When it came time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. When her friends and relatives found out that God had been so greatly merciful toward her, they were as happy as she was. (Luke 1:57)
The birth of a baby is always a momentous occasion. The birth of a first child in older age had to have been a double blessing. That the baby was a boy, in this very patriarchal culture, was an even greater blessing. The birth of a boy would have been accompanied by singing and praising and dancing in the streets, while the birth of a girl would practically have been treated as a time of mourning. That the baby was a boy meant that this was a time of joyful celebration for everyone in the neighborhood, for friends and for family to share.
For the first five months of her pregnancy, Elizabeth had kept to herself in seclusion. It is very possible that she didn’t want anyone to know about the possibility of her pregnancy, lest the prophecy was wrong. She wouldn’t have wanted to make herself appear foolish to her neighbors. But once she began to show, she would have wanted to share her joy and excitement with her whole world. Culturally, it was a shameful thing to be barren. But once she was pregnant, she had to have been the talk of the village.
On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the baby, and they intended to name him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up and said, “No, he will be called ‘John.’” They replied, “But no one in your family has that name.” (Luke 1:59-61)
In accordance with Genesis 17:9-14, when a male baby was eight days old, he had to be circumcised. Though a baby often was named at birth, the naming also could be performed as part of the circumcision ritual. Names were very important. Names were considered to have power in themselves. A name was the same as the thing so named itself. For example, if someone wrote your name on the ground and then stomped on it, that was the same as stomping on your very body. A name could also limit one. When Moses asked for God’s name, God would give him none. “I am that I am,” was all that God would say. (Gen. 3:13-14). God would not be limited. Children might be named after esteemed family members, especially parents or grandparents, or they might be named to honor specific events or circumstances.
That family and friends might assume that Elizabeth’s baby would be named Zechariah was very reasonable. Zechariah was a priest, and would have been an esteemed member of the community. Not only that, but Zechariah’s name meant “God remembers,” which certainly was apropos of the parents’ situation.
Then they made signs to Zechariah to try to find out what he wanted the baby to be named. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was freed, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were filled with astonishment, and throughout the hill country of Judea, people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard about it wondered, “What will this child turn out to be?” For God’s hand was on him. (Luke 1:62-66)
It would appear that either Zechariah was also deaf as well as mute, or that at least his family and friends assumed so. Though most translations indicate that he was unable to speak, the word used in the original language was kophos, which could also mean that he was deaf. The boy’s name would be John, which meant Jehovah’s gift or God is gracious, also appropriate to the parents’ position. God was indeed most gracious to allow Elizabeth and Zechariah such happiness in their golden years.
The community marveled at the miraculous occurrences that were happening in their midst. First, a woman too old to bear children bore a son; then her husband struck instantly mute was just as miraculously freed from his disability in an instant. Word of these events soon spread over the countryside. It was obvious to them that God’s hand was with this child, and they were sure that he would be destined for great things.
Then Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy: “Praise be to our Sovereign, the God of Israel, who has come and has redeemed the people. God has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of God’s servant, David (as was said through God’s holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us–to show mercy to our parents and to remember God’s holy covenant, the oath that God swore to our ancestors Abraham and Sarah: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness before God all our days.” (Luke 1:68-75)
While many people equate the arrival of the Holy Spirit with the events of Pentecost, already in this first chapter of Luke, we discover that this is the fourth mention of the action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of these people–John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth (1:15), Mary would conceive by the Holy Spirit (1: 35), Elizabeth, when Mary visits, is informed of the nature of Mary’s pregnancy by the Holy Spirit (1:41), and now Zechariah, filled with the Spirit, is able to prophesy (1:67). Thus, we know that the Holy Spirit has always been present in human lives.
Zechariah praises God for the revelation that the Messiah comes. The word horn symbolizes great strength. In keeping with the beliefs of the time, which was that Messiah was to come as some kind of mighty warrior to free the Israelites from their captivity–this time from the occupation of the Roman army–Zechariah praises God for their imminent deliverance.
In the original language, the phrase “has come” is episkeptomai, and means to have witnessed with an element of caring and concern. The word translated redeemed in the original language is epoiesen lytrosin, and denotes to rescue from enemies, as when God rescued the Israelites out of their Egyptian captivity. From these two definitions, we can read that Zechariah believes that God has seen the trials and tribulations of the Israelites and has determined to rescue them, by sending the Messiah, in keeping with the covenant and promises God had made to the Israelites’ ancestors, that through their descendants all nations of the world would be blessed. (Gen. 22:17-18)
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; because you will go on ahead of the Messiah and prepare the way; you will give God’s people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, such is the tender mercy of our God, who has sent to us the Rising Sun from heaven, to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet onto the path of peace.” (Luke 1:76-9)
Now Zechariah turns and has words for his newborn son, announcing that he was the promised messenger, proclaiming the arrival of the Messiah (Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3). John will inform the people that the way to salvation is through the forgiveness of their sins. He will prepare the way for them to recognize and receive the Messiah.
The angel, Gabriel, had compared John to the prophet, Elijah, (1:17), so here Zechariah carries forward Gabriel’s message by declaring John a prophet of the Most High. Later we will read that Jesus alluded that John the Baptist was the returned, but unrecognized Elijah (Matt. 17:11 -13). Zechariah recalls the words of the prophet Isaiah who wrote, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of our Sovereign rises upon you. See, darkness covers the land, and thick darkness is over the people, but the Sovereign rises upon you and appears gloriously over you. Nations will come to your light and royalty to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1-3)
And the child grew and became strong in spirit. He lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel. (Luke 1:76-80)
Scholars differ on their interpretation of the phrase strong in spirit. Some believe that it refers to development of moral character, while others believe it refers again to the strengthening presence of the Holy Spirit in John’s soul. That he lived in the desert is symbolic in meaning that he lived in relative isolation, eschewing material possessions.
This ends today’s study.
LIFE APPLICATION