Excitement Over Christ

The Excitement of Christ Continues

Last week we looked at the excitement shared between Mary and Elizabeth in their mutual supernatural pregnancies. Mary was past the age of childbirth, and Elizabeth was granted the ability to have a child by God. Mary's pregnancy was entirely by the power of the Holy Spirit as a virgin. Their excitement was not merely about the pregnancies or miraculous births, but because these signaled the coming of Jesus Christ—their salvation.

Elizabeth rejoiced that no longer would people call her barren, as her child prepared the way for the Messiah. Mary's child was the incarnate God, Jesus, bringing long-awaited salvation from sin promised in the Old Testament. Their joy led Mary to burst into song, magnifying the Lord because He had visited them.

Now, at the birth of John the Baptist, the excitement continues and expands. Relatives and neighbors join in, following Hebrew customs where a birth is a big event. Zechariah gives a prayer, worship song, and prophecy. The goal is to see how the excitement of Christ carries the same proper responses we examined last week. Even at John's birth, as a newborn, he fulfills his purpose of making Jesus known.

1. The Priority of Names

This section highlights a dispute over the child's name. On the eighth day, they wanted to call him Zechariah after his father, but Elizabeth insisted, "No, he shall be called John." The relatives questioned this, as no relative had that name. They asked Zechariah, who wrote on a tablet, "His name is John." Immediately, his mouth opened, his tongue was loosed, and he blessed God. Fear came upon the neighbors, and these things were talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.

Why include this peculiar detail in Luke's Gospel, written to Theophilus, a Gentile? It proves John's historical existence through his mother's birth account. But the name dispute reveals the pull of tradition in Hebrew culture, where names carry on family lineage, like passing on a last name.

Gabriel had decreed the name John, meaning "Yahweh has been gracious" (Yehohanan). Despite the miraculous pregnancy—known to all since Elizabeth was beyond childbearing years—the relatives pushed tradition over God's command. They ignored Elizabeth and deferred to Zechariah, the patriarch, expecting him to choose Zechariah, meaning "the Lord has helped."

Names in Judaism are significant, reflecting character and function, as seen from Adam naming the animals to recognize his need for a helpmate, naming Eve "woman" and "life."

Zechariah, disciplined by God for doubting Gabriel—mute until now—obeyed God's decree. His tongue was loosed, and he blessed God. John's name testifies to God's grace: past, present, and ongoing. John's significance, purpose, and life stem not from lineage but from God's gracious choice. This proves salvation is by grace alone, not merit.

Our lives should be constant testimonies to God's graciousness, showing the world we did nothing to earn His favor. Theophilus, a Gentile, learns John was chosen not as a Jew, but by God's grace—giving Gentiles significance in God's kingdom.

2. The Promise of Salvation

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.”

Zechariah, once disciplined for unbelief as a priest, now obeys God and is filled with the Holy Spirit—like Elizabeth and unborn John. He prophesies new revelation: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel" (Kyrios ho Theos, echoing Yahweh Elohim).

He speaks in past tense: God "has visited and redeemed his people" and "has raised up a horn of salvation." Jesus isn't born yet, let alone crucified. "Visited" (episkeptai) means "has pastored" or overseen like a general ensuring troops' welfare—Jesus as the true Pastor.

Why past tense? Like Romans 8:28–30, God speaks of predestination, calling, justification, sanctification, and glorification in past tense because His salvation is so certain. God promises success in saving us, speaking as if it's already accomplished. No chance of failure.

Imagine drowning at sea with sharks, weights on limbs, rescue impossible. A proven shark-killer promises, "I have already rescued you," confident in total success. God, omnipotent, declares your salvation complete—from eternity past covenant to Abraham (echoing Exodus and Hebrews 6). By two unchangeable things—His promise and oath, impossible to lie—you take refuge in Jesus.

This implants maximum trust: nothing to doubt about your salvation.

3. The Preparation of John the Baptist

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Zechariah prophesies John's role: prophet of the Most High, preparing the Lord's ways (plural)—doctrines, theologies, people. John's purpose: decrease so Jesus increases.

He gives knowledge of salvation in forgiveness of sins, because of God's tender mercy (echoing Exodus compassion). People perish from lack of knowledge (Hosea), so we preach to learn salvation—accomplished, now known.

John grew strong in spirit, in the wilderness until his ministry. Even his birth focuses not on him, but Christ—who will actually save.

I wonder if our salvation experiences do the same: total excitement about Christ.