Right on Time: The God Who is Never Late

December 9th, 2025
by Pastor Orlando Juarez

When we think of the Christmas story, we usually picture a complete nativity scene: Mary and Joseph, a manger, a newborn baby Jesus, and a star over the stable. But the story doesn’t begin in Bethlehem. It actually begins in the days of Herod — dark, confusing, politically twisted days when it looked like God was silent.

And before Jesus appears, God sends another voice, John the Baptist. 
A messenger. 
A forerunner. 
Someone to prepare the way.

Let’s walk through Luke 1 and watch how God sets the stage with precision and purpose.

When the World Felt Wrong, God Was Right On Time
Luke says, “In the days of Herod…” Not exactly the opening line you’d expect for a story about hope. The world was politically charged, spiritually dry, and deeply broken.

It had been 400 years since anyone had heard from God.
 No prophets. 
No miracles. 
Just silence.

But Scripture cuts through the chaos: “When the right time came, God sent His Son…” (Galatians 4:4, NLT)

God’s timing is rarely our timing. But it’s always perfect.
If your life feels spiritually dry or silent, you’re in familiar territory. God does some of His best work in the silence.

Faithfulness in the Middle of Disappointment
Into this broken world, Luke introduces two people: Zechariah and Elizabeth.
Both come from priestly lineage. Both are described as “righteous before God.” And both carry a deep ache: They have no child. Elizabeth even calls it her “disgrace.”

Maybe you know that feeling, carrying something heavy, unfixable, or forgotten by heaven.

Yet Zechariah keeps showing up. He keeps serving. He keeps praying, and that’s where the angel finds him: right in the middle of faithfulness.

Sometimes God meets you not when you feel strong, but when you simply keep showing up.

When Heaven Breaks the Silence
After 400 years with no prophets, no miracles, and no fresh word from God, Gabriel, the angel, appears and quotes the last prophecy spoken in the Old Testament - Malachi 4:5.

He tells Zechariah:

Your prayer has been heard. 
Elizabeth will bear a son. 
His name will be John. 
Many will rejoice. 
He will be filled with the Spirit. 
He will turn hearts back to God.
He will prepare the way for the Lord.

Heaven breaks the silence with the same message it began with: God is preparing something greater.

Pain Can Make You Doubt the Promise
Zechariah’s response is painfully human: “How can this be? We’re too old.”
He’s not rejecting God’s promise. He just can’t imagine God working in the part of his story that hurts the most.

The angel replies: “I am Gabriel. I stand beside God. I came to tell you good news.”

Translation: Your pain doesn’t cancel God's promise.

This is where Zechariah leans on natural logic instead of supernatural truth. As a result, he loses his voice until John is born. Not as punishment but as protection because when doubt speaks louder than faith, God sometimes quiets us so we don’t sabotage the miracle.

God Works While You Wait
God is faithful to fulfill His promises. Elizabeth conceives and hides away for five months, whispering, “How kind the Lord is… He has taken away my disgrace.”

This story shows us God’s heart.

He prepares before He moves. 
He works in the silence. 
He restores what feels broken. 

He sees your story even when you think no one does.

If you can’t see how the pieces fit together, it doesn’t mean God isn’t moving. It just means it isn’t time yet. That’s when you quiet the noise, stop overthinking, and trust Him.

The Big Takeaway
There is nothing too difficult for God.

When you can’t make sense of your story… 
When your logic can’t bridge the gap… 
When your heart is tired of waiting…

Stop talking. Stop overthinking. Be still. Lean into faith. 
Trust the God who is never late and always right on time.