“The Lord Speaks”
Text: Psalm 62; Isaiah 62:1-7; Luke 1:57-64
We sang
in the Psalm earlier: For God alone my soul waits in silence (Psalm
62:1, 5). That was Zechariah. Struck mute by
the Lord because of his unbelief, for over nine months he waited in silence.
Maybe it was kind of a “divine
time out” for Zechariah, to
give him time to think about what he had heard, what he had done, and what God
was doing.
For over
nine months he had time to ponder the Word of the Lord - not just the Word
spoken directly to him by the angel Gabriel, telling him the good news of the
gift of a son to him and Elizabeth - but all the Word of God. The Word that came through Moses. The Word that came through
all the prophets God had sent to His people. Telling of a Saviour. Telling of God’s
plan. That plan that was now being fulfilled in both
Zechariah’s son John and in the Son coming after him, the one who would
be named Jesus.
That
Word came through prophets like Isaiah, whose 66 chapters contain more about
the Saviour and who He would be and what He would do
than any other book in the Old Testament. Earning Isaiah the
well-deserved title of the fifth evangelist. Isaiah tells us of the
virgin birth (7:14); of Jesus’ descent from David (11:1-10). Isaiah penned the words: to us a child is born, to us
a son is given (9:6). Isaiah told us of the suffering
servant who would bear our sin and shame (52:13-53:12), and told us that though our sins be as scarlet, they
will be as white as snow (1:18).
Isaiah seems to be the living embodiment of God’s own words that we heard tonight: For Zion's sake I
will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her
righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her
salvation as a burning torch. Or in
other words, until the one who is our righteousness and salvation, Jesus,
comes. For all God’s Word
is about Jesus.
And old
Zechariah and Elizabeth were now part of that plan. Amazing.
So for
over nine months, Zechariah got to think about that. Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard, the psalmist wrote. Once God had spoken to
Zechariah, but those words wouldn’t leave his head. He kept hearing them over and over again,
pondering them, meditating on them, and being blessed by them. Yes, for the
Word of God is always living and active and Spirit-filled. So these nine months
weren’t a
punishment for Zechariah, but a blessing. God had to make him mute so that he
could listen. Listen to God. Listen to the good news God was speaking to him.
And at
the end of those nine plus months, when their child was born and they named Him
John, in accordance with the Word they had received from God, then
Zechariah’s mouth
was opened and he praised and blessed God. He had nine months of praise and
blessing stored up! And we’ll look at those words next week.
But for
tonight, we can learn a thing or two from Zechariah, for God would speak to you
too. Not through a voice from heaven, or the voice of an angel, or even a voice
in your heart - no, He has given us a Word more sure
than all that: His Word, His Holy Scriptures. His Word once spoken but which
still speaks. His Word which is still living
and active and Spirit-filled. His Word through which
the Holy Spirit is working in you, to give you faith and hope and love.
And what
is the Holy Spirit speaking to you in this Word? Well, not that you are
going to have a son, but that you are a son. His son! No matter
how old or young, no matter how sinful or lost. As Zechariah found out, you’re never too old or too far gone for
the miracle of God’s birth. You’re never too old for God’s gifts.
But
maybe like Zechariah, you don’t always listen to or believe that Word. Because your head is
too full of doubt, your heart too full of worry, your mind too full of fear,
your life too full of the things of this world, and God’s Word is drowned out. Or maybe we
are too busy telling God what He should be doing, or complaining about what He
is or is not doing that we think He should be. And so maybe like Zechariah, we
need to be made mute too, so that we can listen.
That’s one of the reasons for this Advent
season. That we have a time out and stop and listen to the voice
of our God and Saviour who wants to tell us of all that He has done for us. His voice in baptism which says
you are my beloved son. His voice in the Gospel and in absolution which says
your sins are forgiven. His voice in the Supper which says
that by eating His Body and drinking His Blood you have His life and salvation.
His voice which calls us to repentance and faith.
Believe this! That God sent His Son not to be born from you, but born for
you. That, as Isaiah said, you be not forsaken
or desolate, for you are the delight of the Lord, the
Bridegroom who is coming for His Bride. For you.
That is the Word God wants you to hear - a Word even more
wondrous than that spoken to Zechariah so long ago. It truly is a “thrilling voice” that is sounding (LSB
#345), telling us that Christ is near - as
near as the pulpit, the font, and the altar; showing us the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world; and assuring us that soon, soon this Son will
come again in glory, to take us sons of God to that glory, His glory, bestowed
upon us.
Old
Zechariah did finally hear that Word. He spoke it, too, when he said: His
name is John. In Hebrew, John is Jochanan
and means: the Lord has shown favor. And truly the Lord did - to
Zechariah and Elizabeth, and to you and me. So may our tongues, too, be
loosed to proclaim and bless the Lord, who has done such great things for us.
Lord God, heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word, Your voice to us still today. When our doubts and fears and busyness make us deaf to Your voice, make us mute that we may listen to You, hear Your love, and believe. Help us to treasure Your Word and drive all fear from us, that we may live in You alone, and rightly celebrate the birth of Your Son; through the same Jesus Christ we pray, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.