TEXT: Luke 1: 57-80
OUR STORY SO FAR
I’ll remind you of the back story of Zechariah, who was visited by the angel Gabriel while doing his priestly duties in the sanctuary of the Temple. When the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he was going to be a father for the first time as a senior citizen, the venerable, long-time priest said, in effect: “I don’t buy it.”
Gabriel didn’t like that and reminded Zechariah that as one who stands in the presence of The Lord God, he deserved a little more respect. To teach Zechariah a lesson, he struck him mute until the prophecy would be fulfilled. I have always like to think of Zechariah as the deeply devout and quiet type—a pillar of the Jewish community who in his older age has mellowed to that quietly reserved wisdom that comes with maturity. This just makes the story better, for that this reserved and stately priest finally has something to say—something really fantastic and important—he, wide-eyed, opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out.
After Gabriel visits both Mary and Elizabeth with the good news of their pregnancies, and once the two of them have sung their marvelous, Holy Spirit-inspired songs, we have something of a lull until the babies are born. The great event, of course, is the birth of Jesus, which we celebrate tomorrow night, but first comes the birth of John the Baptizer. And that is where our text picks up today.
Now there are several important characters in the narrative, and all of them, true to New Testament fashion, are “characters” indeed. First, there are the “neighbors and relatives” that provide commentary and peer pressure. Next, there is Elizabeth, who solidly and confidently sticks to the plan revealed to her by the angel, and executes her lines on cue with the happy glow of new motherhood. But our hero today is Zechariah, who finally gets his tongue back once it can be put to some good use. Now let’s look at what happens, and see if anything in the story reminds us of. . .us.
Everyone is happy about the birth of the new baby and all the friends and neighbors rejoice, probably saying things like: “Now we have our own Abraham and Sarah—right here in the hill country!” Notice that the praise does not go to Elizabeth or Zechariah the priest, but the people praise God for his mercies to them. Remember also that Elizabeth’s barrenness has been a source of shame to her, and in that time, many used it to suggest that she was outside of God’s favor. This birth confirms what everyone who loves Elizabeth already knows; namely, that God is good and merciful. As many have said, God is rarely early but he is always on time. Yes, sometimes God takes it right down to the wire. Just as Elizabeth—like Sarah before her—has to wait until the bottom of the ninth inning for God to come to bat, but he steps up to the plate and vindicates the underdogs with a grand slam.
WE ARE FAMILY
It has been said that the public has a short memory. No sooner do we celebrate someone else’s triumphs than we begin to expect something from them. Imagine someone in your family—say a close brother or sister—won the lottery, 100 million bucks. After the hoorays and congratulations, how long would it take before you felt that you had the right to express your opinions about ways that money could be responsibly spent? Well, it happens, and it happens to Elizabeth. Before the echoes of rejoicing have finished bouncing off the nearby hills, as they take the boy to his bris to be circumcised, everyone has an opinion about what the boy should be named. Neighbors and relatives all pitch in their two-cents’ worth about the family name, reminding Elizabeth that it is very much their business indeed, thank you, what the boy should be called. “You should name him Zechariah, after his father the priest,” say some. But dear Elizabeth sticks to the plan. “No His name is John,” she says.
How easy it would have been, I think, for Elizabeth to have named the boy Yitzahk—Isaac—as Sarah in her old age names her son. Isaac means laughter, and you know that there were plenty of laughs here as there was with Sarah. But she sticks to the plan, gratefully, obediently, and names him John.
The name John is a shorter from of Jehohanan, which means God is gracious. It was the name God had ordered be given to the child and it described the parents’ gratitude for just such an unexpected joy.
Interesting thing, isn’t it, that the moment God gives us something, we think of it as ours? The neighbors and relatives are quick to receive the gift to their community, but seem to be short on returning gratitude to God in the form of a name. Thank God for Elizabeth. . .and Zechariah, as we shall see next.
GOOD OL’ ZECHARIAH
When the relatives understand that Elizabeth is not open-minded to their suggestion, they do what all children do when they don’t get the answer from Parent #1 they are looking for; namely, they roll their eyes and go immediately to Parent #2. So they go to Zechariah and try to sway him.
I imagine Zechariah was a chastened man after having been dumbstruck by the angel Gabriel. After nine months of silence, I’m sure he learns his lesson well. In fact, he does, because once the crowd tries to pressure him to please the family whims, he simply writes:
His name is John.
. . .and his tongue is released. From disbelief to simple obedience, Zechariah—even in his old age—spiritually grows up. I like to imagine Gabriel looking down from heaven saying to the other angels: See, you can teach an old dog new tricks!
And, as we often see in New Testament narratives, when the Holy Spirit moves, people are amazed. Suddenly Zechariah feels blood in his vocal cords and he begins to speak. Now if it had been you or me, don’t you think our first words would have been something simple and slightly ridiculous? I don’t know about you, but I would have said something like, “Hey, hear that? I got my voice back! Thank God I can get rid of this stupid writing tablet!” But Zechariah was not only a mature man, but a mature soul, and the breath that passes over his vocal cords is not his own, but that breath of God we know as the Holy Spirit. That Holy Spirit fills his lungs and his heart, and Zechariah’s first utterance is an inspired song. Yes, like Elizabeth and Mary before him, he steps to front-and-center stage as the orchestra swells into the intro—and he sings a prophetic poem that launches his new son on the path God destines for him.
Blessed, Blessed, Blessed!
Blessed is the Lord God,
Who loves and saves His people!
He sends His promised Messiah
Exactly as the prophets sang about,
We shall be delivered
From all hatred and fear.
The Lord keeps his promises—
His ancient, ancient promises
From the beginning of time!
We shall soon be delivered,
Freed from sin to know Him,
love Him and serve Him as
His beloved children!
And you, my little son John,
Shall prepare his path,
Preaching repentance and the
Forgiveness of sins, for God
Is saving all His people!
The morning is coming—
The one, true morning of the world—
And when the Sun rises, God’s light
Shall shine and awaken all things
And his glory will be forever
And darkness will be no more, no more!
WE ARE ALL ZECHARIAH
Zechariah is our model of faithfulness this Advent day for three reasons:
1. He sacrifices personal honor within his professional community of priests in his prophetic role. This is always true of prophets: they don’t serve the established institution; they serve the will and Word of God. This is true throughout Christian history and today as well.
We learn from Martin Luther that conscience is more important than ecclesiastical authority. Let’s face it: Christians who go along with a church institution when it is clearly in the wrong—simply because it is a church—denies the higher calling from the Holy Spirit. We are not called to serve church, congregation, or denomination, but to serve Christ. By far, the best thing you and I can do for church, congregation, and denomination is to serve Christ unswervingly. Zechariah models this for us, even though we can think he would have preferred it otherwise.
2. He overcomes the temptation to please his neighbors and relatives. Peer pressure is one thing, but when you add relatives to the mix, you face a force that affects your sense of self to the core. Zechariah models faithfulness—as does Elizabeth—by sticking to the plan in naming their son John.
3. He responds to the work of God with praise. Once the Lord has brought all things to their fulfillment, Zechariah does not respond with astonishment or amazement, but with praise that is as elaborate as it is sweet. Gratitude—deep gratitude—is always the right response to grace. God gives us grace and we seek to return the glory back to him—that is the relationship we call faith.
May our faith, this Christmas and beyond, take its cue from Zechariah such that we serve the will and Word of God.
May we share in His work by simple obedience despite all temptations and worldly pressures, and when we see God’s glorious work in our midst, may our gratitude run as deep, and our praises to Him be sweet, profound, and abiding in all truth and Spirit from the Heart. †