In the Fullness of Time, Part 3: A Voice Restored

   In the Fullness of Time is a series of short stories based on the narrative of Jesus' birth found in the Gospel of Luke. For this series, I have used the English Standard Version as the text upon which these stories are based. Most of the quotes are either paraphrases or direct quotes from the ESV.  Part 3 is based on Luke 1:57-80.

              Elizabeth’s closest friends were overjoyed.  The Lord had looked upon their friend with mercy and given her a son.  The eighth day came, and they all gathered for the ceremony of dedication.  “They will call him, ‘Zechariah,’ after his father,” they said to one another.  As soon as Elizabeth heard what they were saying, she spoke, “His name will not be Zechariah.  He will be called John.”  Her friends wondered silently what reason was behind this name.  “But none of your relatives are called John,” the boldest of the friends spoke, “maybe Zechariah can explain.”

            Zechariah motioned for a tablet to be brought.  He had not spoken since his visit from the Messenger.  Writing had become his way of expressing thoughts.  He often thought that the simplest sentences conveyed truth most clearly.  “His name is John,” Zechariah wrote to the wonder of all who were present.  Suddenly, Zechariah felt his voice restored to him.  With his first words, Zechariah praised the Lord.  The friends who had gathered grew still as fear and awe settled upon them like a heavy cloud.  The boldest again spoke what the group was thinking, “What will this child be?  Surely God’s hand is upon him.”

            Zechariah began to speak, and all who were gathered recognized the Spirit of God in the words he spoke.

            “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

                        for he has visited and redeemed his people

            and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

                        in the house of his servant David,

            as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

            that we should be saved from our enemies

                        and from the hand of all who hate us;

            to show the mercy promised to our fathers

                        and to remember his holy covenant,

            the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

                        that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

            might serve him without fear,

                        in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

            And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

                        for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

            to give knowledge of salvation to his people

                        in the forgiveness of their sins,

            because of the tender mercy of our God,

                        whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

            to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

                        to guide our feet into the way of peace.”