How To Be Great Before The Lord Series

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

“In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

“Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.’

“And Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.’ And the angel answered him, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.’ And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

“After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, ‘Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.’” [1]

It is not uncommon that one should find sermons bearing a title promising to tell us “How to be Great in the Sight of the Lord.” That so many preachers have delivered messages addressing this theme indicates the importance of the topic. Christians want to know what can be done to accomplish great things for the cause of Christ. As redeemed followers of the Lord Jesus, we do not want to be pedestrian, mundane, or mediocre. Because we follow the Risen Lord of Glory, we long to so live that Christ is glorified in us and His cause advanced through us.

In verse fifteen, Gabriel assured Zechariah that the child who would be born to Elizabeth would be great in the sight of the Lord. We witness the divine messenger assuring Zechariah, “He will be great before the Lord” [see LUKE 1:15]. We understand that John was not great because he was born in answer to prayer, nor because he had great family (Jesus was a first cousin and his father was a priest), nor yet because he was raised in a religious atmosphere. John was to be great before the Lord because he would possess supernatural power, he would be powerful in turning people to the Lord, and he would have a supernatural message.

JOHN WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT — Gabriel promised, “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” [LUKE 1:15b]. John would be one of the very few individuals who was said to be “filled with the Holy Spirit,” even from the womb. The child was born with purpose, and the purpose was divinely announced. What is important for us to grasp is that the divine messenger was telling Zechariah that the son to be born of Elizabeth would possess supernatural power even before birth.