A Prophet Is Born

Introduction

There isn’t a competent parent who doesn’t think about the future when they hold their baby in their arms. Holding this child in their arms the parent thinks about possibilities and challenges and about how much they want to guide this child to adulthood. And as the child grows this doesn’t change. Perhaps it is thought about a bit less, but the parent continually thinks about what might happen with their child. We ask children “what do you want to do when you grow up?” And the child answers from their perspective what appears to be exciting or interesting. But not many children grow up to do what they said at 7 they would do. We even have children who go to college, get a degree, and then works in a field in which they received no training.

This was the question that the people had in regards to John in 1:66. Zechariah and Elizabeth stand holding their child. Everyone is filled with joy at what has happened and everyone knows that John is a special child. He is a special child because his mother conceived long after the time for women to conceive a child. He is special because his name is special—John. In those days, a child carried the family name. As you can see, the people wanted to name him Zechariah for his father. The family name would be passed down. But both parents reject that notion and select the name that God had given to them before the baby was conceived. John means “God is gracious.” This made John special as well.

What is this child going to be? the crowd asks. As a community the people could see that God’s hand was upon John. What was God going to do with this child? Isn’t this the same question we ask concerning our own children? The wise parent holds each day with a sense of expectation as the life of their child unfolds. We watch with amazement and wonder as our children grow and develop and as they mature to the point that we begin seeing them take responsibility for their decisions and actions. Each child presents parents with challenges and each child is a future yet untold.

Like Zechariah and Elizabeth, the birth of a child brings great joy. Raising that child takes lots of prayer. Let’s pray for parents and children today.

The Child of Promise

Luke allows us to see the completion of God’s promise to Zechariah and Elizabeth. A child promised nine months before is born. Everyone knows that this child is a result of God’s intervention. And the name given to the baby speaks of God’s grace and mercy. But Luke isn’t only allowing us to see the fulfillment of promise for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Luke gives us Zechariah’s song which has references of praise to God fulfilling a promise made to his people so long ago. Verse 69 speaks of God sending a Savior to his people. This isn’t a reference to John. It is a reference to the child that Mary carries.

Verse 72-73, Zechariah speaks of the promise which God is now fulfilling made to Abraham so long ago. They had been waiting 1800 years for Abraham’s promise to be fulfilled. The people had been waiting 1000 years for David’s promise to be fulfilled. How can a baby be the fulfillment of God’s promises? Verses 76 — Zechariah answers that for us. John is going to be a prophet. He will prepare the way for the Messiah. He will prophesy about salvation and the forgiveness of sins. All because God is filled with mercy.

While Luke points to the joy and praise of Zechariah, Elizabeth, and the people, his point is to highlight that God is a God who fulfills his promises. Zechariah tells us what John’s role will be. But that role will not be fulfilled for another 30 years. Verse 80 tells us that his prophetic work began long before his public appearance. He lived in the desert. What happens in the desert? God prepares his people in the desert. God prepares his prophets in the desert. God is seen more clearly in the desert.

None of us can see into the future and know what our children are supposed to become or to do with their lives. But this we do know—we are not here on this earth simply to live, work, accumulate things, make a few trips to see the sights, store up time for leisure and then die. Surely our lives are about helping others see that the God we love is the one who fulfills his promises through us and because of us. God has yet to fulfill one promise—the return of Jesus. That promise will be fulfilled. His promise to never leave us is being fulfilled on a daily basis. We wait expectantly for the return of Jesus. And in the meantime we live our lives finding ways to demonstrate that what we really believe is that Jesus is going to return some day.

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