Christmas: Letting God Use Our Silence

“Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.” (Luke 1: 18-22, NIV)

For most, not being able to speak would be a severe punishment. Not being able to speak in the middle of a miracle would be even harder. And for Zechariah? He was about to experience the miracle of his lifetime. 

If you know about having a baby, you know that when it comes time to tell people you’re expecting, it’s some of the most exciting news to share with others. It’s news you’re bursting to give. And if you’ve experienced years and years of wanting a child, living through all the anticipation turned disappointment as time marched on well past the time where it was possible, then the news that a baby is finally on its way is incredible.

So maybe Zechariah was shocked when an angel popped up at a very unexpected moment and that knocked him off kilter. Maybe his first reaction was to question the news that God was going to make him and his wife parents. Maybe he was stuck in a dream he had long since given up. 

Whatever he was feeling in that moment, he questioned and he lost his voice for it. 

Usually when I read that, I think about how hard or inconvenient that must have been– being mute for the entirety of his wife’s pregnancy. At this point in my life, a thought crossed my mind that surprised me a little.

Was that punishment really so bad? Or was it a God-given opportunity and lesson to be slow to speak and quick to meditate? Did Zechariah’s muteness help him develop a better ability to not react in a knee-jerk reaction, but to prayerfully consider and reflect on things?

Because Zechariah was a priest. His job was to pray, make sacrifices, and spiritually lead. The events that led him to be offering incense in the inner courts of the temple were momentous. This burning of incense was a big deal, and the fact that Zechariah was chosen to make the actual offering and be a representative of prayer in one of the holiest places available to man was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

So when he lit the incense and started to pray, he probably wasn’t even praying for God to expand his family. Like he says, Zechariah and Elizabeth were advanced in age and past the time for childbearing. The prayer Gabriel references in verse 13 as being heard was probably prayed long before this moment. 

And yet, God still heard it and never forgot it. At his appointed time, he made a way for Elizabeth to have a child and that child was to prepare the world for the coming Messiah. That child was going to be born on nothing more or less than the sheer power and ability of the Lord.

But Zechariah still questioned it. Even with an angel standing in front of him in the temple. Even though that angel quoted Old Testament prophecies and proclaimed that baby’s name, purpose, and calling all in one breath. Even though Zechariah stood in the temple carrying out a sacred and reverent process for a God that is sovereign and wonderful. Even with every sign in the universe to serve as an assurance, he questioned God’s ability to provide a child. He still asked for more proof that he could trust that the angel was telling the truth.

So the angel silenced him. 

But was that silence a true consequence of his doubt, or was it really an opportunity?

For me, this time of year is really a time for introspection. What was this year like? What did I do well, what did I not do well? What do I want from next year? What can I be grateful towards? What can I honor God with better? Actually, biologically, we are wired to see this time of year as a good time to turn inward and reassess. That’s not because of Christmas; it has more to do with the ending of an old year and the rolling forward into a new one. 

How awesome would it be if we could take a page from Zechariah’s story? Not so much the doubt or the shock, although we experience plenty of that. More so, the compulsory moment of silence. 

It would be fascinating to know the details of what Zechariah pondered over the months that he was mute. It would be interesting to see how his prayers matured or how his capacity for faith in God was strengthened. To be able to hear that kind of personal and spiritual development happening in real time.

And all because he was forced to pull back, be quiet, and really think about relying on God. He was made to silently celebrate with his wife over their long-awaited child. He had to quietly observe that promise grow within her and be confronted with the physical evidence he wanted from the angel that day in the temple. He had to prepare for a son, house his relative Mary who was pregnant with the One his son would pave the way for, and come to grips with his own unbelief in the midst of all that joy.

Maybe you have a dream that’s gone unfulfilled. Maybe it’s been so long since you dreamed it that now it feels like something that was lost. Maybe you have a lot on your mind and big decisions looming. 

No matter where you are today, be quiet. Let God minister to your heart. Let Him show you the places He wants to develop in you. Allow Him to lead you into those moments of introspection where your heavenly Father can help you unpack, reassess, and be at peace.

We don’t have to be talking all the time at a mile a minute. We really can just allow God to be who He says He is, and trust Him for the promises He’s going to fulfill. There is no shame in being silent or in having a moment of quiet reflection. It’s healthy to do so, but let’s make sure we’re including God in that process and trusting Him when He speaks.