1. The Song of Zechariah: When God Gives You A Time Out (Songs of Christmas)

Zechariah was an Old Testament Priest, waiting for the Promised Redeemer. Though he and his wife were elderly, and unable to have children, he prays for a son. An angel appears, and tells him his prayer has been heard, and his wife will bear a son who will not only be an answer Zechariah’s personal prayer, but who will play a part in answering the prayers of the nation of Israel. But instead of just believing and being thankful, Zechariah wants proof. The Lord responds with a 9-month “time- out”, where Zechariah is not able to speak. God answers his prayer anyway, and the moment Zechariah names the child “John,” in obedience to the angel’s original words, his voice comes back, and his first words are considered a prophetic “song,” which came to be known as the “Benedictus.”