Advent 2: Luke 1:68-79
Behind this text is a life-long struggle with infertility, and then the announcement comes: “Your prayers have been answered!” What? Zechariah is not quite speechless; doubt escapes his lips: Are you sure? We’re getting up there in years, you know … I guess the angelic messenger hoped for better from the priest: “Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things come to pass…” He’s speechless now.
Nine months later Elizabeth gives birth to a bouncing baby boy, and only when a still-mute Zechariah scribbles down the instructions, “Name him John,” does he go from silence to sound. But the proud father doesn’t merely sing the praises of his own newborn son. In this passage Zechariah is singing in the reign.
Zechariah’s song, the Benedictus, is a bit of a remake of a golden oldie. Echoes from the Old Testament prophets and Psalms are fused together into a new song of praise. Zechariah becomes God’s mouthpiece, proclaiming that the long awaited future is now; the hoped-for tomorrow is today! After some 400 years of prophetic silence Almighty God is moving to sound, preparing to speak a Living Word.
Notice Zechariah sings in the past tense: “God has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them” — indicating that the promise has already become reality — in essence, in principle — by virtue of God’s promise to Mary and Mary’s response of faith. No mere editorial faux pas, the fact is salvation is as good as done.
In the older Revised Standard Version verse 69 reads, “God has raised up for us a horn of salvation,” referring not to a trumpet but to the most powerful part of an animal’s anatomy. Just as the strength of an animal is concentrated in its horn, so the strong power of God is focused in this “mighty Savior.”
Zechariah knows the lyrics because what God was doing in the present stood in continuity with what God has always been up to — beginning with the oath sworn to Abraham (verse 73), and the holy covenant promising mercy (verse 72), and the promise of a descendant from King David’s lineage (verse 69).
Zechariah’s boy will be the last prophet of the old way of doing things, and the first prophet of God’s new way in Jesus. John will be a prompter, helping to prepare God’s people to receive forgiveness of sins, and a promoter, helping them hear what God is saying through the Word made flesh.
So Zechariah sings of a new day. As the divine drama unfolds the Light of Life floods the darkened stage of human history. Indeed, it is nothing less than God’s cosmic daylight saving time — a stunning reality that invites our response of praise to God, as well.
Many have seen the 1952 movie Singin’ in the Rain featuring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, and considered one of the top ten movies of all time. But few recall that the movie is about the making of a movie. The movie being made is titled The Dueling Cavalier, which starts out as a silent film. But with the sudden invention of sound equipment and sound studios the film’s producer decides not to scrap the film completely, but to convert the silent film The Dueling Cavalier into The Dancing Cavalier — a 100 percent talkie.
There’s one particularly thorny problem though: the silent film’s female lead, a starlet named Lina Lamont, can’t sing worth beans. Her voice has a dreadfully obnoxious, flat, nasal quality. So the producer decides to dub her talking and singing throughout the film with the beautiful voice of the character played by Debbie Reynolds. It comes off without a hitch … until the premiere showing of The Dancing Cavalier that is.
The film is played to a packed movie house, and the audience goes nuts over what they think is Lina Lamont’s mellifluous voice. At the end of the film debut, Lina herself comes forward to take a bow on stage. The audience is wild with enthusiasm and begins to yell, “Speech, speech!” So Lina begins to speak — in her real voice — and immediately the audience is puzzled by the strange sound coming out of her mouth. Someone yells from the balcony, “Hey, cut the talk Lina — just sing!” All throughout the theater the cry is picked up, “Sing! Sing!” Lina looks trapped, hesitates, then gestures to the audience indicating “just a moment,” and, attempting a gracious smile, she runs into the wings.
What is she going to do? She can’t sing!
Be assured there are no Lina Lamont’s in God’s musical extravaganza. “I can’t sing” is no excuse. Nobody is tone deaf. We’ve all got rhythm. Anybody can sight read the gospel score. And all are invited to make the transition from silence to sound. Indeed, Advent is rehearsal time. Advent prepares us for the joyful task of joining with all creation and singing in the reign of Jesus Christ today.
So pull out the gospel of Luke and read the first few chapters in the weeks remaining before Christmas. Or, get a recording of Handel’s Messiah and play it and sing along — if not out loud, then in your heart of hearts: “For unto us a child is born, a Son is given!” Practice singing the light and warmth of Christ into every dark and dingy corner of this world: in the million-mile-long shopping lines; in the life of a child who has come to believe that Santa Claus is the sole reason for the season; in a hurting world torn apart by division, where despair runs rampant, and hope is threatened by yet another, blue, blue Christmas.
Now is the time to live with Christ reigning in our hearts by faith. Sing of his truth and grace in all that you do and say and think and are. Christ has come: sing with assurance! Christ is coming again — we await the finale! Sing expectantly of him who is King of kings and Lord of lords! Now is the time to learn to belt it out with confidence: “And he shall reign forever and ever!“
Heidi Husted Armstrong recently completed a term of service as Christian Impact Director at World Vision US, after serving as pastor/head of staff for ten years at Columbia Church in Vancouver, Wash.
