Luke 1:7, 13, 18 But they had no child, for Elizabeth was barren; and both were far advanced in years….But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your petition was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you must call his name John [God is favorable]….And Zachariah said to the angel, By what shall I know and be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.

A Wikipedia article regarding the colloquialism, It Ain’t Over Till the Fat Lady Sings, states: “This phrase is often used as a proverb. It means that one should not presume to know the outcome of an event which is still in progress. More specifically, the phrase is used when a situation is (or appears to be) nearing its conclusion. It cautions against assuming that the current state of an event is irreversible and clearly determines how or when the event will end. The phrase is generally understood to be a reference to opera sopranos, who were typically heavyset. The imagery of Wagner‘s opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen and its last part, Götterdämmerung, is typically used in depictions accompanying uses of the phrase. The “fat lady” is thus the valkyrie Brünnhilde, who was traditionally presented as a very buxom lady. Her farewell scene lasts almost twenty minutes and leads directly to the finale of the whole Ring Cycle. As Götterdämmerung is about the end of the world (or at least the world of the Norse gods), in a very significant way “it is [all] over when the fat lady sings.”

This colloquialism definitely applies to what transpires between Zachariah and the angel Gabriel. What is truly astounding is Gabriels’ casual comment: your petition was heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. Why is this astounding? Twice, Dr. Luke emphasizes the fact: both were far advanced in years, and Zachariahs belief: For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years. But that is not the astounding part. The astounding part is, your petition was heard! I have a hard time believing Zachariah and Elizabeth were still praying for a child. In fact it is easy to believe that they had probably put this prayer request on the shelf, along with many other seemingly unanswered prayer requests. They had simply learned to accept these things as the way things were going to be. Most likely the future parents of John the Baptist had petitioned the Lord with this repeated, desperate request as they began seeing the window closing to the possibility. Surely, by this time, the “old man” had given up on that hope. What the angel was declaring just couldn’t be true. But how many of you know that the Bible is full of what seemed to be true events, trumped by even greater, truer events? In the beginning God released light, yet in the midst of His light being released there were lesser lights: the Sun, the moon, and stars. Jesus said in Jn. 8:32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. Jesus spoke this to Jews who had a revelation of the Truth (truth) in the Law, and the Prophets. Yet, as this was spoken, the Truth, the Greatest of ALL truths, stood before them declaring these things. What are we to make of this? Often we define truth by our perceptions of reality failing to enter into the Light of Truth, Jesus. Our circumstances may seem to be true – but there is a Greater Truth whose Name is Jesus. Now He is not an opera singer but He is a singer nonetheless, and He sings His song in a place of timelessness. What’s truly amazing is He sings His song over you and me. Rabbi’s believe God didn’t simply speak creation into existence, He sung it into existence. Possibly in Zacharias, and Elizabeth’s life the song hadn’t been finished and that’s why the manifestation of a prayer answered hadn’t come to their attention. What have you prayed about and given up on? Maybe it’s time for you to turn your ear to the song of the Singer, and listen for what He has to say. Luke 1:20 in the KJV reads: And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed…Maybe it’s time we confess to the Lord we have been dumb, and we need to learn to be still to know He is God; to listen and wait instead of speaking. Maybe it’s time that we take our place as a new creation and join in the song of the Singer. Chris Tomlin wrote a song by that name: Sing, Sing, Sing. The opening lyrics state: Sing, sing, sing and make music with the heavens. We will sing, sing, sing grateful that You hear us when we shout Your praise lift high the name of Jesus!