Sermon Title: ZECHARIAH’S SILENCE
Scripture Text: LUKE 1:5-20; 57-66
Sermon Notes:
LUKE 1:57-63 NIV
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”
“Life has a way of beating the wonder out of Christmas.”
- wonder | /ˈwəndər/
- “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.”
LUKE 1:5-7 NIV
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.
Are we willing to live in obscurity?
LUKE 1:5-7 NIV
7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
LUKE 1:8-10 NIV
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.
LUKE 1:11-15 NIV
13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
LUKE 1:18 NIV
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
LUKE 1:18 THE MESSAGE
18 Zachariah said to the angel, “Do you expect me to believe this? I’m an old man and my wife is an old woman.”
LUKE 1:19-20 NIV
19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
LUKE 1:23-24 NIV
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
“Silence is God’s invitation for us to listen.”
LUKE 1:25 NIV
25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
LUKE 1:59-64 NIV
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.
63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”
64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
65 The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
‘When life isn’t wonderful, God still works wonders.”
“Wonder is not about certainty. It’s about possibility.”