And he [Zechariah] asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. (Luke 1:63-66)
I don’t think I ever noticed this verse before, that “all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea.” The little drama going on in Zechariah’s family was apparently pretty public. It looks like Zechariah wrote down his story for Elizabeth—and whoever she passed it on to. During those nine months, the neighbors would have found out everything—from the angel’s appearance to Zechariah’s mistake, and how God kept His promise anyway! And now, the final installment—when Zechariah gets a second chance to trust in God by naming the baby John—just as God told him to.
But the neighbors missed an even bigger story. No doubt they overlooked young Mary, the helpful cousin from Nazareth. It was too early in her pregnancy for them to realize she was carrying a Child, too. But she was, and her baby would turn out to be Jesus the Messiah. He is God Himself come into this world as a human being—why? To serve and to save and to give Himself up as a ransom for all of us, so that we might become children of God. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have life and joy forever.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, Your coming is the best news ever. Thank You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
Are you interested in your neighbors’ lives?
Do you think the neighbors ever found out about Jesus?
Is there someone you could tell about Him? Ask the Lord for help.
