And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. (Luke 1:63-64)
At least one good thing came out of the community fuss over the baby's name; Zechariah had a second chance to respond to God's good gift, this time in public. And he got it right this time.
Zechariah was no fool; he had had nine months to think about the error of his ways. It must have done his heart good to see his wife's joy when she became pregnant, and to listen to Mary and Elizabeth talking and singing together before God. And so now, when the community asks for his decision, he gets it right: with joy and faith he writes on that tablet, "His name is John."
What a gift God gave to Zechariah—and what a gift He gives to us, when we mess up and repent! God wipes out the sin and shame of Zechariah's past—it will never be held against him. But then God does more than that—he brings Zechariah right back into His service, using Him to name John and to prophesy the coming of Jesus, our Savior.
When we sin, it matters. But Jesus came into our world to seek us out and bring us back to Himself, forgiven and made new again. That's what He was doing through His death and resurrection. And now that we are at peace with God through Jesus, we too can serve Him with joy.
WE PRAY: Lord, show me what You want me to do for You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Does God ever hold our past sins against us?
* How do you know?
* How do you serve God every day? Be as specific as you can.
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 81-83 Revelation 8
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