Day 159: John the Baptist is Born

*Luke 1:57-80

Elizabeth gives birth to John the Baptist, who is miraculously named by his father Zechariah after regaining his speech.

  • Birth of John the Baptist:
    • Elizabeth’s time to give birth arrives, and she delivers a son, as the Lord had promised.
    • Her neighbors and relatives rejoice with her at the news of the Lord’s great mercy and blessing, and they celebrate the birth of her son.
  • Circumcision and Naming:
    • On the eighth day, in accordance with Jewish custom, the child is circumcised, and they are about to name him after his father, Zechariah.
    • However, Elizabeth insists that he be named John, in accordance with the angel Gabriel’s instruction.
  • Zechariah’s Confirmation:
    • Zechariah, still unable to speak since his encounter with the angel Gabriel, asks for a writing tablet and writes, “His name is John.”
    • Immediately, Zechariah’s mouth is opened, and his tongue is loosed, and he begins to speak, praising God.
  • Zechariah’s Prophecy:
    • Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesies about his son John, declaring him to be a prophet of the Most High who will go before the Lord to prepare His ways.
    • Zechariah speaks of the tender mercy of God, who will bring salvation and forgiveness of sins to His people, fulfilling the promise made to their ancestors.
  • John’s Future Role:
    • Zechariah foretells that John will give knowledge of salvation to God’s people, guiding their feet into the way of peace.
    • He speaks of John growing up and becoming strong in spirit, living in the wilderness until the time of his public ministry.
  • Conclusion:
    • The passage concludes by stating that John grows and becomes strong in spirit, living in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Luke 1:57-80 reminds us that God always keeps His promises. John the Baptist’s birth was a miracle, just as God had said, and his father, Zechariah, praised God when he saw His plan unfolding. This teaches us to trust that God is working in our lives, even when we have to wait. Like Zechariah, we should respond to God’s faithfulness with gratitude and share His goodness with others. When we trust Him, He prepares us to do the work He has planned for us.

Luke 1:57-80 (WEB)

1:57 Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60 His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 They made signs to his father, what he would have him called.
63 He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.”
They all marveled. 64 His mouth was opened immediately and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him.
67 His father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people;
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
70 (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old),
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show mercy toward our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
should serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the dawn from on high will visit us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death;
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 The child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.