[Luke 1:61, BSB] “61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who bears this name.”
- The people were perplexed with Elizabeth for naming her son John. In the first century, it seems that the people reused names from within their families, as the name familiarize the person’s family.
Back then, as it is today as well, we tend to give the kids that the Lord has given us our names, or names from our parents. It is to remember the person the child was named after. Believers in Christ carry the name [title] “Christian” When people see you, do they think about Jesus?
[Luke 1:62, BSB] “62 So they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted to name the child.”
- Since Elizabeth was poised to name her son John, they motioned to the father, as he has the final authority, to what he wanted to him his son.
[Luke 1:63, BSB] “63 Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.”
- Zechariah was mute because he lacked faith in believing the message of the Lord so he could only communicate with a tablet to write on. When he wrote on the tablet, John, they couldn’t understand why he would break the tradition of the time.
At times, God will reveal to us things in the Scripture that we must do for Him, but others won’t understand why. When the Lord speaks to you, He will be precise that only you will know why He said that to you.
[Luke 1:64, BSB] “64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak, praising God.”
- After Gabriel’s word came to pass, Zechariah was now able to speak. The first thing that came out of his mouth was praises to the Most High God. In Luke 6:45, it says, “45 The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
- Zechariah had goodness [love for God] stored in his heart. His mouth testified to it.
When you open up your mouth, what comes out, good or bad words?
[Luke 1:65, BSB] “65 All their neighbors were filled with awe, and people throughout the hill country of Judea were talking about these events.”
- The events referred to was for both naming their son John, even though no relatives of theirs carried that name, and Zechariah, being unable to speak, was not only talking again, but the first thing that came out of his mouth was for praising God.
All Scriptures are taken from the Berean Study Bible version (BSB). Permission has been acquired.
Spiritual Minefield 