Luke 1:57-66, 76-79
SS Lesson for 12/11/2022
Devotional Scriptures: Luke 1:13-17
The first chapters of Luke’s Gospel tell the stories of two important births. Luke presents the events surrounding the births of John and Jesus in a way that connects them to each other. In both accounts, the angel Gabriel announced an approaching pregnancy and promised birth. Gabriel first appeared to a priest named Zacharias and prophesied regarding the pregnancy of his wife, Elisabeth, and the birth of their son, John (Luke 1:8-19). Then the angel appeared to Mary and announced that she was “highly favored” in the eyes of God (1:28) and that she would give birth to a son (1:31-33). Mary and Elisabeth were related (Luke 1:36). Later, when Mary visited Elisabeth, the unborn John “leaped” in his mother’s womb, and Elisabeth “was filled with the Holy Ghost” (1:41). Elisabeth proclaimed her relative to be blessed because of Mary’s demonstration of faith and belief in God’s words through Gabriel (1:45). The proclamation led Mary to rejoice through a song of worshipful adoration and prophetic expectation (1:46-56). Luke’s Gospel emphasizes God’s work in the world by way of Elisabeth, Mary, and their experiences while pregnant. This lesson’s Scripture depicts the second half of a type of pause that affected John’s father. When Zacharias received Gabriel’s revelation regarding Elisabeth’s pregnancy, he questioned whether God’s promise could come true (see Luke 1:18). Gabriel gave a sign to Zacharias: he would be mute until Gabriel’s words were fulfilled (1:19-20). Zacharias would have to endure this sign for the length of Elisabeth’s pregnancy. Elisabeth recognized that God was at work in and through her pregnancy. She proclaimed that “the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men” (Luke 1:25).
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
57 Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.
58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.
60 His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John."
61 But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
3 What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." 5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
25 and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.
6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
62 So they made signs to his father — what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled.
64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.
65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him.
13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.
7 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth.
22 Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.
32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!"). 35 At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
9 Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
76 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace."
5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.
24 Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John's baptism-where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From men'-we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.
26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan-the one you testified about-well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." 27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less. 31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.
4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali- 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles- 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
The “family feud” occurred at the time of John’s circumcision. We know that this ceremony took place on the child’s eighth day (Luke 1:59). Normally, it would seem that the father took the leading role in the ceremony, but since Zacharias was dumb, and perhaps deaf as well, he seems to have been much less involved in the ceremony. The occasion may very well have taken place at the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth. We are told that “they” came to circumcise the child, and that “they” were going to call him Zacharias (1:59). I now understand this to mean that the people referred to by the term “they” are the same. A certain group of people came to the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth to witness and to take part in the circumcision ceremony (did a doctor or specialist come, who would perform the circumcision?). They same group seemed intent on naming the child Zacharias. I would understand that this group of people was composed of close friends and relatives, who would have had a personal interest in John’s circumcision. It would be something like a christening service today.
Somewhere in the ceremony, when the name of Zacharias was being given, Elizabeth interrupted, insisting that the child’s name was to be John. Since this was not the name of the father, nor was it the name of a relative, there was a strong reaction to Elizabeth’s demands. Zacharias was made aware of the problem, and given the opportunity to decide upon the name of the child. If he had heard none of the “discussion” it would have been an even greater marvel to the assembled witnesses that he, too, chose the name John.
One of the first and strongest impressions we gain from these verses is the sense of the prominence of Elizabeth, and of her determination for her son to be named “John” rather than “Zacharias.” Her actions may well have been considered inappropriate by those who observed her. Thus, for Elizabeth to be outspoken and insistent may have shocked them as totally “out of place” for a woman. Nevertheless, Elizabeth did so, and Luke strongly implies that she was both godly and right in so doing.
The role of Zacharias is certainly more passive and silent than normal. Whether this was solely due to his divinely imposed physical limitations, or whether this reflects some natural reticence and hesitation is a point over which we may disagree. I am inclined to view Zacharias as the quiet, retiring type, who was neither aggressive nor outspoken. Elizabeth, on the other hand, seems to have been more outspoken, especially in those matters which she viewed as godly and right. When Zacharias is made aware of the dispute and when he is asked to “cast the deciding vote,” he writes that the name John will be given to his son. This was truly shocking to those who stood by.
Why was the naming of the child so important, and so emotional? And why was naming the child John such a bone of contention? The naming of the son after his father implied that this child would “walk in the steps of his father,” that he would carry on the father’s name, and thus his work as well. Had John been named “Little Zach,” he would have been expected to grow up as a priest, just like his father. He would thus have gone about with his father as he carried out his priestly duties, learning how to do things, just like his daddy did them.
To be named by any other name would have implied just the opposite. John would not follow in his father’s steps. He would not learn to do what his father did. He would not be a priest. This, of course, was precisely the case, and thus the reason for the name John. It isn’t the meaning of the name “John” which is so important, then, but the message implied by having any name other than Zacharias which is such an emotional issue. If many of those gathered at the circumcision ceremony were relatives, Elizabeth’s insistence that the boy be named John was to renounce the family, its work, and its perpetuation through the next generation.
When Zacharias wrote the words, “His name is John,” on that tablet, he once again was given the power of speech. At that moment, his tongue was loosed and he began to praise God. The record of the praise of Zacharias is delayed a few verses, so that Luke can parenthetically report the impact of these things on those who watched, and on those who heard from those who watched. Verses 65 & 66 thus report the “gospel by gossip” which was spread abroad the “hill country of Judea” (v. 65). As “strange events” began to pile up, all related to this child, John, the expectation of the people in the area began to grow. It is little wonder that John was thought by many to be the Messiah, a thought which John persisted to deny (cf. 3:15-17).
The statement, “For the hand of God was certainly with him” (v. 66), may indicate that there were a number of other unusual or miraculous incidents associated with John in his childhood which testified to his unusual origin and mission in life. Luke must be selective, and thus he gives us but this general statement, suggesting that much more could have been written. The outcome of all of these things was a sense of expectancy among the people of that area.
Note that God does not announce the coming of the King, or of His forerunner in the Temple (save for Simeon and Anna), nor in Jerusalem (save in the visit of Jesus to the Temple at age 12), but in the “hill country of Judea.” It is not to the mighty or to the religious elite, but to the humble that the announcements of the nearness of Messiah’s appearance are made. This is but a prototype of the ministry of John and of Jesus, who came not to the “healthy,” but to the “sick;” not to the “righteous,” but to sinners (cf. Luke 4:16-21; 6:20ff.; Mark 2:15-17).
Rather than to record the inspired praise of Zachariah precisely when it was spoken, Luke includes the parenthetical comments of verses 65 & 66 so that this psalm serves to conclude the section, as it summarizes the impact of John’s ministry, and of Messiah’s ministry, of whom he is the forerunner.
Zacharias’ psalm has two major sections. The first section, contained in verses 67-75, is praise directed toward Messiah, in the light of His ministry. In this section, Zacharias directs His praise toward God in the light of the benefits of Messiah’s ministry for the nation Israel. If Mary’s “Magnificat” majored on the social implications of Messiah’s appearance, Zacharias’ praise highlights the political blessings which the nation Israel will experience. Note the frequent emphasis on the nation Israel in these verses:
“the God of
Israel”
“He has come … and redeemed His people”—v. 68
“for us”
“in the house of His servant David”—v. 69
“as He said through his holy prophets”—v. 70
“salvation from our enemies”—v. 71
“to show mercy to
our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant,
which He swore to our father Abraham”—vv. 72-73
“to rescue us from the hand of our enemies” “to enable us to serve Him”—v. 74
As I presently understand Luke’s gospel, everyone in his account who praises God for Messiah’s coming does so in the light of their own circumstances, and in the light of their own hopes and aspirations. Messiah’s ministry is many-faceted, like the many facets of an expensive gem. Each psalm of praise tends to focus on one facet, and all of them together point out the manifold blessings of God manifested through His Messiah.
The second section, contained in verses 76-79, focuses on the messenger, John, and on the impact of his ministry. As Zacharias was informed by Gabriel, John will be the forerunner of Messiah, whose task will be to prepare men and women for His coming, by preaching of sin and of forgiveness for sins. In both the praises of Mary and of Zacharias, there seems to be more emphasis on the results of the Christ’s second coming, than His first.
(Adapted from URL:https://bible.org/seriespage/why-john-was-not-named-little-zach-luke-157-80)
Zacharias’s so-called dramatic pause, his inability to speak, came before the high point of his depiction in Scripture. When he recovered his voice, his first act was to praise God! Though Zacharias had previously expressed doubt, God remained faithful to him and Elisabeth. The dramatic pause prepared Zacharias to give dramatic praise; God showed His goodness to the couple by giving them a son. This son would someday prepare people to receive the goodness of God’s salvation. We all have seasons of life when we face dramatic pauses—when we may not have words to praise God or give Him our prayers. When this occurs, we may wonder if our failures have ruined us or if the presence of God has left us. But as Zacharias discovered, God is faithful and merciful despite our unbelief. His faithfulness invites us to give Him praise. His mercy calls us to embrace His forgiveness. With lives of praise, we can proclaim His faithfulness for the whole world to hear. When we find ourselves facing a dramatic pause, we can offer praise that proclaims God’s salvation for the world. Where God’s salvation is present, darkness and death will turn to light and life.
Our text concerns the unique role of Zacharias's son, John the Baptist. What was this role? First of all, Zacharias declared John's office. John the Baptist was to become a prophet of the Most High, the last in a long line of Old Testament prophets. He was given the task of speaking for God, as were all the prophets. John's unique role was to speak for God right on the threshold of the public ministry of the Lord Jesus—a very high privilege and sacred duty. Then John's task or mission was outlined more specifically. He was to go before the Lord, preparing the way. John's unique ministry was to bear witness of the Lord Jesus and to prepare people spiritually for their own encounter with the Savior. In this he became a model for all of us. All who believe in and follow the Lord are given the task to bear witness and to prepare hearts for the Lord Jesus. Finally, Zacharias spoke of the content of John's message. It was to be a messianic message. The Lord Jesus would be all about granting salvation to sinners, delivering them from the penalty of sin. There is no way to escape it, the ministry of the Lord Jesus was and is a ministry of salvation. During the Christmas season, we are bombarded with a million different messages and ideas. It is hard to keep the proper focus. We are surrounded by snowmen, reindeer, parties, and programs. But the message of the season is that Jesus was sent into the world to save sinners. Zacharias's prophecy takes us right back to the basics. We see the prophecy of his unique son, born to unsuspecting parents. We see why he came and what he was to do for God. And it all leads us back to the good news that God sent His Son into the world to save sinners