I. Introduction
When I was a new Christian someone said that one of the best ways to study the Bible was to look for God in every passage you read. The point was that if the Bible is God’s book (and it is), and if the men who wrote it were empowered and enlightened by God’s Holy Spirit to write it (and they were), and if everything we need to know about the sal-vation that is found in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ alone is there (and it is), then it only follows that God has revealed Himself everywhere in the Holy Scriptures.

Not only is He present in every one of the Bible’s sixty-six books, He is present in every chapter, every passage, and even in every verse. If you can just grasp and hang onto that one fact, your Bible study will become richer and more fulfilling. This is true because everything God wants you to know about His plan for your redemption, and the way you should live your life is revealed in the Scriptures.
*Psalm 19:7-9
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

God’s laws, His testimony, His precepts, His commandments, His judgments, and our fear (our reverential awe) of God, are all found between the covers of your Bible. You can trust it, you can rely on it, and you can cling to it even when this world is falling apart all around you. Why? Because God has written it for us!
Romans 15:4
4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
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II. Text
This morning’s passage is a case in point. When first read it seems to be little more than a story about the celebration surrounding the birth and naming of a baby boy. It’s all about Zacharias, Elizabeth, the newborn baby (John the Baptist), and the family’s friends and neighbors. Or is it? There’s really nothing very significant here. Or is there?

If this passage were only about Zacharias, Elizabeth, John, and the crowd that had come together to celebrate the new baby, it wouldn’t be very profound. But there’s a whole lot more going on here. God is present in at least three very profound ways.
First, we’ll see His presence in the fulfilling of a promise to Elizabeth. Second, we’ll see His presence in the working of a miracle in Zacharias. Third, we’ll see the power of His holy presence in their new baby boy, John.
*Luke 1:57-66 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy to her; and they were rejoicing with her.
59 And it came about that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”
61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”
62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.
63 And he asked for a tablet, and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.
64 And at once (Zacharias’) mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.
65 And fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.
66 And all who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly on him.

Elizabeth’s conception was a miracle. By all human logic and understanding she was simply too old to give birth. But of course, God is not limited by human logic and under-standing, is He? God will always accomplish His purposes. It makes no difference if He accomplishes them through what you and I call conventional, normal, or natural means, or if He chooses to step completely outside of human comprehension and do His work in what we call a miracle.
*Luke 1:57-58
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy to her; and they were rejoicing with her.

Elizabeth’s baby boy had developed and grown in the womb according to the natural order of things, but that’s not how he was conceived. So when she gave birth to a son there was astonishment and awe among her family, her friends, and her neighbors. There was joy because everyone could see that God had been merciful to Elizabeth. But for those who knew and believed the OT, there was joy for another reason. John’s birth heralded another birth that was now only six months away.
There was great joy in the house of Zacharias and Elizabeth, and their family and friends wanted to share in it. You and I can take something very practical from this. When your brothers and sisters in Christ are joyful, do you share in their joy? When they are hurting or sorrowing, do you share in their pain or sorrow? God expects that of us, you know.
Romans 12:15-16a
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16a Be of the same mind toward one another…

Furthermore, the presence of their family, friends, and neighbors is an additional blessing for them. We would all do well to follow their example. When you are aware of great joy or deep sorrow, do you go to that person or to that family and rejoice or weep with them? Greeting cards of congratulations or sympathy are fine, but they aren’t the same. Gifts of food and even money are fine, and may well be needed, but they aren’t the same.

As always, Jesus is our example isn’t He? Jesus began His earthly ministry by His presence at a joyous occasion, the wedding at Cana. Later, amid pain and sorrow, His presence at a friend’s grave brought about one of His most remarkable miracles, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.

So, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” They will be blessed and so will you! In the following passage Jesus is speaking specifically about His Second Coming and the judgment of those Gentiles who have survived the Great Tribulation and who have been kind to the Lord’s own brethren, the Jews. But the principle He teaches here is for all of us.
*Matthew 25:34-40
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink?
38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
39 ‘And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”

When you rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, you are a blessing to them and you are serving Jesus in a humble and honoring fashion.
*Luke 1:59-63
59 And it came about that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.”
61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.”
62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.
63 And he asked for a tablet, and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished.

Look again at v. 59. The eighth day was the appointed time for all Jewish males to be circumcised. God had established it in conjunction with the Abrahamic Covenant where-by God gave Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan. (Today that includes all of modern Israel, all of Lebanon, most of Jordan, most of Syria, and Northeastern Egypt.)
*Genesis 17:8-12a (God speaking to Abraham)
8 “And I will give to you and your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
9 God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout the generations.
10 “This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
11 “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12a “And every male who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations…” (back to Luke 1)

It had become the Jews’ tradition to name a boy on the day that he was to be circumcised. It seems likely that many of the same people who had come to celebrate at John’s birth were also there eight days later for the circumcision and naming ceremony. They were eager to “help” in the decision making process of naming the boy.

Now remember that Zacharias could not speak. He had been rendered mute nine months earlier when he had refused to believe God’s prophecy about John’s birth. So in v. 60, Elizabeth speaks for Zacharias. “…he shall be called John.” You can almost hear what follows, can’t you? “John? This boy has a famous father. He should be named Zacharias.” “I knew your uncle Eli. He was a fine man. Name the boy Eli.” “He should be called Abraham. Any Jew would be proud to be called Abraham.”

In this male-oriented society Elizabeth’s comment in v. 60, “…he shall be called John,” probably doesn’t carry much weight with those present. So, in what may be a somewhat humorous attempt at communicating with Zacharias, in v. 62, they try sign language.
But there will be no group decision this day. Zacharias’ response in v. 63 is succinct and to the point. He writes on what was probably a waxed writing surface, “His name is John.” The Greek is very specific here. He didn’t say, “His name will be John.” Zacharias said, “His name is John.” The boy already has a name. It’s a “done deal.”
*Luke 1:13b (Gabriel speaking)
13b “…your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.”

The boy’s name is non-negotiable because God has chosen it. God had already named Isaac, Isaiah’s son, Hosea’s children, and in Luke 1:31, He has named Jesus. Zacharias has known John’s name all along. He just hasn’t communicated it. Until now!

“John” is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Johanan,” meaning “God is gracious.”
What a perfect name for the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth. His name means “God remembers.” Her name means “God has sworn an oath.” Putting them all together
gives you a wonderful statement about our God. It would go something like this. “He graciously pours out His blessings on those to whom He has made His promises…and He never forgets them.” If you need something to cling to this morning you can cling to that.

So back in Luke 1:63 Zacharias, knowing full well what God has done, and learning more about humility and God’s power over the last nine months of his silence, is being emphatic and speaks with finality. The boy’s name is John. The people are surprised. In fact, v. 65 says they are astonished. There will be no long discussions and debates about this baby’s name.

Now earlier we saw that God’s power was present in His mercifully fulfilling His promise to Elizabeth. In her old age she has had a son. Next we will see the power of God’s presence in His mercifully working out a miracle in the life of Zacharias.
*Luke 1:64
64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.

When Zacharias wrote the words, “His name is John” on that wax tablet, he was expres-sing faith in God’s Words spoken to him by Gabriel. He questioned God at the time, but there was no longer any questioning in his mind. God had used those nine months of physical affliction to grow a solid faith within Zacharias’ heart. The old priest had come to believe God completely.

Have you seen God do something like that in your own life or the life of a loved one? Sometimes you have to suffer a trial or a loss or a physical illness. God puts a barrier in your path or changes your situation in such a way that you have no choice but to listen to Him and obey Him. You have no choice but to humble yourself before Him. Sometimes it hurts, doesn’t it? But God is getting your attention. I remember one old preacher who used to say, “Sometimes you have to be on your back in order to look up.”
Let me give you an example from my own life. Shortly after I was blessed with this ministry I underwent what by all accounts should have been routine gall bladder surgery. I should have been home that same afternoon and working a day or two later.

But God had a different plan. The procedure did not go as it should have and the next day I ended up in the ER with severe peritonitis. Left untreated peritonitis can be fatal.
I can tell you that it would be a hard way to die. The pain is excruciating. At first even
a morphine drip wouldn’t relieve it. I spent the next three days in intensive care, under-went two more surgeries, and finally another five days in a regular hospital room.

As you might suspect I would not care to do that again. But here’s what I learned. God works even in things like that. He reminded me that He is in control. He taught me that nothing in this life lasts forever. He also taught me to have a pastor’s heart and genuine compassion for the hurting. I guess those of you here at LIGHTHOUSE BIBLE CHURCH will determine just how well I am learning that last lesson.

The point of all of that is this. Sufferings, struggles, difficulties, and hardest of times can be some of the most fruitful times of spiritual growth in your entire life. The nine months Zacharias spent as a mute was a time of spiritual growth for him. He grew in his faith and his reliance upon God. His affliction did him good. When his son was to be named his faith in God’s Word was there, written on a tablet, “His name is John.”

Notice what Luke 1:64 says. “And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God.” Isn’t it appropriate that Zacharias’ first words in nine months are words of praise? What else would they be? Look again at Gabriel’s words.
*Luke 1:20
20 “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words…”

Here is everything, just as God said it would be. He had gotten Zacharias’ attention, hadn’t He? In the process God had turned Zacharias’ heart back to Him.

You can learn a lot about yourself in times of trouble. Some people’s hearts become cold and hard and they turn their backs on God. That’s what Job’s wife told him to do.
Job 2:9
9 Then (Job’s) wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

But other people’s hearts become warm and soft and they reach out to God and cling to Him in their affliction. This is what Job did.
Job 2:10
10 But he said to her, “Shall we indeed accept good things from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Even in Zacharias’ silence you can see God’s grace. God saw to it that the old priest didn’t sin with his lips because he couldn’t! But his heart was turned toward the God of his salvation and he believed Him. Zacharias opened his mouth and out poured praise. Luke 1:67-80 will tell us what he said. (We’ll hear from him in two weeks.) But the people who were there and heard him speak again were amazed and even frightened.

I said it earlier but let me say it again. This fear of God is reverential awe. It is not like a child’s fear of the dark or our fear of physical pain. It is awe of God that befalls these people who witness the presence of God’s power in the life of their friend Zacharias.
*Luke 1:65
65 And fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.

A priest has a vision in the Temple and he emerges unable to speak. His wife, who is well beyond child bearing years, conceives and bears a son. The child is named from conception. The priest is instantaneously healed. It’s obvious that God is working in their midst. It gets their attention and the word quickly spreads throughout all of Judea. Taken together all these things confirm what the angel Gabriel had said to Zacharias.
*Luke 1:17
17 “And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

In plain language it means that if this baby is here, if he is this last prophet who will point the way, then the Messiah will be here very soon. Those who believed God’s Word could readily discern the “signs of the times,” as it were. It was clear. John the Baptist would be there to help them in their preparations to receive God’s Son.

Today there are signs of the Messiah’s Second Coming all around us, aren’t there? The question is: Do you believe God’s Word? If you do, those signs are unmistakable. However, Christians do not have a John the Baptist to point the way forward to the Second Coming. But that’s all right because what we do have is much better and even more reliable than John himself. We have God’s Word in our hands and God’s Spirit in our hearts. (back to Luke)
*Luke 1:66
66 And all who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly on him.

The people understood that John was a special child with a special purpose. Many who were present at his birth would have still been alive when John’s ministry began about thirty years later. They would have remembered. It’s possible that their remembering was one reason for the crowds that were present when he was preaching and baptizing.
Now look at the final statement in v. 66. “For the hand of the Lord was on him.” Just as the power of God’s presence was on Zacharias and Elizabeth, so too was His hand on John. It’s a common OT expression always used to express God’s presence and His mighty power. Listen to just two examples.
Joshua 4:23-24
23 “For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done at the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed;
24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Ezra 7:27-28
27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as
this in the king’s heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in Jerusa-lem,
28 and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me…

In the passage in Joshua 4 we see God’s hand on His people corporately. In the passage in Ezra 7 we see God’s hand on His people individually. Is the Lord’s mighty hand on you? It is if you’re a Christian. Do you fear Him? That is to say, do you reverence Him above all else, and are you in awe of Him? If you’re a Christian you must. How can you fail to do so? Isn’t the power of His presence all around you?
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III. Conclusion
God’s hand on John the Baptist meant a number of things.
• God’s hand on John would sanctify and make him fit for his calling.
• God’s hand on John would strengthen him for the work that lay before him.
• God’s hand on John would encourage him to speak the truth even when people didn’t want to hear it.
• God’s hand on John would comfort him and bring him peace in his final hours on this earth.
Now here is the point for you. God’s mighty hand, the presence of His power, will do exactly the same thing for you.
• He will sanctify you and make you fit for your calling in Christ.
• He will strengthen you for the work He has for you to do.
• He will encourage you to speak the truth in love.
• He will comfort you in the final hours of your life.

In short, the presence of God’s power will never leave you.
~ Pray ~