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There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”
And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.
So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
—From Luke 1:1–25 (NKJV)

Meditation

If we stretch our minds back to two earlier days of this busy month, we’ll remember Hannah and Sarah. Both women longed for a child. Hannah, we know, prayed fervently. We also know Zechariah* prayed, perhaps thinking of Hannah and Sarah’s stories as he petitioned the Lord to fill his wife’s womb.

Had Zechariah given up praying by the time Gabriel met him in the Temple?

He and his wife were well advanced in years, and while God gave Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age, who was Zechariah? He was just a priest, one of thousands.

Whether he had given up or not, the angel who met him in the Temple announced that his prayer had been heard. His wife would soon be with child.

Zechariah knew the story of Abraham and Sarah—as a priest, he knew all the Scriptures intimately. And it likely wasn’t every day that an angel appeared to him in the Temple. Plus, this was something he had been praying for.

But his response wasn’t joy, nor even wonder. Instead he demanded, “How will I know?” In essence, his question was a challenge—Prove it.

So Gabriel proved it. He gave his name, stated his position, repeated his message.

And then he provided a very strong and fitting sign in response to Zechariah’s lack of faith—struck him mute.

Zechariah’s brash question may not have been the only reason for Gabriel’s response.

“Zechariah would be unable to forget months of muteness. These months would be a time of waiting for him as well as for Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth would have a constant reminder of God’s answered prayer—morning sickness, fatigue, a child leaping in her belly. But it’s easy for a man to forget, in those long months of his wife’s pregnancy, that something miraculous is taking place. Zechariah would be unable to ignore or forget months of muteness. These months would be a time of waiting for him as well as for Elizabeth.

If we look at the larger story of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son and his future ministry, we also see a powerful forward-looking reason for Gabriel’s sign. John’s purpose, his calling and ministry would be to trumpet the coming of the Messiah. His voice will cry out in the wilderness and will prepare the way. What a beautiful contrast then is Zechariah’s silence!

As one cries in the wilderness, John would have a ministry of announcement. And his father would be unable even to announce the tiding to Elizabeth.

One more detail of Zechariah’s muteness is often overlooked—it was very likely not just muteness, but deafness as well. After John’s birth, Zechariah’s friends have to make signs for him to understand their questions (Luke 1:62). If he couldn’t speak but could hear, why would they need signs?

The entire narrative speaks to the power of words. In the beginning was the Word, God spoke and the world came into being, and here Zechariah’s words were taken—both in expressing and receiving—as a sign of God’s providence and power. We look at another Scripture, Psalm 19:1–3:

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.”

John is a witness, his words like a trumpet announcing the arrival of the Word, the Messiah.

*Zechariah is alternately spelled Zacharias in some translations.

Inspiration

Archangel Gabriel struck Zechariah mute

Alexander Ivanov, 1824. Zechariah about to challenge God’s messenger.

Music

Sing your joy with Joy to the World!

Experience the Joy of John’s announcement with Go Tell It On The Mountain. Jesus Christ is born!

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Reflection

Do you ever pray without really expecting an answer? In your heart you know that sometimes God’s answer is no, but at other times, you expect silence. Have you ever asked for a sign from God? Lord, show me where to attend university—give me a sign. Father in Heaven, is this person the one you want me to marry? Please, a sign. Will I ever see an end to this illness? I need a sign. Have you ever experienced a sign so powerful (or uncomfortable) that you can’t possibly doubt the Messenger? Reflect on prayers that have been answered in your life, even if (especially if!) they were answered in ways you did not expect. Every prayer, however it is answered, is a testament to God’s faithfulness.

Prayer

O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come, and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

Family Celebration

A trumpet reminds us of the announcement Elizabeth’s baby will have when he’s grown.

In your child’s favorite Children’s Bible, read the story of Elizabeth’s good news about the coming of baby John.

Say: Have you ever seen an angel? Zechariah hadn’t either, and you would think he would believe whatever the angel Gabriel told him. But he questioned it. He asked God’s angel to prove it! Gabriel did prove it—by making Zechariah unable to speak and perhaps even hear until the promised baby was born. If God “proved” His power like that, would you be convinced? A trumpet is today’s symbol, which reminds us that Zechariah’s baby, John, would have a very special announcement to make. He would have a very powerful voice, which is just the opposite of his father having no voice at all!

Especially for Toddlers and PreK

Resources

What does it mean for prayer to be heard? According to C. S. Lewis, quite a lot.
Enjoy a printable coloring page of Zechariah in the Temple.
Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

Recent Resources from Joy of Advent