Luke 1:57-80
This
scripture picks up the Story
of John, son of Elizabeth and Zachariah, which starts in Luke 1:5. An angel promises Jewish Priest,
Zachariah that his wife Elizabeth would have a son and He is to be called
JOHN. (vs.13-17) Zachariah asked: How can I be sure (sign) this will happen? I
am an old man now, and my wife is well along in years. The angel said: “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good
news! But since you didn’t believe what
I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born.” (The sign for which you asked.) (18-20)
Now you understand why the people spoke to Zachariah in sign
language, (they may have thought he could not hear them since he couldn’t
speak) to confirm that the baby’s name was John (vs. 67-80). Zachariah praised
God with his first words after months of silence. This song has been called Benedictus, Latin for Praise the Lord. He then prophesied that the coming of the
Savior/Messiah, who would save (redeem)
them from their enemies. He predicted that his son, John’s mission was to Prepare
the Way for that Messiah. All the
Old Testament prophesies were coming true.
It is no wonder that Zachariah praised God!
Zachariah recalled hundreds of years of God’s sovereign work
in history. He began with God’s Convent
with Abraham, maintained through his descendents, affirmed with his baby being
circumcised, as a sign of that
continuing Covenant. The baby was named
John, as the angel had instructed.
Zachariah then, tenderly, personalized the story. His son would bear a key role in the drama of
ages. Although God had ultimate power,
God chose to work through frail human beings who were as helpless as
babies. (John and Jesus were born months
apart. Thirty years later, John and
Jesus met again.) We don’t know
what Jesus did before coming to his cousin John, known as the Baptizer, asking
for baptism. We Know …
John lived a life of strict discipline. He rebuked evil
wherever he saw it. His message was: Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. He had nothing to lose, especially after baptizing Jesus. His career ended in disaster. He
fearlessly and defiantly spoke against Herod Antipas of Galilee, who
during a trip to Rome had seduced his sister-in-law. Returning home he dismissed his wife, and
married his sister-in-law whom he lured away from his brother. John publically and sternly rebuked Herod. Herod took revenge and had John thrown into the dungeon of the fortress
Machaerus near the Dead Sea. For anyone
that would be a terrible fate, but for John, a child of desert; where all his
life he had lived in open space, with wind blowing on his face and the spacious
sky for his roof; being confined by four walls in an underground dungeon must
have been almost un-bearable.
Thus John sent his disciples to ask Jesus a question, which
we will read tomorrow.
Question: How did John’s birth fulfill what the angel
said to Zachariah? List all the things
for which Zachariah praises God. Compare
his song with that of Mary’s song, known as the Magnificat (vs.46-55).
Prayer: Gracious God as you sent John to prepare the
way for your son, Jesus, you sent your Own Son to prepare the way for our
salvation. Give me grace to heed His word
and accept His forgiveness of my sins as I prepare for his Advent (Coming.)
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