December 13th

Luke 1:57-66

A happy family event! Elizabeth gives birth to a son, and everybody comes to share in the joy of this longed for child. On the eighth day the assumption of everyone around is that he will be named Zechariah after his father and according to their tradition. Elizabeth says no ‘his name is John’. In their concern the visitors gesture to Zechariah as to what he thinks about this. It seems a little odd that they gesture when he is dumb not deaf, but the word Luke uses ‘kophos’ can mean deaf and dumb. So perhaps their behaviour is not so odd, and Zechariah’s situation worse than we may have first thought. Either way, he confirms the name of the child is John, in accordance with the angel’s instructions, and immediately he can speak again!  This miracle causes more awe, astonishment and pause for thought. Clearly John is a special baby, and maybe their hopes for God’s intervention in their nation are not in vain

John, Yohannan, means ‘God is gracious’ and indeed he is. He has been gracious to Elizabeth and is going to manifest his grace through Mary’s son, the Messiah, and make that grace available to everyone who will receive him as Saviour.

Zechariah’s obedience in naming his son John brings about his immediate restoration and he can speak. He is going to make up for his nine months of silence, as we will see tomorrow.

For God to do something new sometimes we have to break with tradition, with what is familiar. There is going to be a lot of that when Jesus arrives and ushers in the Kingdom of God. Salvation will require ‘new birth’, a letting go of the old to embrace the new.

Reflection

Sometimes a change of routine or tradition can help us grow in our relationship to God in new ways. Is there an area of your life that you think might benefit from a change of routine? If so then why not journal that and record what you intend to do instead.