Advent Midweek Worship December 11, 2024
“The Song of Zechariah” Luke 1:67-80
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
Do you know the name of Jarrett Stidham? You should. He is a millionaire. That man makes five million dollars a year. For doing nothing. Jarrett Stidham is the back-up quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Bronco fans hope that he never plays a down for the team. It isn’t that he is a poor quarterback. No. A few years ago he was supposed to be the next quarterback for the New England Patriots once Tom Brady retired. He had a number of very good years playing college ball at both Baylor and Auburn. But Bronco fans don’t want him to play because if he is playing it would mean that our newest star, our quarterback, Bo Nix, would have to be unable to play.
I read that a conductor of an orchestra has said that the hardest chair to fill in an orchestra is second violin. Nobody wants to be second chair, everyone wants to be first chair. But there is only one first chair, for any instrument in an orchestra, but an orchestra is not built on first chairs. It needs second, third and fourth chairs.
Everyone wants to be first. The starter. Playing first chair. Except John. John, whom we call the Baptist, learned this from his father, a priest called Zechariah. Tonight and next Wednesday we are looking at the songs of Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of a special child named John. The song of Zechariah is called “The Benedictus”. “Praise Be.” “Blessed Be.”
But his father doesn’t begin his boasting, his song, about his son, though his son was born to two old people well past the time of having children. His praise was about God and what God was going to do with the coming birth of the Messiah.
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of those who hate us – to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (Luke 1:67-75)
His son was second to the Son who Mary would bear. After speaking of God, who would keep the covenant, God’s promise of salvation, Zechariah’s song speaks of his son, John. “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. (Luke 1:76-77)
Second chair was just fine for John. When John sees Jesus coming toward him, he says of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) When asked about his position with Jesus, John says, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30) When the crowds were wondering if John might possibly be the Christ, the Messiah, the Promised One, he said, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16)
Isn’t that a great thing? Zechariah knew that his son wasn’t the starter but the back-up. He was going to lead others to Jesus, the one who would “shine of those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, (He would) guide our feet into the path of peace.” (See Luke 1:79) John, as he grew, took the words of his father and lived them out perfectly.
We learn that there is Someone must greater than us. Our faith is in that one. Our hope is in that one. Our assurance that we have new life, forgiveness of sins, and eternal salvation comes from that one. We have one who is our Lord. One who is our Savior. Jesus. Find every hope and assurance in Him.
Second chair or second string isn’t always bad. In fact, it is exactly where a true Christian needs to be. Amen!!
