(Luke 1:57-63) When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. {58} Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. {59} On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, {60} but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." {61} They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." {62} Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. {63} He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, "His name is John."
What’s in a name? No doubt you’ve heard that statement a few times in your life. Give it some thought however. What is in a name? It may be that a better question is, “is a name really all that important”?
There does seem to be something important about John’s name. Part of the importance is in:
1. The actual name John that means God is a gracious giver.
2. The fact that his parents were naming him in faith.
3. But the most important seems to be this aspect of breaking with tradition.
I know some of you are probably tired of hearing about breaking with traditions but Luke brings it up not me.
(Luke 1:57-63) “When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. {58} Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. {59} On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and”
{59b} “THEY were going to name him after his father Zechariah,”
The questions begs to be asked:
1. Who are THEY? Or at least who do THEY think THEY are?
“Her neighbors and relatives”. Who think they know how things ought to be in this family.
2. What do THEY have to do with naming Elizabeth’s son?
Evidently THEY think quite a lot, but GOD thinks differently.
Luke basically makes a pun on the words of the people.
“the Lord had shown her great mercy” is almost the exact definition of the word JOHN!
{60}”but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." “
Elizabeth had come to terms with what God was doing and she was not going to mess with even the smallest detail of His plan especially if it means praising God every time she says her son’s name.
{61} “They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name."”
Their concern is with breaking from tradition instead of praising God for what He has done.
Was it not enough that she was barren into old age? Was it not enough that Zechariah had been muted miraculously? Was the fact everybody already believed that he had seen a vision not enough?
Does it not strike anyone else as funny that in the midst of all of these non-traditional things they are all caught up in the traditional naming process?
Aren’t we the same way? It may be more difficult for us to see the providence of God in our midst because it doesn’t come in the form of a child conceived out of due season or a preacher going mute right in the middle of church.
But we have things that happen that should get our attention don’t we? Seeing the way God has originated the Spanish Ministry here, caused it to grow, created a dream in the minds of men who sought out Willie, brought his family here, watching God give the financial support and the increase of the souls being saved. Finding the preacher, that you look 8 months to find, in your own back yard?
What about the providence in your own life? How many things can you look back on that you have to just say “it was the grace and providence of God that has gotten you where you are”? I think we all see it from time to time but we also have these folks around us that are always telling us to get our feet out of the clouds and come back to earth.
Look at the next verse.
{62}” Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.”
They didn’t care what Elizabeth said! They had the gall to ask her husband because she has obviously lost her mind. - She was wrong! - This is tradition! - You can’t just name a child anything you want!
Tradition says….”The name has to be… “The wedding has to be…. The college has to be… The family holiday get together must be…The church must…. But in the face of all this tradition Zechariah put his foot down and shouted in his heart because his voice was still silent; "His name is John!" Thank God that Zechariah did not bow to tradition. It isn’t until that moment, 8 days after the baby is born, that God miraculously opens his mouth again.
(Luke 1:64-80) “Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. {65} The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. {66} Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord’s hand was with him.”
They have finally figured out the when God does something special that your traditions can fall by the way side.
(Luke 1:76-79) And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, {77} to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, {78} because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven {79} to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
Why did God through Luke want us to know these little details in the life of John? I have to believe it has to be something about this tendency that we have as humans to get so caught up in what we have always done or what we think should be done that we leave no room for the work of God in our lives.
Whether it is a blessing or a cursing I do not know but it appears that God has lain on my heart from the time I was very young to question these types of events. I have always questioned the traditions of men. It hasn’t always been with regard the church activities but it has included even that from a very young age.
I refused to go to church camp when I was young because they wouldn’t let me wear shorts. When ever the youth group had a problem with a policy that was based on fear or tradition rather than the grace and mercy of God I was the one that always seemed to get the torch handed to me. At my own wedding was probably the worse experience of tradition running over the hearts of a young couple for the short sightedness of those who presumed to be in charge. I have seen businesses that were once the most powerful companies in their industry fail because they refused to part with what they had always known out of tradition. And finally of churches who are now powerless to effect their communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ because they have painted themselves into the proverbial corner of tradition. I’ve heard reasons for not doing something that was biblical such as “if we do that we had might as well change the name on the sign”. When our identity is so wrapped up in what we do or the way we do it, whatever it is, instead of the Christ who supposedly possesses our lives then we do need to change the name on the sign to some sort of social club because we definitely would not be a church at that point.
Ultimately I believe that Luke wants us to see that when the Lord is making a way for His son to make an impact in the hearts and lives of a community of people, traditions can fall by the way side so we can see His glory as of the only begotten from the father full of grace and truth.
This morning God is calling you to let go of what ever is holding you back from experiencing the greater glory of His son working in your life and the life of this church and take a stand as Zechariah did in preparing the way for others to follow in that path.
