Jesu Juva

“Waiting in Silence (Zechariah)”

Text: Luke 1:5-23; Lamentations 3:22-33

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

I don’t think Zechariah thought it was good! His silence was not something he wanted. It was thrust upon him for his unbelief. Or, we could say, for his belief that he was too old, and his wife was too old, and his wife too barren, to have a child. How could God give him a child now? It may be good, as Jeremiah wrote, for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. But Zechariah was bearing it as an old man. He would sit in silence, unable to speak, for nine, long months.

But he would not sit in silence, actually. He would not be able to speak for nine months, that is true. And those around him would be speaking. But the loudest voices for old Zechariah would come from his own heart and mind shouting at him from within him. His mind rehearsing the scene over and over again. Why did he doubt? Why did he disbelieve? Why was he so stupid? And his heart accusing him. God had specially chosen him for this important duty, and how had he responded? What kind of priest was he? What kind of Israelite? Not a very good one, obviously.

I think you know how it was for old Zechariah. Because you do it, too. Your mind hanging on to mistakes from the past that you wish you could forget, but they just seem stuck in your mind and bring with them regrets and sorrow and pain. And your heart accusing you, too. When you think of your past, your sins, what you have done and not done. Why did you do those things How could you have been so stupid? And why do you underestimate what God can do in your life? Why do you underestimate His love? Why do you doubt that He can use all things for good? What kind of Christian are you? Not a very good one, obviously. Even in silence, maybe especially when there is silence all around us, these thoughts and accusations can be deafening.

Luther found that out - as I suppose many monks found out - that you can take a vow of silence, you can live sequestered away in a quiet monastery, you can be separated from the world . . . and that can be a very noisy place! Because without the distractions of noise or sound from the world, your heart and mind are that much louder! Remembering, accusing, giving you no rest and no peace. And it drove Luther crazy. He couldn’t get away from his sin. And neither can you or I.

So how does one wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord? Is it even possible?

Well it is. Because of the one the son of Zechariah would proclaim; the one he would prepare the way for. Because of Jesus.

For there is only one way to silence minds and hearts filled with sin and guilt, and that is for that sin and guilt to be forgiven. It’s not going away by itself! You can ignore it, and some people DO ignore it all their lives. Until they are lying near death, and it comes rushing back, flooding back, bigger and badder than ever, causing even more grief and shame and despair.

So the son of Zechariah would come, and John would stir up that sin and guilt in people’s hearts and minds with his preaching and calls to repentance, not just to make them feel bad, but so that the people would be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. Forgiveness to quiet their troubled hearts and minds and give them the peace they needed. For John would also proclaim that the Lamb of God was now here. The promised Lamb who would shed His blood to wash our guilty consciences in order to silence our accusing hearts and minds and give us peace. Peace to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord; to wait quietly for the Lord to come again in glory. For we know we have nothing to fear, nothing to dread, on that day. Our sins, our wrongs, our shame, our regrets, are forgiven. Taken away, washed away, not by the son of Zechariah, but by the Son of God.

And I think old Zechariah did finally get that. For when he was finally able to speak again, when his son was born, when his mouth was finally opened and his tongue loosed, he burst out in praise of God and spoke of how God was fulfilling His promises, how his son would lead people to forgiveness, and would guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:68-79). And John did that by guiding the feet of many to step into the Jordan to be baptized. And then those same feet stepped out of the Jordan forgiven and at peace.

Perhaps during his nine months of silence, Zechariah even remembered (or read) the words we heard tonight from Jeremiah, that

the Lord will not cast off forever,

but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

for he does not afflict from his heart
or grieve the children of men.

He does afflict and grieve, as He did Zechariah, but to have compassion. To expose our sin so that He can show His even more abundant steadfast love. To expose the sin we so often and so hard try to hide, so that He can take it away and silence that accusing voice in us. That though the memories may remain - as I’m sure Zechariah did not soon forget his nine months of muteness! That though the memories remain, the guilt does not. Because you know Jesus took your sin and guilt upon Himself. And if it’s on Him, then it’s not on you. You are forgiven. You are free. Free to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

So yeah, old Zechariah can teach us a thing or two about waiting in silence this Advent season. As we wait for our Lord to fulfill His promise to come and take us home. As we wait in peace and joy, with quiet hearts and minds. Quieted not because of the lack of noise, but by the forgiveness and love of a Saviour, born for us.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.