The Birth of John the Baptist

Even the supporting characters carry the weight of the story.

After Mary left her cousin and prepared for her own happy event, Elizabeth gave birth to John. As is often the case with a new baby, there was some discussion over the name. None of this dispute came from the parents, though; they agreed. It was the happy couple’s friends and family who were debating what to name the baby. Elizabeth was sold on John, and the visitors asked Zechariah, who confirmed that he was indeed to be called John.

As with Mary, John often gets the sharp end of the stick when the Gospels are read. The truth of the matter is that his influence in the story, like Mary’s, shouldn’t be understated. At his birth, Zechariah confirmed to us that he had been studying a little about what the future would look like. Whether he knew the full story or even half the story, we don’t know, but Zechariah spoke of Jesus and John with his first words since his enforced silence.

It was here that John was called a “prophet of the Most High,” and it was said that he “will prepare the way of the Lord.”*³ It could be argued that John was to be the first to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be the one to guide people to Jesus. This was a very lofty announcement for a child fresh out of the womb. It is hard to know what was going through Zechariah’s mind at this time. I am not sure how I would feel if this were my son being talked about. One thing is for sure, contrary to the lifestyle televangelists tell us we should “claim” and “be victorious” in, the more submitted to the call of God a person is, the harder life seems to be. You can’t get involved in a spiritual war and expect the enemy to roll over. It’s reasonable to assume that Zechariah would have known that the path before John, his own flesh and blood that he had cried out to God for, was going to be a hard one.

I’m not sure I am spiritual enough to want this for my own son or daughter. Of course, I want them to experience all God has for them and to do what God has in store for them. I know the rewards are great for those who do, and I know that there is peace in following God’s will, but can I honestly say I would want the life of John the Baptist for them? If I’m honest, I can’t. It is for this reason that the family of John is, in my mind at least, worth a second look. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is very short, taking up only a couple of passages in the Bible, but if we put ourselves in their position for just one moment and contemplate the weight of it all, their faithfulness and trust in God are inspirational. How else can you explain them celebrating with joy the life their son was going to have, knowing the path would be beyond the difficulties faced by almost anyone before or since?

I’m already finding on this journey through the Gospels that the “bit part” players and the extras in the story are a lot more interesting than I ever thought before. I am excited to see what other interesting nuggets we will find along the way.

Prophecy footnote

³ The messenger who prepares the way — Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3–4; Luke 1:76–77