Sunday August 25
Divine Joy is Expressed with Praise
Luke 1:57-75
57 Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John." 61 But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name." 62 So they made signs to his father--what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him. 67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David, 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
Again, we can’t forget that the theme of the Gospel of Luke is joy and rejoicing as we will see throughout the book. Everything changes when God shows up! The great need for America and the world in these fearful days of war, chaos, violence, hatred and division, is for God to show up! Luke records how God first showed up to Zacharias with a message that he and his barren wife Elizabeth would have a son that they would name John. God then showed up to Mary with a message that she miraculously would conceive and have a Son, and she would call Him Jesus!
When Mary visits her relative Elizabeth and greets her, John leaps for joy. Both Mary and Elizabeth are rejoicing as they share with each other what God is doing in and through their lives for the people of Israel. Finally, nine months after Zacharias hears the message from the angel, their son is born (v. 57). God always keeps His promises!
Now, the joy of Zacharias and Elizabeth is expressed with praise! Divine joy can’t be restrained! It must be expressed externally! And that is what takes place through the end of this first long chapter of Luke!
Divine joy has a wonderful way of spreading to others! “When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her” (v. 58).
God's blessing was resting abundantly on Zacharias and Elizabeth. He sent them a baby boy, just as He promised; and they named him "John" just as God had instructed. The Jews looked on children as a gift from God and a "heritage from the Lord" (Pss. 127:3-5; 128:1-3), and rightly so, for they are. Israel would not follow the practices of their pagan neighbors by aborting or abandoning their children. When you consider that almost a million babies are aborted each year in the United States alone, you can see how far we have drifted from the laws of God. It is especially sad and appalling that just this month the Democratic National Convention celebrated abortion by promoting it with speeches and testimonies.
Traditionally, a baby boy would be named after his father or someone else in the family; so the relatives and neighbors were shocked when Elizabeth insisted on the name John. Zacharias was not only mute but he must have also been deaf, so they made signs to ask what the baby should be named. And he wrote "His name is John" on a tablet, and that settled it! Immediately God opened the old priest's mouth, and he sang a hymn of praise.
Zacharias first words are so interesting! In verse 67, the people asked, “What kind of child will this be?” You would have thought that Zacharias would have talked about what the angel had told him in the temple about his son John. But instead, he talked about Jesus. Read verses 67 through 75. Amazing!!! Divine joy and praise always glorify Jesus.
When we truly experience the divine presence of Jesus in our lives, our joy will overflow with praise giving glory to Him! And this is what happens when God shows up!
God bless!
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