Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
(Jeremiah 1:5)
Picking the name for the baby is one of the hardest things when becoming a new parent. Many pick the names given to their children purposefully, with specific intent and honor in mind. Names are most often selected as a way of honoring someone dear to the family that has passed or, in some cases, using a name that has a purposeful trait in its meaning. The hope is that the child will learn of their ancestry (to be like the one that is honored) or to attempt to take on the characteristics that their name’s meaning implies. As we look at our lesson today, we find one of seven individuals that the scripture says was prophetically named before they were born. The father was given some pretty explicit instructions on how to raise this son. Though he doubted at first, we hear from a believing Dad confirmation of his understanding and the prophecy of the long-awaited redeemer. Let’s dig in!
Background
Around 400 years had passed since there had been any open revelation (prophecy or inspired writing) from God. The last verse of the last book of the Old Testament ends with “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:4-6).
Luke starts his gospel account with the retelling of specific events that occurred prior to the announcement and birth of Jesus. Keep in mind, Luke’s writing is to give a trustworthy account to a person named Theophilus about Jesus. Luke wrote his gospel between 80-90 AD. The life, death, and resurrection of Christ and the conversion of the apostle Paul had already happened and were well known. He wrote to a believer who desired to know the truth and historicity of these events. Luke wrote so that every reader would know with detailed certainty the truth of the life of Jesus.
The account begins with the Levitical priests of Jerusalem, who have taken their turn ministering in the temple that Herod restored in Jerusalem. Solomon’s temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians, the temple was rebuilt by Nehemiah and Ezra, but after hundreds of years of use it was refurbished by Herod. It is estimated that there should have been around 20,000 levites available to serve and take turns to work in the temple.
Luke writes that a particular priest named Zacharias was tending to the temple by course (on his turn) and it was his lot (the job he was given), to burn the incense. The incense represented the prayers of God’s people. Serving in this particular role was possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As background, Luke tells us that Zacharias and his wife have no children. During his work, he encountered the angel Gabriel. Gabriel brought an important message:
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. (Luke 1:14-20).
Notice that Gabriel announced that John would go before the Messiah in the spirit and power of Elias (Elijah). Picking up exactly where inspired scripture left off in the Old Testament. God did not miss a beat! This is a reminder to us that God keeps His word. He doesn’t forget His promises. He will do what He says. God is outside of time as we know it!
Guessing by Zacharias’ answer to Gabriel, it is reasonable to think that both Zachariah and Elisabeth had long given up on having a child. Though we may tire of asking, God has heard our every prayer and remembers. Zacharias is unable to speak until the day these things happen. The baby was born, and now it was time to name him.
Elisabeth said his name is John, but the relatives turned to Zacharias because no one in the family was named John. Where was the meaning? By the way, John in Hebrew is Yohanon and it means “God is gracious.” The meaning and honor of his name belonged to God the Father. Zacharias, who had been unable to talk since the angel’s announcement, writes that...”His name is John.”
God had been truly gracious to Zacharias and Elisabeth. God was also being gracious to the nation of Israel and to the world - though they didn’t understand it all yet. He was preparing the way through John’s ministry and sending His own Son! Zacharias began to speak after he wrote his name (this is where the verses of our lesson begin)…
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. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
The forerunner of Jesus has been announced. His father was filled with the Holy Spirit and the doubt was removed about the word God had spoken. Zachariah began to understand his son’s purpose. The birth and the blessing announced by Gabriel came with specific instructions that his father shared with them all. John would be a prophet of the highest. He would indeed prepare the way for Jesus and draw multitudes to Jesus. Jesus himself said of John, “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”(Matthew 11:11).
Make no mistake, John is a fulfillment of the prophecy made under the law to announce the Messiah’s coming, but all that are born again by grace through Christ have been a mission to announce the coming of Jesus in the future, His second coming. In scripture, the meaning of the name has a lot to do with our interpretation of the event. Indeed, God is Gracious. There is nothing impossible with God. He is faithful to keep his promises. His word is truth.
Thank you for studying with us! God bless!