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Saturday, December 18, 2004
Peer pressue.
Everyone experiences it on some level. It starts early in life and continues all they way through...age is irrelevant in this regard. Teenagers often make fun of well-intentioned motivational speakers telling them not to cave into the social pressures. Grown-ups experience it when they want the larger home or the better car to keep up with the neighbors. Empty nesters experience it when they try to outdo each other with stories of grandchildren exploits or vacation trips. Maintaining your values and beliefs is difficult when they're challenged.
We all care what other people think of us.
And that's what happens at the end of Luke 1. Real life people in real life history with real life consequences.
Elizabeth had now gone through nine months of labor with her muted husband (see other entries below for more detail). I'm sure their friends and family were aware of all the details. Zacharias' encounter with an angel. The late-in-life pregnancy. The inability to speak of her husband due to his encounter with the angel. The visit of Mary.
Surely the stories had gone out to trusted friends and neighbors...I'm sure many of them believed these stories and were excited. I'm sure there was a buzz in the community about the prophecies of Scripture fulfilling themselves right in front of their very eyes.
And, as was custom, after the birth of their son, Zachariah and Elizabeth took their son to the Temple on the 8th day after his birth to circumcise him (symbolize his relationship under the covenant) and formally name him.
The excited neighbors suggested to Elizabeth she follow custom, too. Name the boy after his father. A priest of some reknown as well as one who had actually been in the Holy of Holies. What a great name, and what a great way to honor his father! It's a slam dunk. Name him Zacharias.
Peer pressure.
Remember, they'd been instructed by the angel Gabriel to name him "John."
Peer pressure.
It makes sense to name him Zacharias. What father wouldn't be honored that someone would be named after him? It would make it easier on the child, too, to have a name associated with greatness. Why not?
Elizabeth held her ground in verse 60: "His name is John."
The peer pressure heats up. It always does. "But, there isn't any relative named John. That's a weird name. It won't help him. His legacy will be gone. He'll be just another schmoe when he could be SOMEBODY." That's what's in-between the lines of 61. Then they figure to blow it by dad.
Surely Zach will want his blessed child to be named after him, right?
Wrong. He asks for a tablet to write. I'm sure this only highlighted his memory of that day in the Holy of Holies. Still can't speak...but he writes down "His name is John."
Now he can speak. As promised, his discipline ended at that point. And, speak he did. Can you imagine how much he wanted to describe in detail about how much went on in his life and mind during those long nine months? Writing in tablets can only tell so much.
Good thing he didn't fall to peer pressure. In fact, his resistance to peer pressure actually turned others from their way of thinking:
Verse 65 & 66: "And fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. And all who heard them kept them in mind, saying, 'What then will this child turn out to be?'" For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.
That's the way it works, too. When we are faithful to God, others are drawn to the mystery of that.
Then Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied:
God is here, and redemption is at hand.
Salvation, through the Messiah is here, just like it was written throughout the Old Testament.
We will be delivered.
The Messiah will be holy.
My child will be the prophet of the Messiah.
He will indeed be great.
Just like God said, throughout the Old Testament.
And the child was exactly that.
It's a common theme in the Old Testament: If you are obedient to God, and not the world, you will be blessed with an authentic relationship with Him. If you disobey, there are consequences that result in distance from Him.
It's a common principle in our lives as well.
Brent 7:18 AM
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