Here’s Johnny…
Sometimes, we’re left speechless.
The story in Luke 1:5-25 tells us how John the Baptist entered the story of Jesus. The first thing we find out is that his parents were righteous and obeyed God’s laws. We know they were getting on in life, and that Elizabeth, John’s mother, was barren. As with Jesus, John’s arrival was announced by an angel, but this time it was to John’s father, Zacharias, rather than to his mother. This is significant because it would have been typical to have told the father news of this nature. However, we will discuss this further when we look at Jesus’ arrival. Back to poor Zacharias, imagine the news from an angel that your son was going to be great in the Kingdom of God, and would be instrumental in the salvation of many people.
One of the most telling verses is verse 12. The angel, Gabriel, said, “Fear not (angels often did that to introduce themselves, as if they were some kind of Jedi and simply speaking the words would stop you from losing your breakfast), your prayer has been heard.” It would seem from this that, even on the wrong end of the family’s starting-age demographic, Zacharias still had hope, or he had given up praying 30 years prior, and God decided now was the time to answer. Whichever way we interpret it, his faith was rewarded. We do have to wonder if his prayer had been for his son to be the one who set the road out before Jesus and pointed to him. John’s life was always in the shadow of Jesus; he was an uncompromising leader, but imagine growing up to be constantly upstaged by a younger cousin.
We’ve all prayed, and we’ve all received an answer to our prayers, and often God over-delivers, but this one was extreme.
“God, I really would like a son and heir,” said Zacharias.
“Sure, and an angel will announce him, and he will be one of the most famous people ever to live. Even my own Son will give him respect,” replied God.
And that’s how it happened. Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and explained what was to come. His name would be John, he would be filled with the Holy Spirit (an interesting detail, Pentecost didn’t happen for over 30 more years), he would have no alcohol, and he would have the spirit of Elijah, which takes us back to those last words in Malachi that closed the Old Testament: “Get your act together! I’m sending Elijah, and I’ll be right behind!”*1
We can understand why poor Zacharias questioned this. I’m sure we have all sat through sermons and listened as the preacher told us that Zacharias was faithless and that Gabriel had to zip his lips because otherwise he would have “confessed” against what God was doing, as if his mere words could disrupt God’s plans. So why was Zacharias hushed? It was stated that it was because he did not believe the angel, but was it punishment for his lack of faith? I think a much more likely reason is behind this decision. Zacharias simply asked for a sign, “How will I know this?”, and it seems that he got one.
If the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, then we must ask: What does this mean for us today? Firstly, I won’t question an angel if one appears to me and announces I’m to have a son…
1 John the Baptist as the new Elijah — Malachi 4:5–6; Luke 1:13-17; Matthew 11:14 & 17:12.
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