What Dreams May Come

Parents have dreams for their children. As parents, no matter what our dreams our for our children, we should support their dreams, as long as it fits within a Christian witness. In fact, we have to be careful that we don’t consciously or unconsciously impose our dreams on our kids, for we might push them into something that God has not called them to.

Zechariah he didn’t have much of a choice. The Holy Spirit filled him, and he spoke. We have to go back into the Gospel of Luke to understand just how significant this event is. Zechariah had his duties in the temple to perform, and an angle appeared, telling him that he and his wife, Elizabeth, were about to have a child. His verbal response really was not that much different than Abraham’s generations earlier, but his heart was full of doubt, so the angle silenced him. He finished out his time of service at the temple in silence. He went home, and despite his and Elizabeth’s advanced age, Elizabeth became pregnant. Six months into her pregnancy, her cousin came to visit her. Her cousin had also recently had an encounter with an angel. Elizabeth’s cousin greeted her, and ‘When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. 43 Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.”[1]’ Elizabeth’s cousin was Mary, the mother of God incarnate, Jesus.

As Elizabeth’s time was coming, there was a huge family gathering. There was recognition that God was in this event, not only because of the age of the expecting parents, but also Zechariah’s ongoing silence. Finally, the baby was born. In violation of tradition, Elizabeth said the baby’s name was to be, John. The family was shocked! The expected the boy to be named after his father, or at least, someone in the family. The family in disbelief turned to Zechariah so that he would override Elizabeth. He wrote on a slate, “his name is John.”

John. John is still within the top 30 most popular boy’s name in the United States. It has been translated into many languages. Including, for example, Scottish. In Scottish, to say, “John”, you say, “Ian”. And no, I don’t respond to John. John means Yahweh, a name for God, is gracious. God is gracious. God, the creator of the universe, is gracious.

Once he revealed what he had written, he was able to speak. The family was amazed. Zechariah declared the graciousness of God, by the name of his son, and God graciously set aside Zechariah’s unbelief. Zechariah praised God, and the family, after witnessing all of this, wondered, what this child be? Zechariah taken under the power of the Holy Spirit said today’s passage:

68 “Bless the Lord God of Israel

because he has come to help

and has delivered his people.

69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us

in his servant David’s house,

70 just as he said through the mouths

of his holy prophets long ago.

71 He has brought salvation

from our enemies

and from the power

of all those who hate us.

72 He has shown the mercy promised

to our ancestors,

and remembered his holy covenant,

73 the solemn pledge he made

to our ancestor Abraham.

He has granted 74 that we would be rescued

from the power of our enemies

so that we could serve him without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness

in God’s eyes,

for as long as we live.

76 You, child, will be called a prophet

of the Most High,

for you will go before the Lord

to prepare his way.

77 You will tell his people how to be saved

through the forgiveness of their sins.

78 Because of our God’s deep compassion,

the dawn from heaven

will break upon us,

79 to give light to those

who are sitting in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide us on the path of peace.”[2]

Duty. Doubt. Unbelief. Silence. Witness. Praise. Prophesy.

These words describe Zechariah’s journey. As the Christmas season rapidly approaches, we often, rightfully, focus on the story of Mary & Joseph. However, God was not just working in their lives. God was already moving.

We have a deficient view of what happened all those years ago. We haven’t spent generations, exiles, returns, oppression, wars waiting for a savior. Our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, weren’t waiting for a Messianic rescue to come. John’s parents and family had been waiting. I’m sure it seemed like it would never come.

It is one thing to hope and dream for something. It is another thing entirely when that which, or who, is being waited for will be heralded by your child. It was promised to them, Zechariah and Elizabeth, that they would be proud of, and find great joy in, their son.

Zachariah’s “prophesy” is more that a foretelling of what is to come, but a witness to the faithfulness of God to his people, to the world, to his word.

Zachariah starts with blessing the Lord, and he immediately gives the reason. God has come to help. The Old Testament is full of God coming to rescue his people. God is a rescuer. The Common English Bible uses the word delivered. The NIV uses the word redeemed. In either case, and in the other translations I read, the word is in past tense. In other words, it is done. It has been accomplished. John has not yet called people to repentance. Jesus has not yet even been born. Yet, the redemption of Israel has been accomplished.

We Wesleyan-Arminians believe that God has given us free will to choose whether we will follow him, or not. However, there are times like now, where we see God moves in such powerful ways, that man yields to God’s will in a powerful way. What will come, the call to repentance, the challenge to hearts of stone, blood shed on a cross, the resurrection. God knows it is done. Zechariah, under the power of the Holy Spirit, tells, first, his family, and, second, us, about God.

Zechariah announces that God has raised up this Messiah from the prophesied house of David. For the Jews, David represents more than just the Golden Age of the Hebrew Empire, but the time when God lived with them, and they knew him. Invoking the name of David evokes hope, joy, rightness, despite David’s human failings. Using the name of David means that the relationship is on the brink of restoration.

Zechariah continues this theme by announce that God has brought salvation. Again, it is not something in the future, it is now. There is an immediacy. I wonder how his family felt. Did they feel joy? Did they feel fear? Did they feel that Zechariah had gone off the deep end?

Now, however, we get to a very interesting part. Zechariah that God brought salvation from their enemies. I don’t know how Zechariah’s family took those words. The word ἐχθρός [ech·thros] is translated into English as enemies. However, that doesn’t really cover the word. It has a heavy connotation of sin. Those who are full of sin, those who pursue sin, those who live in sin in opposition of God. Now, as the people of God, which is what the viewed themselves as being, we can excuse them for thinking the work ἐχθρός [ech·thros] has something to do with them. However, really, the usage might be better defined if we said “enemies of God.”

In the context, of the remainder of the phrase “...and from the power of all those who hate us.” What do the people represent? God. This isn’t about the ruling Romans. It is about the dark powers which appear to rule the earth, Satan, sin, death. These are the real enemies.

I freely admit that it is possible that I am reading far too much into this, but it appears to me that this prophesy by Zechariah is more than about his son, but a preview of the coming change.

Zechariah continues talking about God’s mercy, for God is merciful. God’s promise fulfilled, for God is faithful and trustworthy. God granted that we would be rescued, God is full of grace.

Part of the dream that is coming together in the eyes of the Jews, is the temple being restored by Herod the Great. They understand that temple is a physical symbol of who they are called to be. It is no small thing that Zechariah, a man who recently finished his temple duty, says that people will serve God without fear, and not just fear of the Romans or other nations, but in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes.

Wait, in God’s eyes? That implies that they won’t really be holy and righteous? How does that work? Kid’s working on the notes...how do you think that works?

Jesus! Jesus will die on the cross, so that in God’s eyes people can be holy and righteous!

Now...Zechariah talks about John.

Prophet of the Most High...the boy, still an infant, is being told, and in front of family that he will be a prophet of the Messiah. Talk about having dreams for you kid. A good person...a rock star...rich...those were simple, relatively, so-called dreams my parents had for me. My dad didn’t tell me that I was going to go prepare the way for the Messiah.

I am now called to announce forgiveness, but not like that.

John would tell people how the would be saved. I tell people how they were saved. John would tell the people the Lord, the Messiah, is coming. I tell people that the Messiah already came. John would announce the coming reconciliation. I get to say it is done.

Announcing into the darkness that the light is coming is no easy task. It really is no easier for us than it was for John. He says the light is coming to many people that no longer felt that hope, or believed in it. We tell the world that the light came, but they say all light is the same, the same type, the same quality, and that it all gets you to the same place.

John was to announce the light to those dwelling in the darkness of sin, and the shadow of death, and so are we.

Peace was coming. Not peace between man, but the peace of reconciliation between God and man, that God initiated, because man couldn’t.

I know this is going to sound strange. For whatever reason, I feel the hope the Zechariah gives, more so than I have ever felt before. The day after Thanksgiving, the Christmas tunes will come out, and for once, my family may have to race me to see who plays those tunes first. I am not a Grinch, okay, maybe a little.

Christmas is coming. It feels weird to say it. Advent, the church’s countdown to Christmas, starts next Sunday. Yet, today let’s remember that before a child, the Savior, was born in Bethlehem, another boy, the Messiah’s Prophet, was born, who knew the savior before either was born.

We too are called to announce to the world that salvation is coming, and that salvation is already here.

[1] Common English Bible. Vol. 3. Nashville, TN: Common English Bible, 2011. Print.

[2] Common English Bible. Vol. 3. Nashville, TN: Common English Bible, 2011. Print.