Do you remember what happened to Zechariah just a few months ago? He had been struck speechless, totally mute, because he doubted when the angel Gabriel told him that he and his wife, Elizabeth, were going to have a baby (Luke 1:13, 18, 20). Now that the child has been born, Zechariah and Elizabeth go to get the infant circumcised (v. 59). Finally, the leaders asked him what the child’s name would be. When Zechariah wrote “John,” he had now accepted this birth and celebrated it. He began speaking aloud again. This week’s focal text is what he said (Luke 1:67-80).
The key to understanding what Zechariah said is to understand that his prophecy was inspired by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:67). The Spirit led him to see the ministry would unfold for this one whom we came to call “John, the Baptist.”
What a way to end the year 2023! We close these days with a text that talks about a good tomorrow. That is a word that we need to hear. We may not know the details of 2024, but we know the One who is in charge. One way to put it is to say that Zechariah saw a good future even though he did not know what would be the shoe size of his son, soon to be an adult. We do not have the specifics of how 2024 will unfold, but we do know that there is “the tender mercy of our God” (Luke 1:74).
As I typed that last sentence, I made a typographical error. (Imagine that!) I saw that “tender” had been misspelled. I made a right click on my computer mouse and the correct spelling appeared. One more click of the mouse and correct spelling was restored. I wish it were that easy to get God’s will for correcting my failures. Instead of the click of a computer mouse, I have been given the life of Jesus Christ. Zechariah’s son, John, prepared the way and pointed ahead to the coming Messiah. Now I need to look to that One, being open to the Holy Spirit. It may not unfold as I figure it should; that’s what Zechariah found out. God’s plan is bigger than my limited view, but the promise is light for those who dwell in darkness (v. 79).
Happy New Year!
What Someone Else Has Said: William B. Lawrence has written (When the Church Woke, Cascade Books, Wipf and Stock): “Yet, the risen Christ offers peace and bestows power so the church can overcome fear and fulfill its purpose. As the texts from the writers of the four Gospels make clear, the church comes to life and is sent into the world.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Come, Lord, Jesus, into the new year that Your peace may live among us...”
