Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Are our tongues free? In our mind and heart we long to bless God. But in our daily lives the words do not come out. Fear predominates. Perhaps, like Zechariah, aren't ready for this abrupt intrusion into our lives. Perhaps we need to spend some time in silence. When we are silent the words of the angel can echo in our hearts. We are not filling space with our words and the meanings we impose on those words. We aren't giving things the names we think they should have according to our purposes for them. We are allowing God's word to have its effect in us. If we do spend some time in silence we internalize the angel's words. God's purposes become ours.
No. He will be called John."
But they answered her,
"There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name
John's own lips are fully open. His tongue is free. He is not made silent by fear even though there is much to fear in a worldly sense. We know how John's earthly journey ends in prison and eventual execution. There is indeed much which could have made him keep quiet. But he remains bold because he knows that it isn't about him or his words or his plans. The LORD has a plan for him that precedes any of that.
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
He keeps his own pride quiet enough to hear the LORD's plan for him. He lets this transform and motivate him. John's life is defined by his desire that "He must increase, but I must decrease" (cf. Joh. 3:30). But the more he tries to decrease the more he is taken up into the LORD's purpose for him. He does not find himself abandoned. Instead he realizes more and more the loving plan God has for him.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
Because he knows that he is loved, treasured, and part of God's plan fear is unable to silence him:
'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'
Let us follow John to the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. Let our tongues be freed to praise the one who is to come!
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