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Saturday, December 15, 2018
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57
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
58
Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father.
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But his mother said, "No; he is to be called John."
61
They said to her, "None of your relatives has this name."
62
Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him.
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He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed.
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Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God.
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Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea.
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All who heard them pondered them and said, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
Luke 1:57-66
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Before our first daughter, Abby, was born, my husband and I had chosen her name very early. We did not find out the baby's gender, though, so we obviously also needed a boy name. This proved to be a bit more problematic, and we were literally on the way to the hospital when we decided on a boy name. For us, choosing a boy name was just too difficult (and unnecessary, as it turned out!). I can't help but think that naming a child in biblical times was just so much easier!
In those days, naming a child -- especially if it was the first-born male -- was straightforward: the oldest son would simply be named after his father, and any subsequent sons would be named after male relatives. So, the celebration naming Zechariah and Elizabeth's baby should have been a happy, if undramatic, occasion. The family and friends who had gathered thought this baby would surely also be Zechariah. But Elizabeth, and later Zechariah, were both adamant that just as the angel Gabriel said, the baby's name was to be John, even though no one in their families bore that name. Earlier in Luke, we learn Zechariah did not believe that he and Elizabeth would be able to have a child at such a late stage in life. Because he doubted God, Zechariah was struck mute; now that Zechariah showed his faithfulness and followed through on God's command to name his son John, he could speak again, and began praising God. What a witness to all those who were present!
How about us? How often do we doubt when God speaks to us? Do we scoff at what we consider to be impossible? Do we follow through on God's instruction and commands? And do we remember to thank and praise God when God has shown us mercy and righteousness? This Advent, as we prepare our hearts for the gift of the Savior who is to come, let us learn from Zechariah - to not doubt in God's power and to thank God for every good and precious gift.
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Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for all that you do and all that you are in our lives. Amen.
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Advent Kindness Calendar on Saturday, December 15, 2018
Bring gifts for the Shower for Baby Jesus this weekend.
Pray for newborn babies, their parents and guardians.
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