"Twas the Time Before Christmas" - Luke 1:5-25 - December 5, 1999

You have all heard the famous Christmas story, "Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." It is a holiday classic. It is a story filled with quiet anticipation. Everyone is "fast asleep" waiting for Santa’s big arrival. The story surfaces the same time every year. And people love it because it has a happy ending.

Soon we will hear the original Christmas story, the one about the birth of Jesus. The one we sing about, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds watching their flocks by night. This of course was the big event, the one that has changed the world for all eternity.

This morning however, I would like to talk about the time before the big event. For I believe there were profound things happening that set the stage for what was to come.

There was an old couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, very devout, who had been hopeful of having a child. But, Elizabeth had never been able to conceive. Her husband, Zechariah, a faithful priest, had been praying for years for God to give them a child. He and his wife were beginning to lose hope. Nevertheless, he continued to worship and pray.

But, did Zechariah really expect something to happen? I think not. He was going through the motions of praying and worshipping, but never expected God to intervene. I believe that is what happens during the season of Christmas. We do all the right things; buy gifts, go to parties, decorate out homes, etc. But, do we really believe that God is going to intervene?

How many of you expect some life-changing event to happen in your life today? Sometimes we get so absorbed with Christmas that we ignore the possibility that God can also make a difference not just at Christmas but now.

The intervention in the lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth occurred prior to the birth of Christ. This is a dream come true, a promise of fulfillment, that happened before Bethlehem. The fact that Zechariah was not expectant of anything did not prevent God from sending a messenger, in this case, Gabriel, to announce the good news. The angel appears and announces that Zechariah and Elizabeth are going to have a son. One who would bring them great joy and happiness.

Zechariah, however was speechless. He was puzzled about the possibility of his wife giving birth and he wanted a logical explanation. The angel, Gabriel, however does not explain it. And since Zachariah did not believe what the messenger had said, he was made speechless. Zechariah was unable to speak until the day his son was born.

That may have seemed like an odd thing to happen. But, here was a devout, religious leader, disciplined in prayer and worship. Unfortunately there was one important ingredient missing in his faith, the willingness to trust in God. God wants to be trusted. God wants us to realize that we can expect wonderful things to happen that are beyond are ability to reason.

We will never expect great things to happen until we are able to trust in the power of God to intervene. God wants us to be more than just "religious." God wants us to trust. Trust not only requires fervent prayer and religious discipline, it requires patience and humility.

Our children trust that Santa will bring them what they want for Christmas. As the big day nears their excitement grows. On Christmas Eve it is almost electric. I heard that term used recently in an article in the Dayton Daily News. Since the University of Dayton basketball team is now 5-0, the crowd was "electric" during the last game.

God wants us to be electric about our faith. The more we anticipate the great works of God the more we will experience the things that God makes happen.

Not only did Zechariah lack trust he also had a problem with listening. The only way he could truly experience the life-changing presence of God was to be silent.

Unfortunately the Christmas season places many demands upon our lives. We are preoccupied with shopping, errands and a million other things. We are so focused on that "special day", we forget the moment. Since we aren’t listening to God it is impossible for us to realize God’s presence today.

The season of listening is always. And when we are tuned in to the voice of God we are aware of God’s presence. Gabriel was an angel. The root word for angel here is "messenger." The event is symbolic in that God always has a message, a word, a thought for us when we are listening.

What does God send to the world through Elizabeth and Zechariah? God sends a messenger who reveals the coming of another messenger, John. And what is John’s purpose? To reveal the coming of yet another, the Messiah. And what these messengers challenge us to do is to respond and be faithful.

Zechariah lived in the time of Herod. It was a time of evil and terror. But, that did not prevent God from intervening. Nor did it mean there was no hope. As we near the end of the century many are filled with fear about Y2K. There is more anxiety than expectation.

It is listening that will still the storms of life and bring peace to our terrorized souls. It is the anticipation that God has something to say to us, even today, that will give us hope.

Last weekend my family and I spent four days in the Smoky Mountains. What I always appreciate about that trip is the quietness that we experience while in the mountains, away from civilization. That pilgrimage always reminds me of who is really in charge.

What God wants us to do is experience that same quietness each and every day of our lives. Somewhere out there in all the traffic, in the shopping malls, in the madness of this season the still, small voice of God is desperately trying to give us a message. And the message God has for us depends on our willingness to hear.

The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth reminds us that we all need to listen. It reminds us that God works in ways that are beyond our comprehension. And most importantly it demonstrates that God is our hope.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio