Feast of Saint John the Baptist , 2002
Luke 1:68-80

Today we observe the birth of Saint John the Baptist. Why celebrate it in June? It makes sense if we assume that Jesus was born on December 25. The Bible tells us that John was six months older than our Lord (Luke 1:56), and if Jesus were born on December 25, then John's birth would fall about six months before that. On this feast of Saint John the Baptist we will rehearse the story of John's birth, picking out the lessons to be learned about God's covenant of mercy and our response in song.

The age of John's parents is a point worth noting. His father Zechariah and his mother Elizabeth were extremely old, far beyond childbearing years. Zechariah was a priest in the temple, and every once in while his turn came up to light the incense in the Holy Place. We should not overlook the fact that the ritual burning of incense is a normal practice in the Old Testament and New Testament; and Revelation informs us that it pleases God in the chamber of Heaven. Such a strong biblical foundation encourages the Church to use it in her worship. It would be odd not to.

As Zechariah performed the incense burning ritual in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. Zechariah gazed in astonishment. The angel spoke to him. In so many words Gabriel told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear him a son, a son who would grow to manhood and become very special in redemptive history. He would become the Second Elijah, the forerunner of Christ; "the prophet of the Most High" (Malachi 4:2).

Zechariah shrugged off the promise of the angel Gabriel as a silly dream. That, however, was a mistake. For his unbelief Gabriel took away his speech. All this transpired during temple worship while the people waited for him outside of the sanctuary. Zechariah finally came out, but mute, unable to explain what had happened.

To everyone's astonishment, Elizabeth did conceive. The weeks passed. She became visibly pregnant. At six months Mary came to visit. As soon as Mary entered the house and greeted her cousin, Luke says, "the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:41). What was the meaning of John's leap in the womb? Some students of Scripture see his joyful jump as a sign of true faith and conversion. Had God actually converted John before birth? Maybe. If this is true, it strengthens the case for infant baptism. Be that as it may, Elizabeth's pregnancy progressed without any problems. Zechariah remained mute. Mary returned to her home in Nazareth.

At nine months Elizabeth gave forth a son. The village rejoiced. Zechariah's tongue was loosed. He could speak! Bursting with joy he sang out a great hymn of thanksgiving called the Benedictus. The opening word to the hymn in Latin is benedictus , "blessed": "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed his people".

From ancient times, the Church has praised the Lord by singing the Benedictus , or song of Zechariah. In our Book of Common Prayer the canticle appears in Morning Prayer. It may be sung after the New Testament reading. The hymn offers thanks to Almighty God; thanks for His mercy toward mankind in the incarnation of our Lord, and thanks for the victory of the Church over her enemies. Both are New Testament themes.

What is the subject of Zechariah's song? The hymn praises God for the salvation that has been raised up out of the "house of David." It lauds all the prophets "since the world began" who announced the coming salvation of Messiah Lord Jesus. It tells of the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham, a covenant of blessing, mercy and grace. Zechariah continues to sing of his son John, the prophet of the Highest. He is a proud father, yet he speaks only briefly of his newborn. He gives much more attention to the Lord God Incarnate. Zechariah then waxes poetic calling Christ a "Dayspring" or Rising Sun. How is Jesus like the sunrise? God the Son comes down from Heaven as a gracious light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

How do we make sense of a passage like this that has so many Old Covenant themes and images? The Early Church had to answer this question and they refused to divide or compartmentalize the Old Testament from the New. For example, medieval monks read the Old Testament far more than the New because they were able to see Christ on every page. The historic Church has upheld the unity of the people of God. The Church is one olive tree, not two (Romans 11:24). Moreover, St. Paul teaches in Galatians 3:29 that we are offspring of Abraham if we belong to Christ, and heirs according to the promise. He teaches us in Ephesians 2:15 that God has made Jew and Gentile one new man in Christ. The Body of Christ is thus a new reality. It is in Christ's body, the Church, that Jew and Gentile are reconciled. We are one single "household of faith."

It is appropriate for us to sing the song of Zechariah today because we are of the same family with Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist. We are members of a vast yet closely knit family of faith, a family in Heaven and on Earth, a family with patriarchs and matriarchs going back to Adam and Eve. God is our Father, Jesus our elder brother, the Church our mother, and our ancestors in the faith are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; David, Josiah and Jonah. Zechariah's hymn, the Benedictus , sets forth our unity with the Old Testament people. Our communion with Moses, Job, and Noah, just to mention a few, is not one of ethnic or biological makeup, but rather a union in the Lord Jesus Christ. God's covenant hinges on the primacy of faith. It always has.

In recent Sunday School classes we have discussed this truth. We learned that it is good to view Ruth and Esther, Joseph and Jonah, Zechariah and Elizabeth as family members of old. In Christ we are their descendents and they are our manifold great grandparents. From the time of Adam until this very day everyone in God's family lives by faith, we all need God's mercy to save us from our sin, we all depend upon the Cross of Christ to redeem us, we all look to the New Heavens and New Earth as our final home, we all seek to build Christ's kingdom until Jesus comes again. Scripture invites you to envision your family going back to creation. Such a perspective can be a helpful way of seeing your place in history, and understanding your purpose in life. Your God-given place and purpose is to join with the Church in the task given to Adam and Eve. That work entails the exercise of earthly dominion. It means enjoying the Lord, faithfully worshipping Almighty God, defeating His enemies, and bringing to bear the redemption of Christ to all departments of life over every square inch of the globe (Genesis 1:28; 3:15; Matthew 6:33; 28:18).

This is a truth to sing about. Sait John the Baptist was born to Elizabeth, a mother far beyond her childbearing age. Zechariah's tongue was liberated and he sang. Singing comes naturally to Christians. We have a faith worth singing about. That is more than can be said of most religions of the world. In Colossians 3:16 the apostle Paul exhorts us to sing: "Let the message of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." The thought is that because Christ has done so much for us, and because God's Word has made this known to us, the Church cannot help but express gratitude to our Lord. Our sins have been forgiven! In spite of our pride and wickedness, God has freely saved us.

Do you realize how great God's mercy is? For the health of your soul you need to consider it often. Your sin caused you to lie in darkness and the shadow of death. Nevertheless, God sends his Son to die for you and save you from your plight. There is no greater mercy than that. Whether you know it or not, you require God's mercy every day of your life. Song is the most satisfying means whereby we can offer our praise to the Lord. The Kyrie eleison and the Miserere are ancient hymns that beg God for His mercy. Other hymns such as Te Deum thank God for His mercy. Those who cannot sing of God's mercy can hardly have known His mercy at all.

Another thought is that music is the way we praise God corporately. It is teamwork. It is a united effort in which everyone seeks to work together in harmony. A hymn is meant to be sung together. Furthermore, how beautiful it is when our singing becomes an outward expression of our inward harmony and fellowship. At Saint Luke's we do have a happy harmony of heart, we sing loudly for God's glory and the encouragement of others. What a joy it was this past week at the General Council in Houston to praise the Lord with so many strong voices. A powerful organ accompaniment mightily enhanced our worship of God.

The praise of the Church on Earth is but a foretaste of the worship of Almighty God in heaven. The book of Revelation draws back the veil and lets us see the heavenly choirs avidly giving glory to God in His very presence. The Church Militant on earth will never match the hosts of heaven. We are hindered by sin and sadness, poor tonality and flawed desires, but we can find our inspiration from those in Heaven.

God granted Elizabeth and Zechariah a son in their advanced years -- John the Baptist. Zechariah thanked the Lord by singing a new song. Much of the inspiration for the Church's music is based on gratitude for God's grace and mercy. We will ever be singing. Zechariah is not the only Christian with longing to hymn. All the redeemed of the Lord have a "new song." May we love God's mercy and grow into people of music.

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