19 DECEMBER 2023

 

Light

“The Sunrise from on high shall shine upon those who sit in darkness.” (Luke 1:78-79)

When John the Baptist came into the world, Israel was at one of its lowest points in history.
Politically, the nation was under the heel of the Roman boot, and every time the Jews rebelled against it, Rome would grind them further into the dust.

Even worse, Herod was their “King”, a title given to him by the Romans. For the first time in over four centuries, a non-Jew sat upon Israel’s throne.

Through the combined efforts of the Romans and Herod, pagan temples of worship were built, pagan games were introduced, and the land was being overrun with Gentiles.

True, Herod did build a magnificent Temple to God in Jerusalem, but his motive was not inspired by faith but an attempt to win approval from the Jewish religious leaders and general population.

It was in this very Temple where Zacharias received a message from God, via the angel Gabriel, telling him his elderly wife would conceive and give birth to a son named John who would be the forerunner of Jesus, the Messiah.

Zacharias’ initial response was one of disbelief, and consequently, he was struck dumb and wouldn’t speak again until everything the angel told him was fulfilled.

There is a sense in which Zacharias’ 9-month silence reflects Israel’s spiritual experience at that moment in history. There had been no word from God to the nation since the time of the prophet Malachi, some 400 years earlier.

It was a time of great spiritual darkness for the Jews.

“But all of that is about to change” sings Zacharias at the birth of John. “The Sunrise – the Messiah – is coming! God has spoken His final Word to the world through His Son and His light will destroy the spiritual darkness that has gripped people’s hearts since the beginning of time.”

Let’s sing with Zacharias, and “celebrate the Child (Jesus) Who is the Light!”

How do you think it would feel to speak for the first time in over 9 months?