Calvary Road Baptist Church

“THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST”

Luke 1.57-79 

Christmas will be celebrated in four more days. In churches worldwide, nativity scenes have been set up for Christmas plays, Christmas musicals and cantatas have been presented, and scenic displays are out and about. And during all of these festivities, attention will be paid to characters who play a role in the drama of our Savior’s birth during and after the fact.

Well, we are going to do something a little different. We’ll focus our attention on several characters who play a significant role in this great drama leading up to the birth of Christ. Two of the three people whose behavior and speech we will examine were informed of their involvement in the events related to the birth of the Son of God six months before the virgin named Mary was informed and probably nine full months before Joseph was informed.

Oh, I appreciate the attention given to the shepherds watching over their fields by night on the night of our Lord’s birth.[1] And I understand the attention given to the magi who had journeyed from the East to worship Him, likely a couple of years later.[2] But remember, none of those people had anything to do with Christ’s earthly ministry after He reached adulthood and offered Himself to Israel as her king.

John the Baptist, however, was different. As crucial as the shepherds and the magi were, John was a far more prominent figure in God’s plan. John, you see, was the predicted forerunner of the Messiah.[3] He alone of those customarily referred to in connection with Christ’s birth, would cross paths with the Savior as an adult, would twice identify Him with the words “Behold the Lamb of God,”[4] and then described Him as the One Who would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire.[5]

Let’s examine, then, the birth of this unique figure in the Biblical record, one who would grow and mature to become a man of such godliness, spiritual stature, and Christ-likeness that the person who condemned him to a martyr’s death later thought that the Lord Jesus Christ was this same man risen from the dead.[6]

My text for this message from God’s Word is Luke 1.57-79. Due to the length of the passage, we will not take time to read the text together, though I urge you to do so when you go home. 

First, THE DELIVERY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 

Luke 1.57-58: 

57 Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 

Notice how, amid her labor and delivery, Elizabeth gave testimony to her neighbors and cousins of the mercy of the Lord. And it had to be Elizabeth telling folks since Zacharias could not speak, having been struck mute by the angel Gabriel for his unbelief. I think the Virgin Mary was among Elizabeth’s cousins referred to by Luke regarding her returning to her home in the previous verse, a convenient place for that detail in the narrative. However, she returned home after Elizabeth’s delivery. The real help rendered to a pregnant woman is at the time of her delivery and immediately after, making it unlikely Mary returned to Nazareth before John the Baptist’s delivery.

What an example Elizabeth was of a woman remembering to glorify God in her life, even when she was in the middle of one of the most exciting and challenging times she had ever experienced. Then, Elizabeth’s excellent stewardship of her time resulted in her neighbors and other cousins joining with her to celebrate God’s goodness and the blessing she had to that point enjoyed with Mary. My opinion is that Elizabeth and Mary were both somewhat restrained in their expressions before John the Baptist’s delivery because the neighbors and other cousins would not have understood an older woman carrying her first child and her visiting cousin from Nazareth spending so much time talking about the other baby to be born, Mary’s baby. No doubt, they were both thrilled with each other’s pregnancy. Yet, from the arrival of Mary at her home, Elizabeth had grasped the proportionality and relative significance of their two babies. Was she carrying the Messiah’s forerunner? Yes! But her young cousin had been chosen by the God of Israel to bear His only begotten Son! 

Second, THE NAMING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 

Luke 1.59-63: 

59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. 

What about the baby’s naming as it related to the Law of Moses, verse 59? 

“And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.” 

It was a requirement of the Law of Moses that a male child be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, Leviticus 12.3. Scientists discovered a number of decades ago that a particular clotting factor in a boy’s blood is related to this command handed down by God to His chosen nation of Israel. It seems as though a child is born with very little, if any, of certain chemical substances in his bloodstream, which enables blood to clot normally, thus preventing excessive loss of blood, which would result in death. However, for several reasons I am not aware of, the tendency for blood to clot is dangerous at birth, so God designed things so baby boys would have little problem with blood clotting at their births. Shortly after birth, however, the need for a body’s normal defense mechanism makes this clotting factor necessary so that the little guy will not bleed to death in case of injury.

Curiously, when the fella’s body begins to produce this clotting chemical, it will manufacture an above-normal amount for a time. Would anyone like to guess when the quantity of this clotting factor is at its peak in his bloodstream? Right. On the eighth day.[7] When God began to insist upon circumcision for His people,[8] He chose the day on which circumcision would be least dangerous for that infant. Isn’t it wonderful how God accomplished this? It was on this eighth day, when the male child was circumcised that he was also to be named. This is what verse 59 has to do with the Law of Moses.[9]

Now we consider what verse 59 has to do with the custom of the people. For several reasons, their friends and relatives wanted to name this young child Zacharias. First and foremost, they wanted to call him Zacharias because it was a custom in the land to name a son after his father or some male ancestor. Second, knowing that Zacharias, owing to his age, would probably sire no more children, at least not by Elizabeth, it would be nice to have a young Zacharias around after his passing. So, we can see their rationale for wanting to name the infant Zacharias.

We have reflected on the naming of John the Baptist as it relates to the Law of Moses, and the customs of the people. Now we take note how the naming of the newborn is related to the will of God, Luke 1.60-63: 

60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. 

Look back to Luke 1.13: 

“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.” 

Do you remember where Zacharias was when Gabriel told him this? Verse 11 locates him in the holy place of Herod’s Temple, with no one else performing his priestly duties. I do not doubt that Zacharias figured out a way to communicate much of what happened to Elizabeth during the nine months of her pregnancy. I also do not doubt that even if he hadn’t wanted to talk about it and remembered that he could not speak, Elizabeth’s curiosity surrounding the circumstances of her pregnancy would have compelled her to get all the information out of him that she could.

So, at this point, Elizabeth probably knew perfectly well God’s will concerning the name to be given to her son. Zacharias also knows the will of God concerning the name of his son. The only ones who do not know God’s will regarding the name of this now eight-day-old baby are their friends, immediate family, and cousins. This explains why Elizabeth stood her ground against the in-laws. They tried to go over her head and get Zacharias’ opinion. So, when he wrote the child’s name was to be John, “they marveled all,” according to verse 63. 

Finally, THE BENEDICTUS OF ZACHARIAS 

Luke 1.64-79:

Bible teachers refer to the passage we are about to read as a “benedictus” because “benedictus” is Latin for speaking well. And in this passage, Zacharias, who has been silent for nine months, breaks forth in a paean of praise toward God and the Lord Jesus Christ: 

64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

Three things for us to notice.

First, notice the praise of Zacharias, verse 64: 

“And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.” 

You will remember, from Luke 1.20, that the angel Gabriel told Zacharias that he would be dumb and unable to speak until his prophecies were fulfilled. And it turned out that on the day that Gabriel’s short-term prophecies were fulfilled, John’s father did begin to speak. What words came from a man who had been silent for nine months? Praise of God! It had been nine months earlier that Zacharias had doubted the messenger bearing God’s message and was silenced for speech that was not of faith. When he could speak again, he did not repeat that same sin. So, given the opportunity to talk, he turned to the praise of the omnipotent God.

Second, notice the protection of the child, verses 65-66: 

65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. 

All of the circumstances surrounding the conception and birth of John the Baptist, from the age of his parents to the miraculous prediction of his birth, would join together to make him a very spoiled child. And all the people asked themselves, “What manner of child shall this be?” Indeed, John was under more scrutiny, and pressure as a boy than even a preacher’s kid is.

But “the hand of the Lord was with him.” This was no ordinary child born here. In Luke 1.15, we are informed that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit of God from his mother’s womb, and we have no reason to doubt that such a filling occurred. Therefore John led and guided by God’s Spirit, would understand his life’s circumstances and mission from God’s point of view as no other child of a human father could.

Was John a sinner? Yes! He was a sinner saved by God’s grace and unmerited favor. When was he saved? I don’t know. It was obviously after his conception in the womb of Elizabeth, but before his birth, since the Holy Spirit does not indwell, much less fill, the life of an unsaved man. And he was filled with God’s Spirit from birth. “Well, how do you explain that, pastor?” I don’t. I point to the sovereignty of God. He ruleth over all things ... not only because of His power but also because of His right as sovereign ruler. Yes, the hand of the Lord was on him to protect him.

Third, notice the prophecy of Zacharias, verses 67-79: Three months earlier, Zacharias’ wife Elizabeth had similarly been filled and evidently overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit and was then given an inspired prophecy. It was now God’s time for her husband to do the same, verse 67: 

“And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied.” 

Notice how God worked here. Not only did He forgive Zacharias’ sinful speech nine months earlier, but He filled him with His precious Holy Spirit in His Own good time. And how does he prophesy being filled with the Spirit? He blesses the Lord God of Israel.

First, he blessed God for the salvation that the Messiah provides that his son is to prepare the way for.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people.” 

This doesn’t mean visiting, to then see what’s going on, and then to leave. It means to visit and do something! This was what God did when He sent His Son. He visited and did something about the problem of man. In sending the Messiah, God redeemed His people. The actual word “redeem” that is used here means the act of setting at liberty those who were once slaves. How much of what Zacharias is saying was thoroughly understood by him, we do not know. But we understand that Zacharias was foretelling of a Messiah Who would set people free from the slavery we were born into, a slavery to sin. In sending the Messiah, God began to fulfill His covenant with David. That is, the powerful salvation of God would come through the house of David, servant of God, king of Israel, verse 69: 

“And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.” 

“As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.” 

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 

Second, Zacharias blessed God for the preparation that will be made through his son’s ministry, verses 76-79: Luke recorded the general ministry of John that was prophesied by his father Zacharias. He would prepare people for salvation by preparing the way of the Savior, verse 76: 

“And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.” 

He would instruct people about salvation, verses 77-79. That is, he would set forth the necessity for repentance from sin, and he would direct men to the Lord Jesus Christ: 

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

My, what a ministry this young boy would have as an adult. Amen? 

How much every Christian is like John the Baptist or ought to be. As John the Baptist was the unique figure in Biblical history whose function was to tell of the coming of the Savior, you and I are, in our way, outstanding individuals whose role is to tell that the Savior has come.

We tell men and women what Christ has done. John the Baptist told men and women what Christ was going to do. John the Baptist told sinners they needed to repent and submit to baptism. You and I do the same.

Granted, John the Baptist was a prophetically foretold figure of great prominence in God’s plan of redemption. But the greatness associated with John the Baptist was not the greatness of John the Baptist, but the greatness of God.

Remember, there are no great men of God. There are men greatly used by God. There are no great women of God. There are women greatly used of God. You and I may not figure as prominently in God’s plan as did John the Baptist, but we can follow the example that he set to maximize the impact God has given us individually.

Purpose in your own heart and mind to do what John did. Give knowledge of salvation to our people, by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God.

__________

[1] Luke 2.8-17

[2] Matthew 2.1-12

[3] Isaiah 40.3; Matthew 3.1-6

[4] John 1.29, 36

[5] Matthew 3.11; Mark 1.8; Luke 3.16; John 1.33

[6] Mark 6.14; Luke 9.7

[7] https://evidence-for-the-bible.com/scientific-evidence-for-the-bible/scientific-evidence-for-circumcision-on-the-eighth-day/

[8] Genesis 17.9-12

[9] Leviticus 12.3

 

Question? Comment?

Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Fill out the form below to send him an email. Thank you.