Luke 1:57-66 The Birth of John

Luke 1:57-66 The Birth of John

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

I am thinking about this child John – a true miracle child. Born to parents too old for a child, parents who had given up even hoping for one. Then, out of the blue they find they will have a child. First, the promise to Zechariah, then the reality to Elizabeth. The wonder and anticipation and joy surrounding this child’s conception and birth are something to behold. Even and especially the community reacts to this birth, regarding it with fear (awe) and intense curiosity, speaking of the circumstances surrounding it “throughout the hill country of Judea”, “recounted to the last detail” “What will this child be?” “Was not the hand of God upon him?” Of course we know what John (called the Baptist) went on to accomplish in preparing the way for Jesus, and bringing about God’s Kingdom. What if all children were anticipated with such joyous wonder, regarded as a pure gift from God, expected to a have an important future and a role in His Kingdom and raised and treated accordingly? What kind of world would we be living in today?