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In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord\u2019s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. (Luke 1:5-7)

One of the most significant threads of Old Testament Israel gets picked up here by Luke in the opening verses of his Gospel. \xa0It is an early and important indication of why Jesus came. \xa0And, perhaps surprisingly: it isn\u2019t about sin. \xa0It\u2019s about death.

When we think of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we think of salvation from sin. \xa0But the Gospel is bigger and richer than that. \xa0Throughout the Old Testament, and especially through the early books, the major threat is not sin, but death and bareness.

The Creational blessing and command given by God to humanity in Genesis 1 is \u201cBe fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.\u201d \xa0This Creational, life-generating fruitfulness that humanity has been entrusted with is immediately placed under threat. \xa0

Adam and Eve are not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if they do, they will die, and indeed death becomes their punishment. \xa0Through them, death becomes a threat to the command and design of Creation: not only for human life, but for plant and animal life as well. \xa0The ground is cursed. \xa0Animals die to make skins for the man and woman who now know they are naked.

Death remains a threat throughout the Old Testament account. \xa0God promises Abraham that he will make him fruitful and multiply his descendants until they become a great nation. \xa0It\u2019s a promise of Creation\u2019s intent, fulfilled. \xa0But again, death looms over the story. \xa0Sarah is barren, and both of them are very old. \xa0

The same goes for Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph, the Israelites under the threat of Pharoah, and Israel again under the threat of the wilderness after their liberation. \xa0Constantly again and again death hangs over the stories of the Old Testament, reminding us that if it were not for the grace of God intervening in promise, redemption, and life: death would surely be our end. \xa0

There\u2019s another thread here too, though. \xa0In some of the wisdom books of the Old Testament, like Proverbs, there is a cut and dried ethic: if you\u2019re righteous, you\u2019ll be blessed. \xa0If you\u2019re wicked, you\u2019ll be cursed. \xa0But it\u2019s not always so cut and dried, is it? \xa0(as other wisdom books, like Job and Ecclesiastes, recognize). \xa0Because what about the Zechariahs and Elizabeths of the world? \xa0They were both upright and righteous people: so why had they not been blessed? \xa0Why were they not fruitful?\xa0

Our story is set right smack in the middle of these Old Testament troubles: death looms over righteous people who did everything right. \xa0They long for the life and blessing from the Lord they were Created to have and to bring. \xa0It\u2019s not a question of sin: they are blameless. \xa0It\u2019s about death. \xa0Death has come for them anyway: stealing away their fertility and their youth. \xa0

I can think of so many of our own stories that death looms over in just this way, undeserved. \xa0Miscarriages, infertility, separations, illness, accidents, addictions, and death itself as loved ones are taken from us. \xa0Before we can rejoice, first Luke invites us to sit in the ash heap with the Old Testament people of God and cry out with them: How long, O Lord? \xa0How long?

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