New Testament Doctrine — Luke 1:57-80

The very last three verses of the Old Testament (Malachi 4:4-6) mention the Forerunner of the Messiah coming in the spirit of Elijah. Luke notes for us that the Messiah is a cousin of His Forerunner (their mothers were cousins). Eventually five of the Twelve Disciples are also cousins of the Messiah. Nepotism is a virtue in Biblical Law. The tale of this meeting between Mary and Elizabeth add support to Luke’s contention that Jesus was the Messiah. We don’t know if Mary was there to witness the birth of John, but it would seem obvious this was the whole point for staying that long.

The birth itself was quite conventional for Jews of that time. However, it was viewed as a miracle that a couple this age could bear a son. The eighth day after birth was marked by circumcision, much as we christen children today. Everyone assumed he would be named after this father, but the mother insisted his name would be John (Heb. Jochanan “Jehovah is gracious”). Why would she choose a name shared by none of the boy’s relatives?

The folks who had gathered to celebrate the moment beckoned for his father to name the boy. Let’s take a moment to dispel the notion that Zacharias was somehow deaf, as well as mute. The phrase for signaling Zacharias was a common expression for trying to get the attention of someone distracted by some task. They didn’t shout at him; that would be rude in this setting. They tried to get his attention politely.

He hadn’t even managed a whisper since facing the angel in Temple. Zacharias asked for a tablet. This would have been the drill for the past 9 months at least, so there would have always been a soft wax tablet pressed into a wood frame with a stylus attached so Zacharias could communicate. It was a common implement in that day. Someone passed it to him and he marked it with Aramaic letters indicating the boy would be named John. It was highly unusual, but the message was obvious to the folks in attendance that day: the aged couple were naming the boy in celebration of God’s grace on them.

But of course, for Zacharias, it was also obedience to the message delivered in that shocking meeting over the Altar of Incense. Not that he could have told them the whole story that easily. The moment they read this, Zacharias got his voice back. This simply amplified the atmosphere of wonder. This thing was told over and over again for quite some time, far and wide. Everyone marveled at all the signs and wonders attending the boy’s birth, causing a lot of speculation about what it presaged for him.

Zacharias’ first words were in praise to the Lord. We are treated to the prophecy he spoke that day. It was plainly Messianic. Granted, the majority of the Jews, the leadership in particular, were deeply mistaken about what these words indicated, but that didn’t hinder Zacharias’ blessing. He knew beyond all doubt that his son was that promised Forerunner. John would call for repentance in preparation for the dawn (“dayspring”) of a new age in divine revelation. The ultimate purpose was to establish a new level of shalom.

Luke summarizes the boy’s upbringing. He was ever sensitive to spiritual things, something exceptionally rare in children. Since ancient times, the vast majority of people gained such sensitivity through a lifetime of ardor for divine truth, but this boy was born with it. So unique was he in his personal drive that he spent a lot of time in the high semi-desert wilderness east of his home. He just didn’t fit in with the normal social activities of children around him.