UBCNews - Business - The Power of Silence in the Bible: What Zechariah Teaches About Faith and Doubt

Episode Date: December 17, 2025

Welcome back, everyone! Today we're looking at a story that often gets overshadowed in the Christmas narrative, but it holds some really profound lessons about faith, doubt, and the surprising power of silence. We're talking about Zechariah, the priest who was struck mute until his son John was born. And I have to say, when you really look at what happened to him, it's both unsettling and deeply transformative. Wordsmith World City: Big Spring Address: Texas Website: https://bettyjohansen.com/

Welcome back, everyone. Today we're looking at a story that often gets overshadowed in the Christmas narrative, but it holds some really profound lessons about faith, doubt, and the surprising power of silence. We're talking about Zechariah, the priest who was struck mute until his son John was born. And I have to say, when you really look at what happened to him, it's both unsettling and deeply transformative. Absolutely. You know, we breeze past Zechariah in Luke's opening chapter, right? We're all rushing to get to Mary and Joseph and the manger, but Zechariah's experience teaches us something we desperately need to hear today, that sometimes God's discipline looks like taking away our voice and that silence can be preparation, not just punishment. So let's set the scene. Zechariah is this elderly priest, going about his once-in-a-lifetime duty in the temple, when the angel Gabriel appears with impossible news. His barren wife Elizabeth is going to bear a son.

And his response? Doubt. He asks, how can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. Right, and that's where it gets interesting. Gabriel's response is swift. You will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens because you did not believe my words.

Complete silence until the birth of John. For a priest whose entire vocation and involves speaking God's words, that's devastating. Emhem, I see. So when we think about biblical figures whose voices were silenced by God, what does this actually teach us? Because it feels harsh at first glance. Well, silence in the Bible carries multiple meanings.

It can represent stillness, peace, reverence, waiting, reflection, even judgment. It's both the absence of sound and a spiritual posture of humility before God. In Zechariah's case, his doubt stemmed from focusing on his and Elizabeth's age, their physical inability. He was operating on sensory-based doubt rather than revelation-based faith.

So the silence became a spiritual discipline he didn't choose. Exactly. Most spiritual disciplines are voluntary, we control the terms and duration, but sometimes God imposes a discipline we would never choose. And here's the thing. While Zechariah couldn't speak, God was speaking the loudest word of all, creating life where there had been only barrenness. His imposed silence allowed him to witness the Holy Spirit's outpouring and repent of his unbelief.

That's powerful. So during those months of silence, what couldn't he do? He couldn't explain away the miracle with reasonable doubts. He couldn't express worries about the pregnancy. He couldn't spin the story to make himself look better or worse. He could only watch, wonder, and wait. Silence became the womb where faith could grow beyond the limits of his own understanding. You know, I think about Zechariah trying to communicate with gestures and scribbled notes for all those months. Can you imagine the humility of a priest reduced to charades?

Right? Like playing the world's longest game of Pictionary with eternal stakes. Exactly, but, um, there's something here about how silence creates space for us. to actually hear God. Yeah, go on. Spiritual silence creates inner space for awareness, connects you with the divine, and helps you hear what really matters. It strengthens intuition

and opens the door to peace and spiritual alignment. When we can't speak, we're forced to listen. When we can't explain, we're forced to experience. When we can't defend ourselves, we're forced to let God be our defender. That connection between forced listening and spiritual growth sets up our next piece. How this applies to modern Christians today, but first, a quick word from our sponsor. If you're drawn to stories that examine faith with depth and heart, check out Wordsmith World.

Betty Johansen, a West Texas native, blends Christian insight with engaging cozy mystery novels that are clean, wholesome, and free of explicit content or gore. Her blog digs into spiritual themes like the ones we're discussing today. Find her work and read more at the link in the description. Picking up on that idea of forced listening, how should modern Christians respond when it feels like God has taken away their voice? That's the question, isn't it? Many of us are carrying our own silences. Prayers that seem unanswered, dreams that haven't materialized,

words we wish we could speak but can't. Zechariah's story whispers to us that the silence isn't abandonment, its attention. God might be doing something in the quiet that couldn't happen in the noise. So these forced silences, whether illness removes us from ministry, a job loss ends our platform, or just feeling like our prayers bounce off the ceiling, they're actually opportunities? Yes, silence is a tool God uses to restore souls by breaking engagements with the world. It helps renew souls and disconnect from the world to connect deeply with one's soul.

Practicing silence involves intentionally withdrawing to privacy for spiritual purposes. The focus is subtraction instead of addition, creating space for God. And there's a beautiful payoff in Zechariah's story, right? When John is born and everyone gathers for the circumcision ceremony, they expect the baby to be named after his father. But Elizabeth insists he is to be called John. Right, and they turn to Zechariah for confirmation. He asks for a writing tablet and writes, His name is John.

Immediately his mouth is opened, his tongue set free. And notice what his first words were? Not complaints about the silence, not explanations of his earlier doubt. His first words were praised to God. Think about that transformation he went from questioning God's promise to proclaiming God's faithfulness. That transformation from doubt to worship is incredible.

Tell us about the Benedictus. The Benedictus, also known as the Song of Zechariah, is found in Luke 168 to 79. It's a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God about Israel's messianic hopes. It celebrates God's promises and the dawn of divine mercy. The silence had emptied him of his own words so he could be filled with gods. In other words, God's promises don't need our commentary. They simply need our trust. So for everyone listening today, what's the practical takeaway here?

I think the heart of the matter is this. Periods of silence can help us surrender spiritually and discover our true selves. The spiritual discipline of silence is the voluntary removal of noise to connect with God and receive instructions. Even in modern times, cultivating silence can lead to a deeper relationship with God through prayer. God often speaks most clearly in moments when we quiet our minds and voices. And God's commitment to accomplish his purposes isn't hindered by our human weakness. Exactly. Zechariah's story teaches us about receptivity, expectation, devotion, and obedience.

His experience shows that God's discipline is meant to lead to deeper faith and trust. It brings clarity and allows us to see God's hand at work. The promise of Advent is that silence isn't the end of the story. In the quiet, dark waiting, God is at work. I had a mentor years ago who went through a season where she felt completely voiceless in her ministry. Looking back, she told me that was when God taught her to truly listen for the first time. That's beautiful. And, uh, that's what Zechariah discovered too. The same God who can close our mouths can also open them again.

And when he does, we'll truly have something worth saying. silence teaches us that God's promises don't require our commentary. They don't need our defense, our qualifications, or our explanations. They simply need our trust. So as we wrap up, here's a question for you listening. What silence is God asking you to sit with right now? What might he be preparing that requires your words to cease for a season? Because maybe, just maybe, that unwanted silence is where you'll discover your truest song of praise.

Thanks so much for joining us today.