Now Elisabeth's full time came to deliver and she had a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had showed his mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and they called him Zechariah, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, “No, he shall be called John.” 

​

And they said to her, “None of your family is named that.” And they made signs to his father, asking what to call him. Asking for a tablet, he wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 

​

And his mouth and tongue were released, and he spoke praising God. Awe struck everyone living in that area and the news spread throughout all the hill country of Judea. And everyone who heard what had occurred discussed it, saying, “What manner of child shall this be!” And indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. 

​

And Zechariah, his father, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has brought redemption for his people, and raised a horn of salvation for us of the house of David, his servant. It is as he said through the declaration of his holy prophets of all time. They said that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant.

​

“He swore an oath to our father Abraham, to rescue us and deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 

​

“And you, my child, will be called the prophet of the Most-High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way; to give the knowledge of salvation to his people by forgiveness of their sins, through God’s tender mercy. By this the noonday brightness will visit us, to appear to those sitting in the darkness of the shadow of death and guide our feet into the way of peace.” 

​

And the child grew, and became spiritually strong, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing to Israel.

​

Commentary

Return to Preparation Years