Unexpected… even Extraordinary

A Series on Advent
The hymns of Luke’s birth narrative: The Benedictus by Zechariah
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:67-80 

[In Luke’s Gospel, there are four songs sung by different individuals that were involved in the story of Christ’s birth. In this series, we will look at the meaning of those songs, how the singer was involved in the birth story and what it means for us today.]

When I was about eight years old, I was playing with some friends near the intersection of a residential side street and M46 – a busy two-lane highway. A boy started chasing me, so I ran from him. Without thinking, I darted across M46, right into the path of an oncoming car driving at least 45 mph.

 

Thankfully he missed hitting me, but both he and I were visibly shaken. Before this, I’d played on the same street many times without an incident. There was no reason to believe that it would be different this time. It was totally unexpected.

 

Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judea, outside of Jerusalem. They were very old and had no children as Elizabeth was unable to conceive. Despite this, they were both considered righteous in God’s eyes.

 

In fact, Zechariah was a member of a priestly order. On one occasion, while serving at the Temple, he was chosen to keep the incense burning in the Holy Place. This once in a lifetime experience led to something unexpected… even extraordinary.

 

As he performed his duties, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. That was surprising enough, but then he told Zechariah that Elizabeth was going to have a son. Not only that, but their son “would prepare the people for the coming of the Lord”.

 

This was amazing news! Except, Zechariah didn’t believe it. As a result, Gabriel told Zechariah that he wouldn’t be able to speak until the day his son was born. Can you imagine what that would have been like for him?

 

He couldn’t tell anyone what had happened, particularly Elizabeth. Even more frustrating, he couldn’t tell her what was going to happen that would change their lives. However, any doubts must have gone away when Elizabeth became pregnant.

 

During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Mary arrived with unexpected news of her own. When Mary greeted her, Elizabeth’s baby moved in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary stayed with them for about 3 months.

 

Finally, when the baby was born, Zechariah must have been bursting at the seams to talk. Afterall, he’d had nine months to contemplate what had happened to him and Elizabeth, as well as Mary’s miraculous pregnancy. Also, he’d considered how the Old Testament prophecies applied to both Elizabeth and Mary’s babies.

 

Because he still couldn’t talk, Zechariah wrote on a writing tablet, “His name is John”! Immediately, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he pronounced his prophetic hymn of praise, the Benedictus, or “praise be”. It began like this.

 

⁶⁸ “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.   NLT

 

Continuing, Zechariah praised God for sending a Savior from the line of David; for remembering his covenant with Abraham; for rescuing Israel from her enemies. Then he praised the Lord not only for his son, but also for Mary’s.

 

⁷⁶ “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord. ⁷⁷ You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.     NLT

 

Paul wrote, “We are God’s handiwork created to do good deeds”. Even with his doubts, God worked through Zechariah. The same is true for us. Even with our shortcomings, God works through us. And the results will be unexpected… even extraordinary. 

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

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www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

Rock the World!

A series on the Psalms - the voice of emotions
When you’re feeling thankful.
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 66

[Life is filled with emotions… anger and love; fear and courage; anxiety and peace. The Book of Psalms is also filled with emotions. They help us to validate our feelings and understand ourselves better; to grow in our faith and our relationship with Jesus; to understand the character of our Lord and how He works in our life.]

 

For the past fourteen years, my wife and I have bought season tickets for Michigan State football. This means that we made the 400+ miles round trip, six or seven times per year. No doubt this qualifies us as rabid MSU fans.

 

But there’s nothing else like sitting in Spartan Stadium for the first game of the season. With 75,000 screaming fans, and the Spartan Marching Band playing the fight song, the team would run out of the tunnel right below our seats. We could feel the heat from the pyrotechnics of smoke and fire. The stadium rocked!

 

This feeling of euphoria, reminds me of the following verses of Psalm 66. See if you agree. But, if you would forgive me, replace the word ‘God’ with ‘Spartans’ (or your favorite team) as you read them.

 

¹ Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
²     Sing about the glory of his name!
    Tell the world how glorious he is.
³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
⁴ Everything on earth will worship you;
    they will sing your praises,
    shouting your name in glorious songs.”         NLT

 

Of course, the psalmist had something more heavenly, more ethereal in mind. First, he reflected on how the Lord saved the people of Israel from the Egyptians by opening the waters of the Red Sea.

 

Then, he described how God tested them and purified them like silver. How God used adversity to bring them back to Him. And eventually, how the Lord brought them to “a place of great abundance”.

 

It’s from the psalmist perspective of thankfulness that he responded. He went to the Temple to fulfill his sacred vows to worship the Lord; to bring the best that he had to offer as a sacrifice to the One who had done so much for him.

 

¹⁵ That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you—
    the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma,
    and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats.          NLT

 

The psalmist begins and ends his psalm with the theme of unadulterated praise for God that flows from a thankful heart.

 

¹ Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!

²⁰ Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
    or withdraw his unfailing love from me.        NLT

 

Can we do anything less than this? Let’s go rock the world!

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com