Wonder – Fearless Living

The time for John’s birth arrived. It is recorded in Luke 1:57-66. It as elements of family stresses, nosy neighbors and miraculous happenings all combined to announce John to the world.

⁵⁷When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. ⁵⁹On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” ⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” ⁶²Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

There were elements of stress leading up to the miraculous! Elizabeth’s birthing went well and the neighbors were relieved and joyous over John’s safe birth. The circumcisions party was to be held on the 8th day according to the Old Testament (Genesis 17:12-14) and everyone gathered at Zachariah and Elizabeth’s home. The baby was named traditionally after the father, so all gathered assuming the boy’s name would be Zachariah. Elizabeth stopped this and said he was to be named John just as the angel had instructed her. This announcement caused quite a stir and they went so far as to give Zachariah a piece of paper so he could write down the name he wanted. It astonished everyone gathered that he wrote John also. Once the baby’s name was announced immediately Zachariah’s mouth was opened and he was able to speak. He began praising God for the miraculous son they had been given and how glorious and powerful God was. (Zachariah’s actual praises will follow tomorrow.) All the family and neighbors for miles around began talking about Zachariah, Elizabeth and baby John. They wondered what God had in store for this special child of His.

What do you see of God in this event? First, there is His tender care for Elizabeth and her safe delivery of baby John. Next, the miraculous release of Zachariah’s speech with the naming of the child as they obediently did as God had commanded them to do through the angel. Then we see peoples’ marveling at the power and sovereignty of God in their midst. Even though this is a scene in an ancient time setting we can still relate. When has God shown you providential care? Did he use a neighbor, a skilled doctor, good medicines, or even warm chicken soup? God uses those around us to minister to our needs. Miracles happen all the time. They may not be as loud and spectacular as speech restored after months of silence, but God intervenes all the time in our lives. He heals the sick, provides for our needs when least expected and in unexpected ways. How have you taken advantage of one of God’s provisions in your life to witness for Him or simply give testimony for what He has done in your life? God deserved praises from Zachariah and he deserves praises from us too. Lastly, this story reminds us that God has a special place and mission for each of us in His Kingdom. We are loved and highly valued by Him. Paul gives his testimony of value in Galatians 2:20, could this be yours too? “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.“ Jesus came for each of us and died to make us free from sin and reconciled to Him. God had a special place for John, Elizabeth and Zachariah and as believers He has a place for us too!

Linda

The birth of a child brings happiness, joy and wonder to every parent. The arrival of Elizabeth’s baby was no exception and perhaps was an even greater joy to them and those around them as they had waited a long time for a child. I can identify with this as we were married for 14 years before the arrival of our Elizabeth and it was pure joy! Jewish customs prevailed and the child was not named until he was circumsized on the eighth day, as that recognized his officially belonging to the family of God. It was a day of great family celebration and scripture gives us a glimpse into this special day.

Luke 1: 57-66 “When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. ⁶⁰But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” ⁶¹“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” ⁶²So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. ⁶³He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. ⁶⁵Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

Can you even imagine being there when Zechariah spoke after 9 months of silence? What a surprise! But God is faithful to His Word, and just as the child was named, Zechariah’s time of silence ended. Awe or reverence for the Lord was used to describe the effect this had on the people there and the surrounding area. Other translations word it this way, “And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea.” The awe or fear was due to their amazement over what the Lord had done in their midst. They had seen first hand the power of God to provide this child in old age and to mute Zechariah for 9 + months. When was the last time you experience the hand of God in your own life or in someone near to you? Did it leave you in awe of our Sovereign God? Perhaps it was due to the birth of a child, healing of an illness, release from a threatening situation, resolving of a difficult circumstance or an answer to a specific prayer. What effect did it have on you? Were you joyous, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, or filled with wonder like the neighbors or did you try to discount it? Our response to God’s mercy and grace in our lives is crucial. In 1 Corinthians 1:4 Paul puts it this way, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,” Because of Jesus, our response should be one of thanks for His grace, His unmerited favor, towards us.