The Birth of John the Baptist
“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.” (Luke 1:13)
Jesus’ miraculous birth is told in Chapter 2 of Luke’s Gospel. Yet before Luke tells of Jesus’ miracle birth, he tells of another miracle birth in Chapter 1: the birth of John the Baptist.
Zacharias was a priest. He and his wife Elisabeth “...were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” (Luke 1:6) Yet as Luke 1:7 says, “And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.” Zacharias had prayed for God to let them have a child. Yet years passed, and he and Elisabeth were still childless. Now they are elderly. Still, Zacharias and Elisabeth did not become bitter. They served the Lord faithfully.
Luke 1:11-12 says, “And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.” (Luke 1:12) The angel was fearsome-looking. Yet he had good news. He said, “…thy prayer is heard;” That news alone had to be fascinating. How long had Zacharias been praying for a child? Was he still praying? Or had he quit, figuring it wasn’t God’s will? Yet God had heard Zacharias’ prayer, and was about to answer.
God is “the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;” (Isaiah 57:15) Yet He is also the One who cares about us: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) He is also the One who answers prayer: “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.” (Psalm 65:2) Ecclesiastes 3:11 also tells us about God’s timing: “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:” God’s timing is always perfect, and now was the time to answer Zacharias’ prayer.
Gabriel said, “…thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.” (Luke 1:13) Yet the news was even better. Not only would they have a son, but John would be “…great in the sight of the Lord,” (Luke 1:15) “And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.” (Luke 1:16) A big concern of parents is that their kids “turn out ok.” Of course, the phrase “turn out ok” can mean more than one thing. Well, John would not only “turn out ok,” but God would use him greatly.
Unfortunately, Zacharias expressed something that many of us have at times: lack of faith. He asked Gabriel, “Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.” (Luke 1:18) God had spoken everything into existence, flooded the earth, and parted the Red Sea. “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14) Obviously, no. But for his lack of faith, Zacharias would not be able to speak until after John was born. Yet even his muteness was a sign that it would happen.
Zacharias went home and told Elisabeth what had happened in the temple. After she conceived, she said, “Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.” (Luke 1:24) The “reproach among men” she spoke of may have been gossipy speculation about why they couldn’t have kids. It’s too bad when people, especially those who claim to follow God, engage in gossip. Yet for Zacharias and Elisabeth, the reproach would end.
God promised in Scripture that He would send a Redeemer. People looked forward to the Redeemer’s coming. Zacharias and Elisabeth’s son John would later be known as John the Baptist. He was forerunner to the Saviour, Jesus. Nowadays we can rejoice in the Saviour who came, died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. To see how to have your sins forgiven and eternal life by receiving Jesus as your personal Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 12/13/2024
Cleveland Baptist Church 4431 Tiedeman Road, Brooklyn, Ohio 44144 216/671-2822