Luke 1:57-80 (NLT)
57 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. 58 And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
59 When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”
61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” 62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. 63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.
65 Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. 66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.
67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear,75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
Dear God,
There are several parts of this story and Elizabeth’s experience I want to look at.
And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony.
Luke 1:58-59a
First, the friends and relatives were excited for her, and they were giving glory to you for this wonderful thing. What a great time! And then for them to all gather at the bris to celebrate must have been such a joyous occasion. This must have been pure joy for Elizabeth. I cannot imagine the years and years (decades and decades?) of disappointment preceding this day. The seeming fruitlessness of her life. And now she had a baby, and she got to celebrate with her friends and family. A mother’s heart full of celebration and thankfulness!
They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”
“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.
Luke 1:59b-62
Uh oh. Now she is going to have some conflict. This is her baby, and they are telling her what to do. How did this make her feel as she held her child and the others were telling her she was doing it wrong? And then they decided that what really mattered was Zechariah and his opinion. Of course, Zechariah had already told her that Gabriel said they should name the boy John, so he will go on to confirm what she just said. It must have taken a little bit of luster off the moment. It is frustrating when others try to insert themselves into our lives with unsolicited advice. Then again, how often do I do that? Probably more often than I would like to admit.
He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.
Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.
Luke 1:63-66
I love how “awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.” Not just their friends and neighbors, but everyone knew that this child was special—a literal miracle baby—and that there was a prophecy about him. Of course, it is only natural for Zechariah and Elizabeth to ask themselves, “What will this child turn out to be?”
How hard was it to raise John the Baptist (JTB) in this environment? Whereas Mary and Joseph got to raise Jesus without too many people knowing about the prophecy (this is an assumption on my part), JTB started out a celebrity. How much unsolicited advice did Elizabeth and Zechariah get over the years? How much judgment did they receive when JTB just got stranger and stranger? Did they feel pressure to parent him differently? Did they spend most of the rest of their lives on their knees, looking for your guidance and help?
Tomorrow is my daughter’s birthday. I bought her a card that is one of those “For my daughter” cards. I do not normally like those, but in this case the sentiment was perfect.
Remembering the first time I saw you, I can still feel that jolt of love and amazement at what a miracle you were. And now here you are, just a quick blur of birthdays later, all grown-up and still a miracle! I’ve loved watching you discover your talents and grow into your gifts … sharing with the world the light that’s been shining inside you right from that first day.
She will not fully understand those words until she has a child of her own. I would not have understood it at her age. I might have rolled my eyes at the schmaltziness of it. But I do, indeed, remember the first moment I saw her. In fact, I was the first person on earth to physically see her. I adored her then, and I adore her now. Of course, it was a challenge to know the right thing to do as a new parent of a daughter. It still is. I guess that explains why my wife and I spend so much time praying for our children, both individually and conjugally.
Father, help me to ignore the world and how it sees my children or judges my parenting decisions. Help me to simply look to you, trust in you, and rest in you. Help me to hear you. Help me to see with your eyes. Help me to hear with your ears. Help me to love with your love. And do it all so that your kingdom might come and your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
