Zechariah’s response to Gabriel brought a result.  He was now a ‘marked man’.

Luke 1:20

“Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

This ‘mark’ of not speaking would soon impact:

– his ministry at the temple

– breaking the big news to his wife Elizabeth

– sharing it with young Mary, who would soon visit.

This ‘mark’ though would also remind him every day that God had indeed ‘chosen’ he and Elizabeth. There would be no more questions or doubts.

For us, in a similar way, we are also chosen and marked by God. That mark is the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit that reminds us every day who and whose we are.  He is a deposit until we receive in full our inheritance.

“In him (Jesus) we were also chosen.. and when you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance….”. Ephesians 1