Scripture: Luke 1:57-80
It was time for Elizabeth to give birth. Imagine! Elizabeth having a child
at her age! The neighbors gathered around for this blessed event. They
raised their voices in praise to God who had preformed this miracle.
Eight
days later Zacharias and Elizabeth took the baby to the synagogue. It was
time to have him circumcised. It was a Jewish tradition to name a first
son after the father, or some other family member. Friends and neighbors,
and those at the synagogue all stood expectantly waiting to greet the new
little Zacharias. But Elizabeth came out with an announced to the group: "His
name is John."
"John?"
they chorused. "But there is no one in your family named 'John'. You
have broken tradition… "But what does a woman know, anyway? We'll
ask the father." So they made signs to Zacharias. "What are you
going to call the baby?"
Zacharias
stood silent before them. He asked for a writing tablet. In four simple
words he answered the query of the agitated crowd: "His
name is John."
The
crowd stared at Zacharias. Suddenly, as soon as he had written those four
words, Zacharias' tongue was loosened. He began praising God.
"And
his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost,
and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;
for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets,
which have been since the world began:
That we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers,
and to remember his holy covenant;
The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
That he would grant unto us, that we
being delivered out of the hand of our enemies
might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him,
all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people
by the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God;
whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The
gathered crowd stood in awe, listening to the prophecy and praise of
Zacharias, who had not been able to say a word for over nine months. The
news spread quickly around the neighborhood. Many people were stricken
with fear because of these unusual and miraculous events. They tucked
their thoughts into their minds, wondering: "What kind of child is
this?"
Friends,
relatives and neighbors watched as John grew up. But they said little.
God was with John as he grew strong in body and spirit. As soon as he was
old enough to leave home he ventured into the desert until it was time to
reveal himself to Israel. God was preparing the man whose name is John,
who later was called 'John the Baptist' for the ministry He had
for him, that of being the "Forerunner of the Messiah."