Speechless?

Have you ever been utterly speechless? Have you ever been in one of those situations where someone else has just said or done something so profoundly amazing that you feel the need deep inside to respond somehow, but you can’t? There simply are no words.

Maybe you were amazed, thrilled, or blessed so much that you couldn’t respond with words but only your facial expressions. Or maybe you were so angered, so frustrated, so hurt that you couldn’t muster up any words at all. Then again, sometimes we’re struck speechless out of sheer bewilderment. Thus was the case with Zach, or Zacharias to be exact.

Remember when Zacharias learned that he and his wife Elizabeth would become parents in their old age? The angel Gabriel left the throne room of God to meet Zacharias in the temple where he was offering up incense as a priest. There he gave him the amazing news that Elizabeth would conceive a child and that child would bring them and many others joy and gladness. That child, to be named John, would be a unique child and grow into an even more unique man. He would pave the way for the Christ by preaching repentance with measurable success, drawing the hearts of people back to where they could hear from God. And oh how the people needed to hear from God!

But when Zacharias, a man of God, a priest from the house of Levi, a servant in the temple of God who was offering incense and prayers for his people, heard this extraordinary prediction, he couldn’t believe his ears. He asked for a sign and Gabriel would give him none.

Except he shut his mouth. God shut Zacharias’ mouth, that is. From that day until the day baby John was circumcised and given his God-ordained name, Zacharias couldn’t utter a word. Why? Ah, that’s always an awfully good question to ask yourself as you read God’s Word. Read the answer for yourself: