SCRIPTURE
Luke 1:5-25, 57-79
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.” – Luke 1:68
Stories throughout Scripture illustrate that the people in them were just like us, and through their faith, miraculous things happened. Miracles may not take the same form as they did back then, but they can still exist today if we follow God’s will.
Zechariah and Elizabeth are two perfect examples of this.
They had built a life together, served God faithfully, and carried a longing that had gone unanswered for many years. They had no children, and now they were both growing old. Whatever hopes they once had for a family were becoming difficult to envision.
One day, while Zechariah was serving in the Temple, an angel appeared with news that must have seemed almost impossible to believe. Elizabeth would have a son. They were to name him John, and a special purpose would mark his life: he would prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.
Zechariah struggled to understand how this could happen. He and Elizabeth were well past the age when most people expected to begin raising a family. How could the angel's words come true?
The angel answered him, and then took away Zechariah’s ability to speak until the promise was fulfilled.
Scripture doesn’t tell us how they navigated his inability to communicate, but just as the angel prophesied, Elizabeth became pregnant.
When their son was born, their relatives and neighbors gathered to celebrate. Elizabeth insisted his name would be John, and Zechariah confirmed it in writing, immediately restoring his voice.
What did he do with his first words?
He praised God.
Zechariah's song is filled with the language of promise and redemption. He spoke of God's faithfulness to His people and of the salvation He was bringing into the world. His son's birth was a gift to their family, but it was also part of a much bigger story. John would grow up to prepare people for Jesus.
It's easy to think of Christmas as beginning with Mary and Joseph, but by the time Gabriel visited Mary, God was already at work in Elizabeth and Zechariah's home.
I wonder how often we miss how God is at work because we're looking for something ‘bigger’.
Elizabeth and Zechariah's story reminds us that God works out His plans in His own ways.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the ways You work beyond what we can see or understand. When we are waiting, help us bring our questions to You without losing sight of Your faithfulness. Teach us to notice the ways You are preparing the way, and give us hearts ready to recognize and celebrate Your work. Amen.
Christmas hymn
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Listen to this hymn, and think about how faithful God was to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and how He has been faithful in your life too.
Discussion
How do you think Zechariah and Elizabeth felt when they learned they would have a son after waiting so long?
When Zechariah could speak again, he used his voice to praise God. Let’s consider how we might have responded after months of silence. Would our hearts have turned first toward gratitude for what God had restored, or toward the frustration of what we had ‘missed’?