Episode Transcript
CONSECRATION
Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Jesus, I belong to you.
I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.
Jesus, we belong to you.
Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
SCRIPTURE
Luke 1:62–79 NIV
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and
redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the
Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the
way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us
from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
CONSIDER THIS
Like all of ours, Zechariah’s story is one of redemption. His story is a reminder to those of us who have failed that it is the faithfulness of God to His word (not our performance, believing and doing the right things) that brings about redemption in the world.
I love this story, because it shows both the big and small ways in which God works. In this single moment of naming his son, we see both personal and cosmic redemption. Zechariah’s story intersects with the sweeping story of salvation history. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s desire for a baby intersects with God’s desire to send the one who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
As John grew in Elizabeth’s womb, we see that something also grew in Zechariah. The song that burst forth from him upon John’s arrival was forged in disappointment, waiting, and his own failure. In silence, Zechariah’s voice was transformed from one of doubt, control, and fear to prophetic boldness, adoration, and faith.
Zechariah’s story invites us to consider what God might be doing in us during seasons of waiting and delay. God is always working to bring forth something greater than we could ask or imagine. This doesn’t mean that these plans will be free from suffering or loss. But His redemptive plans for us and through us are always better than we expect—marked by mercy, faithfulness, and the tender love of a God who redeems all things—big and small.
RESPONSE PROMPTS
Zechariah’s song came after a long season of disappointment followed by a time of waiting and silence. Reflect on a time in your life when you were waiting for God to move. Write a prayer, letter, or psalm that captures the emotions of that season—your fears, hopes, and how you see God’s faithfulness now. If you’re currently in a waiting season, write the prayer you hope to sing when you see God’s promise fulfilled.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You that all of Your promises come to bear at the right time. Thank You that my own failures don’t thwart Your plans, and that You desire to redeem me and my story just as much as You desire to redeem all creation. In times of waiting and silence, I trust that You are working to bring forth something greater than I could ask or imagine. I welcome all that You desire to do in me. Amen.
