{Prayer}
Don’t you just hate it when someone tells you something really awesome, really great … and you can’t tell anyone about it? Jessica and I have learned over the years that we don’t tell the kids what it is that we got each other for Christmas because they can’t keep a secret to save their lives. Granted, they have gotten better as they have grown older, but we still don’t tell them.
It’s hard to keep a secret! Especially if that secret contains some news which you really want to share with someone, like your kids or your spouse. It’s hard to keep a secret, that is unless you can’t speak. To an extent, this is what happened to Zechariah.
Let me give you a little back story on the Zechariah of our Gospel reading.
Zechariah is a priest of God. One of the jobs of the priest is to offer up prayers and sacrifices on behalf of the people. Well, Zechariah was chosen to be the one who would go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. While burning incense inside of the temple, the worshippers outside of the temple were praying. As the smoke of the incense went up, the prayers of the people rose up to God.
So Zechariah is there in the temple doing his job, praying on behalf of the people and himself. Initially we don’t know what it was that he was praying for, but we find out some of it.
As Zechariah is praying, an angel of the Lord shows up out of nowhere. Now understand, Zechariah is the only one in the temple burning incense and offering up prayers. To have an angel show up would scare the living beegegees out of a person. The angel says, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.” And then we find out what it was Zechariah had been praying for. “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are going to give him the name John” (Luke 1:13).
You see, Elizabeth was barren. She was not able to have children. Zechariah and Elizabeth are both older. Zechariah even says to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” Word of a suggestion … if you ever see an angel sent by God, don’t question him. Zechariah doesn’t believe the message and so to make the point that this is from God, to help Zechariah understand. Zechariah is made to be silent and not able to speak until the day happens, that day of his child’s birth (1:19-20).
Fast forward nine months and its time for Elizabeth to have a baby. She gives birth to a son. On the eighth day, the day of circumcision, the baby is to be named. Everyone wants to name this newborn after his father, but Elizabeth says no. Zechariah had communicated with her somehow that their son was to be named John.
Not understanding, the people want to know what Zechariah thinks. He asks for a tablet to write on and writes, “His name is John” (1:63). Immediately following this, Zechariah is able to speak and the first thing he does is begin to praise God. What we have in our Gospel reading is Zechariah’s song, his prophesy of what things his son will do. This child will be part of the Lord’s “newness” of grace that overcomes all the “oldness” of their lives.
Reflecting on this, reflecting on what it was that Zechariah went through, especially those nine months of not being able to speak, we can see how the quietness can be disheartening. For at least the first five months of the pregnancy, Zechariah and Elizabeth remained in seclusion.
You know, when there is no good news proclaimed, no good news heard or trusted … it’s easy to be silent ourselves. It’s easy to want to sink back into our homes, live in our happy little bubbles and not share the good news, especially the good news of Jesus. This is a sign of our times today actually. Looking around at the world and what is going on, it can be and is hard to be motivated, to be excited. Christmas is supposed to be one of the most joyful times of the year, but yet it turns into the one of the most stressful and nerve racking times of the year. The stress of planning on when the family Christmas dinner will be, where will it be, what will be served that everyone will like and actually eat. Then there is the stress of finding the perfect Christmas gift which still fits within the budget. The hustle and bustle, the shoving and the pushing, the yelling and arguing … it all just makes us want to sink back, be quiet, order everything online, and disappear.
And yet, in the midst of Zechariah’s doubt, in the midst of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, there was still hope. Hope in the words and promises which were shared with Zechariah by the angel, hope in their child which was growing in Elizabeth’s womb. Hope for what this child would bring.
The amazing thing about hope, about Biblical hope, is that it gives us something to look forward, it gives us something to look forward to that is actually going to happen. Hope is always pointing us to the future. Zechariah in his song sings about how John, how his child will “go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (1:76-77). John will bring hope to the people who are living in darkness, who are living in the shadow of death as the One who is the light of the world, the one who takes away the sin of the world is coming.
Zechariah said, “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us” (1:78).
Jesus is that tender mercy of God, He is that compassion of God. Jesus brings compassion for all of us. He willing dies on the cross to bring that compassion for us all. He is raised from the dead so that the song of His undying, tender compassion for us all will never be put out. Jesus is the morning star, the light of grace, that dawns from on high upon us. Jesus takes His place with us in this world so that none of us may be trapped in the silent barrenness of despair. We are graced with hope! And what is it that the Lord in His remembrance of His promises will give us, what is it that He will grace us with, what is it that He does to enlighten despairing hearts and minds with hope?
Zechariah says, “To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins … to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (1:77, 79).
Among the many people still living in despair are the poor, the homeless, the oppressed, the weak, the injured, the disgraced, and the forgotten. Jesus our Lord brought hope to such as these.
When Jesus was crucified, a criminal by His side made one last heartfelt, penitent plea, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus said these words of hope to him: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (23:43).
Our Lord Jesus remembers all who are ungodly sinners, who in their despair and weakness could never find the strength of righteousness, but receive grace through the working of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection. Through Jesus, we are each numbered and counted among all the promised nations. We are part of the number of “stars in heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore” (Hebrews 11:12).
Instead of keeping this news to ourselves, instead of shrinking back into the comfort and safety of our own personal little bubbles … now is the time, now more than ever, now, through Jesus Christ, we will no longer be silent. We will boldly confess His name and His promise of hope that enlightens the whole world. Christ has come to save us, to forgive us our sins, to shine light over all darkness and death, and to grace us with the peace that we are forgiven, we are made right with God and with one another! Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, now and forever. Amen.
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