Bible Character Studies The Life of John the Baptist Guisborough Evangelical Church Pastor David J. Taylor
Contents: The life of John the Baptist: Life Summary page 3 God speaks again page 5 John s birth day page 20 Ministry of John page 31 The baptism of John page 45 Jesus must increase page 53 John in prison page 65 More than a prophet page 77 Death of John page 86 The Authority of John page 94 References page (Messages preached at Guisborough Evangelical Church during January 2012 and March 2012). The Life of Elijah Page 2
A Summary of John s life and ministry: Photo: Biblical Archaeology Society: http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sitesplaces/biblical-archaeology-places/baptismal-site-bethany-beyondthe-jordan-added-to-unesco-world-heritage-list/ The Life of Elijah Page 3
Parents & Birth: Luke 1v1-80 John the Baptist: Ministry (1): Matthew 3v1-12; Mark 1v1-8; Preaching Luke 3v1-18; John 1v6-8, 15-37; Acts 13v24-25 Ministry (2): Matthew 3v5-6, 11; Mark 1v4-5, 8; Baptising Luke 3v7, 16; John 1v24-26 Baptises Jesus: Matthew 3v13-17; Mark 1v9-11; Luke 3v21-22; John 1v29-34 John & Jesus (1): John 3v22-31 Arrested Matthew 4v12; Mark 1v14; Luke 3v19-20; John 3v24 Faith Shaken: Matthew 11v2-6; Luke 7v18-23 Jesus & John (2): Matthew 11v7-19; Mark 9v11-13; Luke 7v24-30; John & Elijah: John 5v31-35 Death: Matthew 14v1-12; Mark 6v14-29; Luke 9v7-9 His disciples: Matthew 9v14; Luke 5v33-35; Luke 11v1 Jesus & John (3): Matthew 21v23-32; Mark 11v27-33; Luke 20v1-8 John 10v41 Old Testament: Malachi 3v1, 4v5-6; Isaiah 40v3 New Testament: Acts 18v24-25; Acts 19v1-7 The Life of Elijah Page 4
God Speaks Again Reading: Luke 1 v 5-25. Introduction: The very last words of our English Old Testament book reads: Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse (Mal.4v5-6). The gospel of Luke shatters a silence which has lasted for 400 years. For 400 years, there had been no new word from the Lord. People were living in spiritual starvation. But God always has a remnant of people who love him and trust him. Luke wants to take us back to the beginning of what happened, some think that is why he now begins to record the story of John s birth. But it is clear from the rest of his gospel that his research goes back to the books of Moses and all that the Scriptures wrote about Jesus (24v44). Luke s gospel was written as a sure foundation for Theophilus s faith. It was a foundation that was based on eyewitness accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus (v1-4). However, Luke is keen that we should be able to see not only that he has checked the facts, but that we can as well. He therefore puts things into a historical setting (v5). These things happened in the days of Herod the king. When Herod was assigned to rule over Israel from Jerusalem this was a dark day for the nation of Israel! This was the first time that a king other than one who was born a Jew would sit upon the Throne of Judah. This fulfilled what was spoken by Jacob: the sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes (Gen.49v10). So Luke begins at precisely the place where the prophet Malachi left off. The final words of our Old Testament speak of the coming of one who would prepare the way of the Lord. The Life of Elijah Page 5
Luke starts his account of the gospel with the report of Gabriel s announcement of the birth of John to a Jewish couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah and Elizabeth (v5-7): This couple were: Both were getting on in years (v7, 18). Both were godly, devout in their service to God (v6). Both were righteous and blameless before the Lord (v6). Devout: Zechariah was a priest, and both he and his wife were of the tribe of Aaron (v5). It seems to have been important to God that John came from the priestly line, even though his function was largely prophetic. Zechariah was a priest, but not one that as considered to be anyone special. Neither by his training nor by his choice of the place where he lived; Zechariah was different from most of his contemporaries; he did not even care about the status that went with the priesthood. He lived in some obscure village in the hilly region south of Jerusalem (v39) rather than, as the other priests, in the elite section of the city itself, or in Jericho, the luxurious city of the palms. Where a person came from did matter too many of the Jews. You will remember Nathaniel s sceptical response when he heard that Jesus came from Nazareth: can any good thing come out of Nazareth? (John 1v46). This reminds us that not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise (1 Cor.1v26-27). There have always been men who have been great in various ways, artists or military men i.e. Alexander the Great, or Alfred the Great, or Muhammad Ali (I am the greatest) etc. Here Herod is compared to John who will be a local preacher of a lowly family, with no real claim to power or fame, and yet this John is the one that will be truly great! Great not in the eyes of men but in the eyes of God (v15). Jesus himself would say that John was the greatest man born of a woman (Matt.11v11). The Life of Elijah Page 6
More important than their physical lineage was their spiritual devotion. We are also told that Zechariah and Elizabeth both loved and worshipped God. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are described by Luke as righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord (v6). Not only was this a priestly couple, but they were a godly couple as well. Godly: These two were seen by God as righteous and blameless how is this possible? Well it was not because they were basically nice people trying their best not to offend anyone etc. They were seen in this light as they obeyed God s commandments and ordinances. This would not have been perfect obedience, but an obedience which met the requirements of Judaism. It did not save them any more than Paul s religious devoutness was sufficient to save him (Phil.3v4-9). It did, however, set them apart from those around them. From a Biblical view their good works did not save them, but from the perspective of the Mosaic Covenant, their devotion to God expressed by their obedience to the Law, did make it possible for God to bless them. They both knew the reality of who God was and they sought to live a life in obedience to him and his commands. They lived their godly lives in the sight of God, that is, their godliness was no mere outward show; it was a heart relationship with the Lord. This obedience was seen not just in obeying the letter of the commandments as many did (and still do), but also as the practiced the spirit of the law towards others. This was something Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus taught that when the commandment said do not murder it also included the thought behind the action such as the death of a person s reputation through character assassination brought about by gossip etc. The Israelites still awaited the full revelation of God, in the person of his Son, who would show that the way to full acceptance with God was now to be found through faith in the Messiah - Jesus. The Life of Elijah Page 7
The quality of our walk with God determines our ability to walk happily and harmoniously with each other. And that walk with him can only grow as we seek to please him rather than impress men. Childless: That is not to say that Zechariah and Elizabeth had no problems. Despite the righteousness that marked this couple there was one thing that they did not have; and they longed and prayed for; a child - they were childless (v7). While many of our problems stem from our own sins, God does allow some troubles to invade our lives for no other purpose but to help us grow. He permits them to be there, and no amount of obedience can possibly bring immunity from them. Zechariah and Elizabeth had one like that, and it was a big one. They had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years (v7) The phrase advanced in years meant at least sixty years of age, well beyond the time of childbearing. It was a seeming hopeless situation; this factor in their lives must have been such a great sorrow to them. Many Jewish Rabbis insisted that it was an evidence of divine disfavour; an evidence of the judgment of God, for some sin they had committed (John 9v2). It is difficult for us to imagine the intense stigma attached to childlessness for them. While Zechariah and Elizabeth may have been righteous before God, some of their friends probably suspected them of serious secret sin. This fact would also have weighed very heavily against Zechariah and Elizabeth - and there was no way to erase that blot. After Zechariah had committed his problem to God, he simply kept on with the job God had given him to do. He did not stop praying because his situation looked hopeless. And neither should we. Being a Christian does not mean that God will always give us the things that we want, when we want them. Christians must learn to humbly submit themselves to God, and wait for him to do the right thing! It is so much easier to quit and run away from difficult circumstances, but that usually makes the problem worse. The Life of Elijah Page 8
God wants us to take our difficulties to him in prayer together, search the Word together for encouragement and direction, and then wait patiently for him to work. Our God is the God of the impossible! He delights in doing impossible things for us when he knows we shall give him the glory. Zechariah at work in the Temple (v8-10): Zechariah s day began with a great deal of excitement. He was a priest in the temple. Some commentators have speculated that there were in the time of Zechariah 18,000 priests. The priesthood had been divided under King David into 24 divisions (1 Chron.24v4-19), and Abijah was the 8 th division. On this particular day, he was chosen by lot (v9) to offer the incense. This was a very important job for the priest to do. Israelite history tells us that a priest would only have this honour once in his lifetime; it was a great privilege as well as a high honour (Ex.30v7-8, 2 Chron.29v11). Since there were so many priests serving in the temple, to make it possible for most of the priests to have the opportunity to offer sacrifices in the temple each division of priests served in there for a week twice every year. The incense was kept burning continuously, just in front of the veil that divided the holy place from the most holy place. The task of the priest was to offer incense and prayers on behalf of the Israelite people. Every day, at the morning and evening sacrifices, one of the priests was specially selected to go into the Holy Place and remain there, on his own. His task was to offer prayers and incense to God. Incense is often a picture for the prayers of God s people as they ascend to heaven (Rev.5v8). The prayers of God s people ascend continuously and unhindered to him who sits on the throne of Heaven. The cries of the faithful are ever before the Lord, and he is mindful of his people; and for our encouragement he not only hears but he also answers! One of the key points that Luke wants us to understand is that what he is writing about is not something distinct from God s original revelation of himself, and his promises to Israel. The Life of Elijah Page 9
Luke tells us that this is the continuing revelation of God. All that he describes in this section reminds us of the way that God spoke to the fathers of old. Luke has been using words and phrases that would sound very familiar with students of God s Word. He was raising the sense of expectancy within people, as they heard things like a righteous and blameless couple, who were childless but devout in all things towards God. What was Luke leading up to? Zechariah visited by an angel (v11-17): Whilst this godly man was serving in the temple, being chosen to offer incense before the Lord, something amazing happened. An angel appeared and spoke to him! To him! Now I know that in our modern scientific age talking about angels seems a long way from the real world. However, the Bible is very clear, there are real beings called angels, some of which are good and sent by God, others are the fallen angels that come to deceive and lead men astray. So a word about angels may be in order: Although they are great and awesome beings who often are able to do amazing things, yet they are subject to the power and authority of God himself. They themselves are not to be worshipped as though they were God. This was possibly the cause of the pride that led to Satan s downfall. It is unusual for an angel to give its name, since they are simply heavenly messengers; we do not need to know their name. (Here, Gabriel gives his name, and Michael is the only other angel to be named in the Bible - perhaps Satan/Lucifer). As far as we know, this was the first and only angelic appearance in the Temple. Whether there are guardian angels watching over the people of God, is not absolutely clear from the Scriptures, but what we can say with certainty is that we are never out of God s sight. The Life of Elijah Page 10
He watches over us, and we are immortal until our work is complete. A few years ago that there was young boy who had brought his portable tape player to church to tape the worship service and the preaching for that day. The church was very small and there was only an out-of-tune piano and a rhythm guitar for music but the few people who attended worshipped God and sang praise unto him. After the service the tape was played back and, in the background, behind the song leader and piano and guitar, you could hear the sounds of a huge choir singing. There was no choir in the church but it was on the tape nonetheless. After sending the tape into a university for examination it was determined that there really were voices in the background but that the range of high notes that the choir was singing were impossible for the voice of any human being. It still sends goose bumps over me to think that the Angelic Choir of Heaven had joined in worship that day. I am still awestruck when I consider the fact that the Choir of Heaven still sings with us every time we worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth. The personal visit of an angel from God was a privilege that had been given to only a few people in the history of the human race. And as you might imagine, it was a frightening experience. Whenever angels appear to people in the Bible, people become very afraid (Gen.19v1, Luke 1v29). Zechariah was of course afraid of this heavenly visitor. The presence of an angel could have meant either favour with God, or the judgement of God. The vision of an inhabitant of heaven reminds us forcibly of our own imperfection, and of our natural unfitness to stand before God. If angels are so great and terrible, what must the Lord of the angels be? Christians have nothing to fear in the presence of angels or of God himself. Immediately the angel spoke and assures Zechariah do not be afraid. He tells Zechariah that he has come with some wonderful news - his prayer had been heard (v13)! Zechariah (whose name means the Lord remembers ) had prayed his entire adult life. The Life of Elijah Page 11
That prayer (singular): Could have been for a son, both Zechariah and Elizabeth would have desperately wanted a son, but here they are in their old age. It seems from his response to the angel that they had both given up praying that prayer sometime ago. Could have been the prayer that he was offering at that time in the act of burning incense before the Lord. His official prayer as a priest, representing the people of Israel would have been a prayer that God s kingdom would come, that God would send his Anointed One, the Messiah. Perhaps it was both! In one moment, God announced that both aspects of Zechariah s prayer were answered! Yet, when Zechariah heard this, he doubted that God could or would do these things. Sometimes when we pray for something for a long time, we forget that God is able to do anything, and that he wants what is good for his children. When we pray according to God s Word, we should pray with an expectant heart. We must remember that God is all-powerful, and he ALWAYS keeps his promises! What an encouragement it is to us as we pray to God, sometimes over many years to know that we are not wasting our time or efforts, God does hear our prayers let us keep praying! The angel promises Zechariah: 1) You shall have a son, and you shall call his name John (v13) (which literally means Jehovah has shown grace ). He will be a joy and delight to you. His birth will make many people very glad. He will be great in the Lord s eyes (v14-15). 2) He will be great in the sight of the Lord (v15) not necessarily with men. His calling would be similar to a Nazarite (Num.6v1-21). 3) (v16-17): He will be filled with the Spirit from his mother s womb. The most important thing is that from the very first John was to be filled with the Holy Spirit without whose help God s work cannot be done effectively. The Life of Elijah Page 12
John is the only person said in the New Testament to be filled with the Spirit from his mother s womb, this emphasises the fact that God chose him and equipped him from the very beginning. Some see this as a fulfilment of Judges 16v17. There is a great significance to the reference to the Holy Spirit here. It is the first gleam of one of the foretold signs of the new covenant the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the whole people of God. This would eventually be fulfilled at Pentecost (Joel 2v28-32; Acts 2v15-21). 4) He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God (v16). He will turn men s hearts to God in so doing he will prepare not only the way for the Messiah by going ahead of him, but he will also prepare the people make them ready - to meet their God. He would be able to do this because his strength will be in the spirit and power of Elijah. There were several he wills that God gave: He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (v15b-17). Once again we see another connection between the Old Testament record and the New. Luke draws our attention to the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi. Both of these prophets declared that the Lord would send his messenger (Isa.40v3-5) to prepare the way for the sudden appearance of the Lord himself (Mal.3v1-3). In the gospel of Luke there is no room for misunderstanding who John is. He is not the Messiah, he is only the one sent by God, to prepare the people for his arrival! (See: Matt.3v3-4; 11v9-11; Mark 9v11-13; Luke 7v22-28). The Old Testament closes (Mal.4v5-6) with the promise that Elijah would return before the Day of the Lord. Elijah like John was known for his bold uncompromising stand for the word of God even in the face of a ruthless monarch. The Life of Elijah Page 13
Malachi s message was that God was going to come suddenly and judge his people. The people at that time would be a people who would once again have turned away from him and as a result of this there would be the usual breakdown in society, particularly noticeable in the breakdown of family life. God said that he would send Elijah to prepare the people for God s arrival! He was to do this by turning men s hearts and in so doing transform their relationship with God and with each other. He would turn them from ignorance to knowledge. The angel gives us an insight into the state of the nation of Israel at this time. Their hearts were turned away from God (despite their religiosity). Israel is here pictured in its unturned, that is unconverted state. Nevertheless, the angel informs Zechariah that even now God considers himself their God. He is still deeply concerned about them Having made a covenant with his people, the Lord has a special claim on them and a unique interest in them. He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah (v17), from the message given to Zechariah, John was the fulfilment of this prophecy; indeed Jesus said that John was Elijah. Not that he was physically the same Elijah that lived in the days of Ahab (this was not reincarnation!), but that John had the spirit and power of Elijah. John s role was not just to announce the imminent arrival of the Messiah. It was to prepare the way and prepare the people for his arrival (Mal.3v1). Have you ever thought how great it would be to have more Elijah s or John the Baptist s in the church today? Well of course we have someone greater than both! We have the Lord himself! We are his people. We serve him, and he has given to us a similar ministry! We are still to prepare the people to meet with God on the day of the Lord. We are to proclaim the good news of the gospel, that God will forgive sinners, as they come to him through faith in his Son Jesus Christ (have you?) The Life of Elijah Page 14
Do you yearn for God to take and use you in his service? It is worth noticing here that God spoke to Zechariah as he was serving in the temple. Going about his usual business, doing what was expected of him. The people of God should constantly be serving him. God often calls his people to serve him while they are busy and faithful in their daily tasks. Let us therefore be diligent in the place that God has set us in, and as we serve him faithfully and zealously, perhaps he will call us to serve in ways that we never considered. John means, The Lord is gracious. God is full of grace and longs to save those who trust and believe in him. Just think, all those years Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a child, and now, God was not only going to give them a child, but a son who would be GREAT in the sight of the Lord. And even better than that, the long-awaited Messiah was finally coming and Zechariah s special son would be the one to announce his arrival! God can do impossible things, and that is exactly what he promised to do for Zechariah and Elizabeth. But their child was not to be just any ordinary child. He would be the forerunner of the Messiah predicted by the Prophet Malachi (v15-17; Mal.3v1; 4v5-6). Zechariah s unbelief (v18-25): All this was too much for Zechariah to grasp. As Zechariah listened to what the angel had to say, we see that he had a little difficulty in accepting what he was being told, but why was he so surprised at the message of the angel? Zechariah knew that God had last spoken to his people by the prophet Malachi 400 years earlier now God was speaking again to him! Wow! This was mind boggling! It was so unexpected! Does God speak to ordinary people going about their everyday business? Yes he does! The sad thing about the unbelief of Zachariah is that there were a number of examples of supernatural births in the Old Testament which he would have known about and Zechariah would have known that when God sent his angels it was for a very important reason! The Life of Elijah Page 15
God was not promising to do something for Zechariah and Elizabeth which he had not done for others before them. Abraham and Sarah had a son in their old age (Gen.17v17, Abraham was a 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 years old), as did Hannah and the parents of Samson. The virgin birth, on the other hand, was something entirely new, but Zechariah was not asked to believe this, only that he and his wife would have a son in their old age. Zechariah should have known how God acted in similar circumstances to give a child to people in their old age he should not have been unbelieving but believing! God can do the impossible! He had done it on many occasions. We should not try to restrict what God can or cannot do! There is absolutely nothing that the Creator of the Universes cannot do (Jer.32v17). Even men of the Word may fail to take in and profit from Gods Word at times! Zechariah was a man of God, but he was a man, and he had human weaknesses. God understands a weakness like this faltering faith. He is not exactly ecstatic about it, but he does understand it, and he goes to great lengths to stimulate and strengthen that faith. That is one reason he gave us his Word, and one reason he includes these great historic events in the Word. God s Word excites faith as we meditate on it and its application to our lives. Although we can empathise with him; Zechariah s response was a little disappointing; he still showed a heart of unbelief. He had been praying for a son, but admittedly, his faith had been weakening. Now this Word from God - it was too good to be true. Even though Zechariah heard the angel, Zechariah did not believe what the angel said (v20). Before he had a chance to get his thoughts together, he blurted out, How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years (v18). He asked for a sign, because he was not sure that God could really do what was being spelt out to him. Despite this God did something very gracious for Zechariah to help him believe. He gave him a sign. The Life of Elijah Page 16
The angels response was to declare his credentials; he identified himself as Gabriel who stands in the presence of God. Gabriel is one of the rare named angels in the Bible (v19). He says to Zechariah, that a sign will be given but not what Zechariah was expecting. He says; you will be mute until God brings these things to pass - until the prophecy was fulfilled (v20). Conclusion: The people outside (v21-22) were praying as they waited for Zechariah to return to them. They waited patiently, and they waited and they waited and they waited As they waited, they began to wonder was something wrong? Why was he taking so long? They may have wondered if Zachariah had been struck dead by God, just as Nadab and Abihu had been. When Zechariah came out to the people he was supposed to greet the people with the words The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace (Num.6v24-26). Instead all he could do was make hand signals to the people. It would be like a game of charades! How do you describe an angelic vision using just your hands? The people soon realised that he must have had an extraordinary experience possibly a vision (v22) while performing his duties before the Lord. Being in the presence of a heavenly messenger left its mark on this godly man and the people instinctively knew that something had happened to Zechariah. Not only was he taking too long but he could not speak either! As believers the challenge for us is similar to this. We spend time in the presence of Jesus himself, every time we pray we draw close to the throne of heaven! More than this though, we have the promise that Jesus himself is with us every moment of every day! Does this make a difference to our lives? Can people tell that there is something different about us? Is there a sense of the presence of Christ in our lives? Is there a hatred of sin, and a desire to follow the Master? The Life of Elijah Page 17
As soon as his days of service were accomplished he returned home and explained everything to his wife. In the course of time the words of the angel came true; Elizabeth conceived, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth had great joy in their hearts as they saw God at work in their lives. God kept his promise - he always does. Zechariah s difficulty in accepting this message is perhaps understandable in the light of our accepting the message of the gospel itself. It all seems too good to be true! We do not have the word of an angel to believe we have the word of the Son of God himself! Zechariah was given the wonderful promise that he was going to have a son. A son in his old age, by Elizabeth his wife, who had long been barren, that by this birth, which was next door to miraculous, people might be prepared to receive and believe a virgin s bringing forth a son, which was perfectly miraculous. This son would be the herald for the coming Messiah! What a promise to grasp! Believers have also been given a great promise we are going to heaven because our sins have been forgiven forever, and so we are going to see Jesus face to face we are going to live with Jesus forever! What a promise this is to grasp! God always tells us what we need to know when we need to know it. He gave us his Word; and, as we are waiting on him, he speaks today to our hearts and minds. His Word, illuminated by his Holy Spirit, is his primary means of communication today. Do we, like Zechariah, also doubt God s promises, and then wonder why his blessings do not flow more freely in and through us into the lives of others? May Gods promises and nearness encourage us in our worship and service for him! The Life of Elijah Page 18
Questions ~ Luke 1v1-25: (1): Zechariah and Elizabeth: Q1: Do you think that Gen.49v10 is the biblical setting for Luke why? Q2: What do we know about Zechariah and Elizabeth (v5-7)? Q3: How could Zechariah and Elizabeth be described as righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord s commands and decrees blamelessly (v6)? Q4: How can we move forward when our prayers go unanswered? (2): Zechariah in the Temple: Q5: How did Zechariah get chosen to perform the daily task in the Temple (v8)? Q6: What was Zechariah chosen to do and why was it important (v8-9)? (3): Zechariah and Gabriel: Q7: What significance is there in the act of offering incense and the Angel s message to Zechariah: your prayer has been heard (v9-10; 13)? Q8: What prayer (singular) could this be referring to (v13)? Q9: Why was the sign to Zechariah that he should be struck dumb (v20)? (4): The promised child: Q10: Is there any significance to John being in the ancestral line of Aaron? Q11: What can we learn from the description of the child as given to Zechariah (v13-17)? Q12: What can we learn by comparing Isaiah 40v3; Malachi 3v1, 4v5-6 with Luke 1v13-17? The Life of Elijah Page 19
John s Birth Day Reading: Luke 1 v 57-80. Introduction: God had a plan for the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest of the division of Abijah (one of the 24 sections of priests) and Elizabeth was of the linage of Aaron. Both of these people were righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (v5-6). They followed all the rules, regulations, and commandments of the Lord. The words they expressed to other people in their normal daily communication were words they lived by. They did not proclaim living one way and then live their personal lives another way. As we know, God always has a plan by which he works. That plan is not on the same timetable as ours. In other words, God puts his plan into action when it is the right time. We are aware of this because many times we have prayed and asked God to give us something or help us get something and it did not happen. It did not happen because it was not in God s plan for us at that time. During your lifetime remember the times you asked God to help you get that promotion or that particular job or position. How about the time you wanted to buy a certain house and the deal did not go through. Remember your school days and you had your eye on a certain young man or young lady, but a relationship never developed and you couldn t understand why. God has a plan for your life and a plan for my life. We can abide by his plan or we can by-pass it and do what we want to do. The problem with doing our own thing or following our own plan is we will have to suffer the consequences. If we are inpatient and choose to leave God out of our lives, we are headed for disaster. On the other hand, if we consult God concerning our issues, asking him to guide us according to his will, listening to his response, and then patiently waiting for his plan to kick into action, we will be in for a victory. The Life of Elijah Page 20
Zechariah and Elizabeth were both very old (v7), beyond childbearing years and had no children. These were God loving and God fearing people who served God daily. In those days, Jews believed that having children was a sign that they were in God s favour. Those couples who did not have children or were childless were looked upon by other Jews as being displeasing to God. Most people do not want to feel they are displeasing to God and they don t want other people to think such either. As Zechariah was praying and burning incense in the Temple, God s plan was about to kick in. God s plan at that time was to tell Zechariah that Elizabeth was going to have a baby. His plan unfolded as he sent the angel Gabriel into the Temple to deliver the wonderful news. Gabriel (v19) appeared and stood on the right side of the altar of incense as Zechariah was praying. Zechariah saw the angel and was very distressed and full of fear. This was the beginning of God s plan for Zechariah and Elizabeth to become parents. The angel said to Zechariah, don t be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John (v13). Gabriel went on to say, and you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth (v14). Look at what Zechariah and Elizabeth will have. They not only will have a son, but they will have joy, happiness, gladness and people will look to them with rejoicing hearts. Isn t it wonderful how God works through his plans fulfilling them at the right time? The pregnancy did not occur at the time Zechariah and Elizabeth would have liked it to. It did not occur because it was not in the plan of God to happen at their requested time. God is not on our timetable. His timing is much better than our timing. In the minds of Zechariah and Elizabeth a pregnancy would never occur at this point in their lives - because of their age. What Zechariah and Elizabeth seemed to forget is the same thing you and I forget. If we really want our prayers answered, we must keep our minds open and remember that God is an expert at making the impossible possible! The Life of Elijah Page 21
Gabriel not only told Zechariah that Elizabeth would have a son and that his name would be John, but he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born (v15). God had a wonderful plan. Zechariah and Elizabeth were living God s plan and John would follow through and announce the coming of the Messiah (v17). John is born (v57-66): This passage is important to Christians because it lays a foundation of understanding of what God is doing in sending John the Baptist and then Jesus the Messiah within six months of each other. As we study the prophecies, we begin to get a glimmer of what God has in mind. When the time came for John to be born, the words of the angel came true. The angel had said your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth (v13-14). After John was born, friends, neighbours, and relatives gathered around and we see that Elizabeth... brought forth a son. When her neighbours and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her (v57-58). It was customary to circumcise the child on the eighth day (Gen.17v12) and also to name the child. The people thought his name should be Zechariah, and were determined to name the boy Zachariah Jr. Elizabeth however told the family that his name is John. I love the response given by the family: What? We ve never done it that way before! But Elizabeth insisted his name was to be John. The people said this could not be because there was no one in the family called John. To end the disagreement, the people decided to ask Zechariah what the baby s name should be. Since Zechariah was unable to speak (and perhaps deaf as well) they made signs to him concerning what the child s name should be and he asked for a tablet to write on. He was given a tablet and on the tablet Zechariah wrote: his name shall be John (v63). At that very moment his tongue was loosed so that he could talk. The Life of Elijah Page 22
We see how this couple went against peer pressure. This needs to be carried over into our lives as well, especially when the Lord is leading us in a direction different than our culture or traditions. Our lives must be marked by obedience to God. Why did God want us to know these little details in the life of John? I believe it has to be something about the tendency that we have as humans to get so caught up in what we have always done or what we think should be done that we leave no room for the work of God in our lives. I believe that Luke wants us to see that when the Lord is making a way for his son to make an impact in the hearts and lives of a community of people, traditions can fall by the way side so we can see his glory as of the only begotten from the father full of grace and truth. The naming of the son after his father implied that this child would walk in the steps of his father, that he would carry on the father s name, and thus his work as well. Had John been named Little Zech, he would have been expected to grow up as a priest, just like his father. He would thus have gone about with his father as he carried out his priestly duties, learning how to do things, just like his dad did them. To be named by any other name would have implied just the opposite. John would not follow in his father s steps. He would not learn to do what his father did. He would not be a priest. This, of course, was precisely the case, and thus the reason for the name John. It isn t the meaning of the name John which is so important, then, but the message implied by having any name other than Zechariah which is such an emotional issue. If many of those gathered at the circumcision ceremony were relatives, Elizabeth s insistence that the boy be named John was to renounce the family, its work, and its perpetuation through the next generation. God s plan was in action and moving along as scheduled. God opened the mouth and lips of Zechariah and he began to praise God. Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit (v67), he was divinely inspired, and he began to prophesy. God forgave Zechariah for his failure to believe and the little bit of distrust that he had in his heart. Our God is a forgiving God. The Life of Elijah Page 23
He will do the same for us that he did for Zechariah. When we live God s plan for our lives, believe his Word, and place our full trust in him, we will end up praising God just as Zechariah did. Zechariah s song of praise (v67-79): Zechariah s words of praise are a song known as the Benedictus and is divided into two parts: a): (v68-75): The first 8 verses deal with salvation which will appear in the Messiah. b): (v76-79): The second part of the Benedictus refers to the ministry of John as the forerunner of the Messiah. a): The coming Saviour: In these verses, Zechariah praises the Lord for his wonderful plan. He is praising God for the salvation that will come through the Messiah. Praises go out to God for sending his Son to visit (v68 NKJV) or come to (NIV) the people. The word visit means more than to drop in on. It has the idea of going with a desire to do something to make an appearance to help. There is a story about a wise and good king who loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, I am your king! The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favour, but he didn t. Instead he said, You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the coarse food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself! God did that for us. He came to us, not on a sightseeing mission but to redeem us (v68). God s plan of redemption originated after the original sin was committed because God is a God of love. The Life of Elijah Page 24
His plan of salvation was to save his people from their sin. In other words, sin will not have dominion or control over his people. When man was sold into slavery to sin and was unable to help himself God paid the ultimate price. He gave himself! God has raised up a horn of salvation for us (v69). The horn of an animal is its weapon for defence and vengeance. It is a symbol of power and strength, but it is also an animal s ornament and beauty. The word salvation, connected here with the word horn, means that this strength, or this mighty Redeemer, was able to save. He was not weak or hindered in any way. There was no part of purchasing our salvation that was beyond his ability to bring to pass. God made promises to our forefathers (David v69; Abraham v73) these would be carried out in God s plan. Promises to our forefathers would be carried out in us and this action would be pure mercy from God. God promised Abraham that he would be his God and the God of his Seed. He is our God. God promised Abraham that he would give him power and grace to serve him. That promise has been carried down to us. We are to serve God by serving his people each and every day of our lives. Zechariahs praises went out to God for all God has done and will do through the coming of the Messiah. Notice something about what Zechariah said in v68-69. He said that God was to be praised because he visited, redeemed and raised up a horn of salvation for his people, all of which are stated in the past tense. Why is that worthy of noting? Because Christ hasn t even been born yet! Zechariah speaks about them as though they were already done when the One who would perform them hadn t come yet! What does that mean? It means first that he had great confidence in the God who made the promises, and secondly that so far as God was concerned it was a done deal. God s work of redemption had been worked out long before the world was even created by the God who sees the future just as plainly as he sees the past. The Life of Elijah Page 25
Why is God doing all this? The purpose of Messiah s salvation is so that his people are free to live godly lives, so that we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life (v74-75). We need to take notice of these things because they are the very things we are called upon to do today as ambassadors of Christ. Zechariah sings of hope for the future. He speaks of Jesus as the rising sun (who) will come to us from heaven (v78). God has given us Jesus because of his tender mercy. He is so gracious, loving and merciful that he gives to us the best of all gifts his own dear Son. Malachi had already promised that the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings (Mal.4v2) for those who revere the name of the Lord. Peter speaks of the morning star arising in the hearts of his people (2 Pet.1v19); and Jesus is also called the bright Morning Star in Revelation 22v16. Christ comes to bring light into a dark world (Isa.9v2) and guide us into the ways of peace. b): The coming ministry of John: In the last four verses of the Benedictus, Zechariah blessed God for John, the prophet of the Highest who would preach repentance to the people and give knowledge of salvation through the Messiah. John preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. He preached forgiveness of sin by repentance and a desire to move in a more positive direction; the direction of Christ, the Light of the world. It is no accident that as soon as he said that we are to serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness throughout our lives that he turned to John and said and you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways (v76). The way we live points to our Master! Something in us wants to be recognised, acclaimed, appreciated. We usually want to get credit for the good we do (and our sins forgotten). But, if the truth be told, few get the credit they deserve. Many, like John, carry on ministries of tremendous importance to prepare for the future, but are seldom recognised for that role. The Life of Elijah Page 26
If John had not prepared the people with a spiritual revival that emphasised repentance from sin, baptism, and forgiveness, Jesus could not have built on this foundation - he would have had to build it himself, diverting him from his chief ministry and emphasis. You may be one of God s preparers so that the ministry of your church in the future can be more effective. It doesn t matter whether or not people appreciate you. But it does matter that you are faithful to God who called you to this ministry of preparation so that his work might go forward without hindrance. We are to go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways. John had the special privilege of preaching and proclaiming the gospel of Christ so people might be prepared for his first coming. We have the privilege of preaching and proclaiming the gospel of Christ so people might be prepared for his second coming. Conclusion: God s unfolding plan (v80): (1) This statement summarises the entire period of John s life prior to his public ministry. In less than 30 words, approximately 30 years of John s life are characterised. (2) This statement speaks of John s physical, but especially of his spiritual growth during his growing-up years. Luke tells us that John became strong in spirit. (3) This statement speaks of John s preparation for public ministry. While John s physical and spiritual growth is of great importance to his own walk with God, Luke s purpose is to inform us that he was being prepared for the day of his public appearance, for the time of his public ministry as the forerunner of Messiah. In other words, John s spiritual growth was essential for his spiritual ministry. (4) Finally, and most importantly, Luke informs us that John was being prepared for his public ministry in solitude. John s spiritual growth and development took place in the deserts. John lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel (v80). God talks about how John the Baptist was not shown to the public until it was the right time. The Life of Elijah Page 27
If you feel like you have been put on the shelf, just remember that God often prepares his servants in this way. God had a plan for John and John lived that plan and God has a plan for all his people. That plan is not on the same timetable as ours. In other words, God puts his plan into action when it is the right time. It is interesting to remember that we are God s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph.2v10); in the case of John it is recorded before he was born he will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (v15b-17). John s ministry was to be pointing away from himself and his extraordinary birth and point to someone and something even greater. He was to point men to Jesus the Messiah, because in him God was opening up the way into heaven by forgiving sin. What an amazing message. It would be a powerful ministry and have a deep impact upon the nation. It would be far reaching and have a deep impact (i.e. Acts 18v25; 19v1-4) It would be a ministry and testimony marked by the power of God the Holy Spirit who was living in John even before he was born (v15)! As we consider the preparation of John for his ministry, I believe that we find a very important principle underscored here, which is just as relevant to us and just as important in our preparation for ministry as it was for John. The principle is this: To represent Christ, we must stand apart from sin and from the world, which hates him. If there is one thing which characterised John it was that he was a man who was set apart. The Life of Elijah Page 28
He was set apart by his calling before his birth, by his unusual birth, by his life as a Nazarite, by his name, and by his childhood spent in the desert, where he lived apart from his world; he wore distinct clothing, and ate very different food. It was his separation from his world which gave him the ability to see its sins, to stand firmly against them, and to speak out boldly in condemning them. I believe that separation is just as essential for Christians today, if we would serve God as we should, and live up to our calling. Separation is essential for God s people. As amazing as John was it is important to realise that John is an example to us all. We too are to be modern day John the Baptists not living out in the deserts or eating locusts etc, but in our ministry and personal testimony we are to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ who is still the one and only Saviour of men. He is still the only one who is able to forgive sin. He is the only one who can make us ready to enter heaven. Like John we too should have a ministry that is empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit who now lives in us. All who are Gods children have the Spirit dwelling in them. He should control our every thought and action. If you know Christ then let us join together in giving God the praise due to his holy name! Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited us, he has redeemed us, he has raised up a horn of salvation for us, he keeps his promises, and he has extended to us the privilege of serving him. The Life of Elijah Page 29