stephen R Harrison

Have you ever been speechless? I have been in good and bad moments of life. When my wife told me we were expecting our first child, I was at a loss for words. How terrific! When a friend told me he was dying of stage four cancer, I was also at a loss for words. How tragic! In Luke 1, we find one man who was speechless but not because he was at a loss of words. His words of doubt caused him to become speechless! The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and announced, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John” (1:13). Zechariah replied, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years” (1:18). Gabriel told him since he did not believe his words, he would be silent, unable to speak until after John (the Baptist) was born (1:20). Talk about putting your foot in your mouth!

Although not perfect, Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were God-fearing, righteous, humble people. Luke 1:6 says, “Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly”. Zechariah was also a faithful priest who served in the temple in worship (1:5, 8-10). While faithful and righteous, they were childless, unable to have children. If you’ve ever struggled with infertility or walked with those who have, you know how painful and disheartening it can be. They had gone their whole lives without the ability to have children. They transitioned from hoping they may have kids one day to the painful realization in old age that they would never have kids. How heartbreaking! In their disappointment and through their struggle, they never gave up serving God. They were faithful, humble, and righteous. They obeyed the Lord’s commands and were blameless. What a testimony of how to serve God when things in life don’t go as planned!

God raised up John (the Baptist) to be a forerunner to Christ. He prepared the way for Jesus (Luke 1:76; John 3:23). God opened the womb of Elizabeth for this very purpose, and both she and Zechariah praised God for it! On the eighth day after birth, Zechariah and Elizabeth’s family were suggesting names for the baby (like all families do). When Zechariah wrote down “His name is John” (1:63), he immediately opened his mouth, and his tongue was set free. The first thing Zechariah did was praise God (1:64). Think about that! He didn’t begin by praising God that he could talk or for their long-expected son John – He praised God for His Son Jesus! Zechariah bookends his song of blessing (1:68-79) by praising God for visiting them (1:68, 78). God sent His Son to save us (John 3:16). This is Jesus, who is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). This is Jesus, who is incarnate, the Word made flesh that dwelt among us (John 1:14). Zechariah humbly praised God not for his baby, but THE baby. He praised God not for the baby they had been expecting, but for the Baby everyone was expecting! Jesus is the “horn of salvation” (1:69) who would “forgive their sins” (1:77). Jesus would “shine on those living in darkness in the shadow of death, guiding their feet into the path of peace” (1:79). Praise God for Jesus!