Saturday 16 December 2017

John. Joy beyond hope and expectation.

The Birth of John the Baptist

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.


What rejoicing there must have been. Shouting, laughing, crying...
Miraculous intervention. Dreams and hopes fulfilled.
GREAT MERCY.

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,  but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

She knew. Zachariah had told her, somehow, in paucity of written words, far removed from his real revelation. Just a skeleton of the truth, the precursor of good news. 
When did he tell her? As soon as he arrived home? When he lay with her in their bed? Or was it when the first signs appeared: the morning sickness, the thickening of her waist... all signs for medical concern for those not with child?

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

Sometimes, others think they know better.
But it is only GOD
who knows what is best.
Let us seek HIM for wisdom.

Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him. Luke 1:57 - 66

And his name?  
His name means 'Yahweh is gracious.'

The Gospels, the Good News, absolutely reek with the Lord's graciousness. How he looks with favour on those who love Him and keep his commandments....

No comments:

Post a Comment