful statement of faith and chose to trust God in the midst of what seemed impossible. 

There’s another story in the Bible when someone was told something incredible by an angel of the Lord, but they didn’t quite respond with the same type of faith as Mary. In Luke chapter one, it details the story of Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. We are told that Zechariah and Elizabeth “were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old” (Luke 1:6-7).

Zechariah and Elizabeth longed for a child, and they brought that desire to God. The story continues and tells us that one day, when Zechariah was serving as priest and was chosen to go into the temple to burn incense, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel gave Zechariah amazing news, news worth rejoicing about: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.” (Luke 1:13).

Zechariah had just been told that he would be receiving something that he and his wife had wanted for so long: a child. That’s a huge deal, but his reaction doesn’t reflect the joy we might think he would feel. Zechariah responded to the angel with a question: “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke 1:18).

Both Zechariah and Mary were given miraculous news by an angel sent to them by God Himself. However, their reactions could not be more different. Mary responded in awe and faith, but Zechariah responded in doubt.

Zechariah questioned God’s word to him and he focused on the obstacles he saw, rather than what God had told him to be true. There were consequences for this reaction, too. The angel of the Lord made Zechariah mute until this promise came to fruition. Why? The angel told Zechariah it was because “you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” (Luke 1:20).

The story of Mary and Zechariah teaches us a very valuable and concise lesson: We need to believe God.

This doesn’t mean our faith will be perfect, or that God even expects that from us. What it does mean is that when given the choice to focus on the obstacles in front of us, or the promises and power of God our Father, we should strive to keep our eyes on God and trust in His ability to do anything.

It’s important to note that there was grace for Zechariah, and God blessed him and Elizabeth with a baby boy. There’s grace for us, too. God doesn’t abandon us when we struggle to believe. Rather, He’s there to help us and show us mercy as we learn to trust Him.

Mary shows us how amazing things happen when we choose to believe God’s promises over our own uncertainties.

How can you respond to God like Mary this week?

Find the stories of both Mary and Zechariah in Luke 1.