John the Baptist shows us how both silence and speech can prepare us to receive Jesus, the King of kings and Immanuel, God with us.
John the Baptist shows us how both silence and speech can prepare us to receive Jesus, the King of kings and Immanuel, God with us.
Advent Day 21, The Herald.
Today is a day of silence and speech.
An elderly priest loses his ability to speak only to regain it when he names his newborn son.
That son speaks from the womb.
His elderly mother joins him and addresses her young cousin.
When that son grows up, he will speak of the Messiah servant.
He will prepare the way for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Silence and speech, both in their own way, heralding the coming of Emmanuel, God with us, the Messiah servant who will set people free.
Advent, the season of waiting, invites us to remember and welcome baby Jesus.
Yet as we learn the story of Scripture, we continually uncover how much God cares for the young and how much he cares for the old.
One of the prophets puts the two groups of people together, sharing a vision of Jerusalem as a city where old men and women sit on their front stoops and children play in the streets.
Everyone has a place.
Everyone belongs.
But the vision of that city seems as unreachable as a star in Zechariah and Elizabeth's day.
Rome occupies their homeland.
They have a king, but he is no chosen king.
Romans and Centurions and tax collectors patrol Jerusalem's streets, not children chasing one another or elderly people laughing together.
Luke 1, 5 to 7 says, "In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the division of Babesia.
And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth.
And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years."
What details does the author point out about Zechariah and Elizabeth?
Why do you think he does that?
Zechariah longs for a child, but he buries the desire deep.
He doesn't want his longing to hurt Elizabeth, whom he cherishes.
Yet he can't help praying for a child, even though he knows the impossibility of it.
Then again, he thinks, remember Abraham and Sarah or Hannah and her Samuel.
But when an angel tells him his desires will be granted, he can't believe it.
He knows the stories in his head, but his heart?
He has protected his heart for so long that he can't bear the promise.
When have you struggled to accept good news?
Zechariah doesn't ask, how will this be?
He doesn't surrender to the angel's tidings of good news.
No, he replies with something quite different.
How shall I know this?
For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.
The angel tells Zechariah, I was sent to bring you this good news.
How does Zechariah receive that news?
Why do you think the consequence for Zechariah's words is being unable to speak?
Zechariah spends the next nine to 10 months in silence.
Does he wish for speech when Elizabeth grasps his hand and places it on her belly?
Did you feel that?
She exclaims, and he nods, his mind swirling with words.
How he wishes to speak with his wife, voice to voice, rather than hand motions or a tablet upon which he writes and he raises, writes and he raises.
He remembers the events with the angel, goes over them again and again, putting everything in its proper order and place.
When he dreams, he dreams of the angel's voice, which turns into his voice, a little rusty, telling his little son the story of how he came to be named John.
When have you spent a prolonged period of time in silence?
And what was that experience like?
Elizabeth becomes quieter too.
She learns how much she relies on her husband's responses to prompt her own.
Not that she isn't prone to maturing to herself, she is.
She just misses her husband's steady voice responding to hers.
Now, when she speaks, her words falter, no matter how Zechariah motions or uses his tablet.
She sometimes wonders if hiding herself away for five months was a wise decision.
But all the questions about Zechariah, her condition, she's too old to bother with such things.
She doesn't want to explain.
She wants to savor the Lord hearing her and answering her.
And then a visit from her cousin, how lovely Elizabeth thinks.
Mary's here.
Her baby agrees, leaping in her womb.
And Elizabeth, Elizabeth overflows with the Holy Spirit and blesses Mary, who will give birth to the Messiah.
When you have good or unbelievable news to share, who's the first person you want to tell?
Both of the babies are special.
Elizabeth's boy will herald Mary's.
God blesses Elizabeth and Zechariah with a son who will prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah.
But Zechariah and Elizabeth and Mary are all heralds in their own ways too.
Mary with her son, Elizabeth overflowing with the Holy Spirit, blessing Mary and the baby she carries.
And Zechariah silent because he did not believe.
And Zechariah then overflowing with speech and song when he sees his son and confirms his name.
The name John means God is gracious.
How is this the perfect name for Elizabeth and Zechariah?
What about for the baby who will grow up to prepare the way for the Messiah?
Isaiah, prophesying of the Lord's salvation, says, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, your God reigns, Isaiah 52:7.
Who brought you the good news of God's salvation?
Thank God for that person.
We too are to be bringers of good news.
Who do you know that needs to hear the good news?
Do you pray for them?
Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father, you work through silence and you work through speech.
Both help us to know you more deeply and truly.
Thank you for Zechariah and Elizabeth and Mary, all heralds of your son, Jesus, who were soon to come into the world to save the world.
May we learn to be heralds too, celebrating and sharing the good news that your son was born, lived, died, and rose again for us.
Thank you for him.
Amen.