Advent 2 - the song of Zechariah

Intro to reading:

Our reading this morning is the song of Zechariah.

We might want to remind ourselves who Zechariah is: he is a priest, married to Elizabeth, who is a cousin of Mary of Nazareth. Zechariah & Elizabeth were childless, but Zechariah is visited by an angel when he is serving in the temple, and told that Elizabeth will have a child, whom Zechariah must call ‘John’ – he is to prepare the way for the Lord – he will grow up to be John the Baptist.

Zechariah is struck dumb by this vision of Gabriel, but Elizabeth does indeed have a son, and when Zechariah writes “his name is John” he can speak again – and this is what Zechariah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says:

 

(Rejoice & Sing 738)    Luke 1:68-79 

 

I wonder whether the song of Zechariah gets eclipsed by the much better known ‘song of Mary’ – the Magnificat: perhaps in just the same way that the birth of John the Baptist is eclipsed by the birth of Jesus.

 

But in this time of Advent, when we are preparing ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus, this reminder of the one who prepares the way can be helpful to us.

 

We often think of Jesus being brought up and nurtured by Mary & Joseph, but this song of Zechariah is the only insight we have into the upbringing and nurture of John the Baptist.

 

As you would expect from a priest of the temple, what Zechariah, John’s father, says is steeped in the teachings of the Hebrew scriptures. Zechariah speaks out as a prophet, telling us not only what God has done in the past, but what God is doing right there and then.

 

Blessed by the Lord, the God of Israel: he has come to his people and set them free.

 

The God who freed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt is preparing to act to free and save his people once again. 

John will prepare the way and point people to Jesus – and Jesus will proclaim the coming kingdom of God through his words and his actions.

 

This is the oath he swore to our Father Abraham

 

God’s promise to Abraham – at a time when he was childless – was that he would be the father of a great nation. Abraham and Sarah did indeed have Isaac in their old age – and the people of God – the people later known as the people of Israel was established.

 

Zechariah & Elizabeth themselves have shown that the God who promised a family to Abraham and Sarah is still at work – giving a son to Zechariah & Elizabeth. And in each case, the child is not just a joy to their parents, but is born so that God’s purposes can be fulfilled.

The God who acted in the past in Abraham and Sarah’s life is acting now in Zechariah and Elizabeth’s life – and all for the good of the people of God.

 

Then comes my favourite section of Zechariah’s song

You my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, 
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, 

To give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. 

 

Zechariah sings to his new- born son, John – proclaiming John’s purpose as John the Baptist, preparing people for Jesus’ message and declaring salvation and forgiveness.

 

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that there is no song like this sung to Jesus by his father when he is born. You could easily imagine a ‘song of Joseph’ , declaring all the wonderful things Jesus will do.

 

The poet U A Fanthorpe wrote a poem imagining what Joseph might have said at the birth, but it has a rather different tone from Zehariah’s so:

 

I am Joseph

I am Joseph, carpenter,

Of David’s kingly line,

I wanted an heir; discovered

My wife’s son wasn't mine.

 

I am an obstinate lover,

Loved Mary for better or worse,

Wouldn't stop loving when I found

Someone Else came first.

 

Mine was the likeness I hoped for

When the first-born man-child came.

But nothing of him was me. I couldn't

Even choose his name.

 

I am Joseph, who wanted

To teach my own boy how to live.

My lesson for my foster son:

Endure. Love. Give.

 

 

There is no Biblical ‘song of Joseph’as there is a song of Zechariah.

We do, of course, hear the song of Mary  - but that comes at the point of conception, not the point of Jesus’ birth.

 

The song which is sung when Jesus is born is sung not by his father or his mother, but by the angels.

“peace on earth, goodwill to all”.

 

Zechariah’s song anticipates this song of the angels when he sings:

 

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, 

To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

 

The peace of God, which God’s people have always sought, is declared by Zechariah and will be sung by angels at the birth of Jesus, who proclaims God’s kingdom.

Just as the faithfulness of God at the beginning of the story of God’s people – blessing Abraham and Sarah, is brought up to date with God’s blessing of Zechariah & Elizabeth with their son, John. 

 

And the salvation God provides to the people of Israel, in bringing them out of Egypt and into the promised land, is brought up to date with the work of John the Baptist proclaiming Jesus as the coming saviour.

 

What God has done in the past is declared by Zechariah to be happening in the present.

Zechariah prophetically declares that God’s faithful, saving, peace-giving love is present and working in his son, John.

 

And to us today, as we pray our way through Advent, the song of Zechariah is declared and heard and is true for us.

 

God’s love was born in Jesus who lived to show us the faithfulness and salvation and peace of God made flesh. And as we celebrate, God is here – with us, for us, among us.

 

Here in bread and wine, here in the song of Zechariah, here in our celebrations, God’s presence is here to guide our feet in the way of peace.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.