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Bro. Otis Fisher
All right, Luke 1 57, now
Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered and she brought forth a son.
Bob, who is Elizabeth? Who is
Elizabeth? All right, how old was she?
We're not told. We're not told. But she was well past the years, yes.
And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her and they rejoiced with her.
And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the son.
Greg, why didn't they take him to the doctor? All right.
And they called him Zacharias after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, no, not so, but he shall be called
John. This is a name completely foreign to them.
As much as Zacharias would be to me. It was customary to name a baby after the father.
And they did that at first. But Elizabeth knew better and she set him straight.
He was to be called John. David, that seems very strange to me in this land to be called
John. Why do you suppose it was? But that's right.
A very important name. And they said unto her, there is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
And they made signs to his father how he would have called him. And he asked for a writing tablet.
Now Greg, why didn't he just tell them? That's right.
For nine months he's been done living with a pregnant old woman.
He asked for a writing tablet and wrote saying his name is
John. And they all marveled. Now, what does that verse not say?
Very obvious. Greg, you see it?
Does anybody see it?
Well, yes, in a way. But what does Zacharias say?
What did he write? That's it.
God named him. Zacharias did not say his name shall be John.
His name is John. And his mouth was opened immediately and his tongue loosed.
And he spake and praised God. In those days a family would normally name a baby after the father if it was a boy.
When the question of the name of the baby came along, the relatives answered he would be called Zacharias.
Elizabeth made the correction. They appealed to Zacharias. Since he couldn't speak, he wrote for, asked for a writing tablet.
After this, Zacharias was able to speak again and he immediately began to sing praises to God.
Although he did not have much faith when the baby was born, he could rejoice in God.
Again, the lack of faith displayed by Zacharias is a quality many of us have. You know, we like to think that all of this pertains to people at another time, years ago.
Well, it does that, but it's for a lesson for us. When God hears and answers prayers,
I wonder if sometimes it's not for the weak Christians to give them something to think about.
And fear came upon all that dwelt around about them. And all these things were noised about throughout all of the hill country of Judea.
And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be?
And the hand of the Lord was with him. Now, laid them up in their hearts.
Russell, what does that phrase mean? That's right.
They would remember this. And his father,
Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the
Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant
David. It's quite obvious that John was going to be an unusual child.
At John's birth, Zacharias, who had been dumb for about nine months, is not only able to speak, but he will sing a solo.
Elizabeth sang the first song, Mary sang the second, and now Zacharias is going to sing.
Only it's a song of prophecy. He recognizes that his son is going to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ.
Now, he doesn't know that, but he's prophesying those words. The presence of the forerunner indicates what,
Greg? Right. If you can see the shadow of the fence post, it's not very far to the fence post.
And he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us, to perform the mercy's promise to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father
Abraham, that he would grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
God had made these promises to Abraham. Mary, Elizabeth, Zacharias still believe that the promises that were made to Abraham will be fulfilled.
There are some today that have given up on the promises. Do not believe
God will make his word good. If you believe
God's going to make John 3 .16 correct, you have no right to discount the promises of God to Abraham.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the
Lord to prepare his way. This is what John did, to give knowledge of salvation unto people by the remission of the sins, of their sins.
David, did John bring salvation into the world? That's right.
He didn't bring salvation. He brought the knowledge of salvation. Through the tender mercies of our
God, whereby the day spring from on high hath visited us.
Virge, what does day spring mean? Yes, but what does the word mean?
All right, that's right. The morning, the new life. To give light to them that sin in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace.
And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the desert till the day of his showing unto
Israel. John was to be called a prophet of the highest.
Now, that's the highest in standing. It is the highest that he proclaimed.
Why was he called the prophet of the highest? Laying aside, he was talking about Jesus.
Why was he the? Jesus said no greater than John has been born among men.
I can think of a lot of great men. Why did he point this out about John?
Well, that's right. What do you mean forerunner? He announced him to the world.
He was the one that heralded Jesus. He was the one that stood the closest to Jesus.
John, a very unusual man. We're told that he lived in the desert.
He ate wild honey. I don't know what else, but when he comes.
What? Wild locusts and honey.
I know it was in there someplace. We're told when he comes on the scene that he's dressed in the skin of an animal.
Not exactly your Fifth Avenue boutique. He was to go before the face of the
Lord to prepare his way. John knew that the Messiah was in their midst. John the
Baptist was about 30 years old at this time. That finishes
Luke 1. Now, next week we'll go into the birth of Jesus.
It's almost like starting over with the book. But this gets
John on stage ready to announce Jesus. Is there anything from anybody?
It's stated that all of the prophets announced of the
Messiah. John announced that the prophets before the prophets of the
Old Testament were prophesying of a Messiah. John prophesied of Jesus.
That's right. That's absolutely right. He is the first one that knew
Jesus. And later on we see where he announced him to the world vocally.
And a voice from heaven. That's right. Purge dismisses, please.
Father, I thank you. Thank you. Thank you.