Songs can leave an impact upon us. Songs can change things. Most of us sing when things are going great, but what if they’re not, can we still sing? In the last blog we saw that Mary could sing after receiving very startling and overwhelming news.
When you love someone you might want to sing to them. Sometimes parents sing silly songs to their young children. I used to sing Sinatra’s ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ to my daughter Sara as we danced and I held her in my arms. Over the years it became ‘our’ song.
Were all marked by songs aren’t we? Certain songs stand out when were celebrating or grieving. Some songs bring back memories or can bring us to tears. Zechariah sang a song from the depths of his heart that had to with his son John the Baptist and hope of Israel.
Imagine the old Jewish priest Zechariah singing to his son John? Maybe John like my daughter would say,”sing it again dad, sing it again.” Maybe Jesus would tell his mom, “Sing it again mom, please.”
Maybe while John was growing up Zechariah told his son, “Your heavenly father might ask you some day to do something really hard?” We know that John’s mission “to prepare the way of the Lord” was not an easy one, especially when your diet includes eating honey and locusts.
Miraculously (both well beyond childbearing) Zech’s wife gave birth to their son John and they were both very excited to say the least! At his birth Zech broke out into his celebrative song, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed his people.”
Luke 1:67-68
Notice Zech’s three words about Israel’s long awaited Messiah, ‘He has come’ Jn.1:1-4,14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God is with us) Isaiah 7:14.
After years of waiting, God’s divine visitation had ‘finally’ come to Israel just as God had promised! Israel had been wondering when their God would speak again? After four hundred years of silence since the prophet Malachi spoke God fulfilled His promise as he said He would!
How long have you been waiting for something or someone?
Maybe you’re in a long cold winter of waiting and are feeling kind of hopeless and losing your sense of purpose? Then, you need hear Zech’s chorus, ’He has come!’
He has come and revealed His Son to show His extravagant love to you! He wants to assure you that He knows everything about you and cares about you. You are His work of art that is yet to be completed!
Perhaps we’ve become cold and numb and in desperate need of a touch from God? Maybe we’re feeling guilty about something we’ve gotten into? Maybe we’re worried about our future? Once again we need to hear Zech’s words, ’He has come to redeem His people’ to give us hope for today and our future.
In the midst of our winter of discontent sometimes we can’t see clearly. We might not even be able to see our own reality. We might be blinded by our own grief and tears. If so, hear the encouraging words of Isaiah.
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16
When things seem hopeless and uncertain be encouraged that, ’He has come’ for you too! He has come to bring light into your darkness. Jesus came to live and die for you so that you could truly know Him and be His now and forever! Now, that is something to sing about don’t you think?
Everyone sings something. So, what will your song be? May you be reminded this winter that Zechariah’s chorus ‘HE HAS COME’ can be “your song” too!
Your comments and thoughts are always appreciated
Merry Christmas,
Mark
mark@markskalberg.com
