Tuesday after Gaudete, The Third Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 19, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 1:57-66 (NKJV)
1:57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”
61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
Devotion
Imagine, if you would, serving as a priest in God’s Old Testament Temple. Imagine, after many long years of service, being found to be blameless. And then imagine the angel Gabriel appearing to speak directly to you, and telling you that after all these long years you would have a son. Would you think you would be happy at this news? Grateful? Amazed? Zacharias had just such an opportunity, and at first, as recorded in Luke 1:19-20, he did not believe it. As a consequence, He was struck mute until John the Baptist’s birth, which would be around nine months later.
So it was that when John was born, the question came up about how to name him. Elizabeth, his wife, had learned of what Gabriel had said; she indicated that the child’s name would be John. The onlookers sought a second opinion, and Zacharias wrote on a tablet that the child’s name should be John, indicating that he finally trusted and accepted what Gabriel had told him. Zacharias had been told what to expect; but now others, who saw that Zacharias was able to speak after being mute so long, came to understand that John would indeed be a very extraordinary child. Indeed, the time for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s long-promised incarnation was close at hand, and John would be the herald of it
Collect: Lord, we beseech Thee, give ear to our prayers, and lighten the darkness of our hearts, by Thy gracious visitation; Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Advent
Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
