When the old Jewish priest Zechariah and his wife who were well beyond childbearing miraculously had their son John, they were absolutely blown away!
“All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
At his son’s 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 1:65-68
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 four hundred long years of waiting since the prophet Malachi spoke God’s divine visitation had ‘finally’ come to Israel just as God promised!
Maybe you’ve been waiting for something or someone for a long time?
Maybe you’re in a long cold winter of waiting and feeling kind of hopeless? Then, you need hear Zech’s chorus, that ’He has come’ and revealed His extravagant love to you! He wants to assure you that He intimately knows everything about you and cares about you.
Perhaps you have become cold and numb and in desperate need of a touch from God? If you’re feeling guilty or depressed or worried about your future hear Zack’s words, ’He has come to redeem His people’ to give you hope for today and your future. He has come for you too!
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. 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 Christmas that Zechariah’s chorus ‘HE HAS COME’ can be “your song” too!
