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Luke 1:17 “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

   This is John’s role in relation to prophecy. What does it mean however that he would turn the hearts of the fathers to the children? This means a couple of things. First of all, because of the traditionalism that had been encouraged by the observers of the law in John’s day, the parents and the children had grown more distant. Their relationship had become more mechanical, and less loving. The revival of heartfelt religion versus empty ritualism that John would bring about would help families.
   Secondly, this phrase speaks of the spiritual fathers, and their children. In John’s day the spiritual leaders suffered from hypocrisy. As a result, they had hypocritical disciples. Their interest in these followers was purely for their own profit. So, John’s Revival would cause a renewal of the mentoring process in Israel.
   We must not underestimate the importance of John’s role. He was preparing a people ready for the Lord because the Lord is the judge. Jesus could have come and chosen to judge the world immediately. Now, truly that would not have happened. But God’s right to such a choice would have been inarguable.

Heavenly Father, You have put in place the things that we need for our lives. Though we often try to engineer our own success, You have given us the tools we need to live as we should. It is amazing to think that we can have a relationship with You after that we have been Your enemy. Salvation through Christ is absolutely amazing! Thank You for allowing us to be part of Your great work. You give us abilities and You strengthen us each day. May we be agents for change in the hearts of others, bringing revival as John did. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:16 “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”

   This is a beautiful verse. What a picture is being painted for us here! The nation of Israel was planted in Cannan by God. They are His special chosen people. And yet, many had turned their back on the Lord and were concerned only with the things of this life. They had forgotten their first love.
   But John comes to bring them back around. He reminded them of the great God that they had forgotten. Though many still gave Jehovah lip-service, their heart was somewhere else. John had come to convert them back. Conversion is the only way to see true change.

Heavenly Father, we all want to be convert-makers for you. We want to lift Christ high in our lives. You are worthy of our absolute devotion. I love You! May we live every day to make Your Word and Your way more clear to a lost and dying world. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.”

   What does it mean to say he will be great in the Lord’s sight? Will God be impressed with this person? Will he be somehow more special than others? The Lord’s sight is referring to His favor, His grace, His blessing. To be in the Lord’s sight is to be before His face, to be in His Presence.
   So what exactly is the difference between wine and strong drink? Strong drink refers to intoxicating liquors that contained a very high level of alcohol content. Whereas, wine refers to beverages that would not generally cause intoxication, unless imbibed in large amounts.
   Wouldn’t a Jewish man automatically abstain from alcohol? The answer is, no, not necessarily. The law contains warnings about strong drink, and does prohibit certain persons from drinking at certain times. It also warns very sternly about the dangers of intoxicating liquors. But, there is not a commandment that specifically says ‘Do not drink alcohol’.
   Please keep in mind however, the law also does not prohibit someone from having more than one wife. This of course should not be done. The New Testament makes it plain that Christians are to be monogamous. In the same way, just because the Bible doesn’t specifically say don’t drink, that doesn’t necessarily make it a good idea.
   In John’s case, the abstinence from wine or strong drink is an indication of his dedication to God. Beyond this, we are also told that he was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. This seems strange to us. How could John be saved before he was ever born?
   This is a complicated question to answer. The best way to understand it is this. The Holy Spirit is automatically fills a person who is saved, who becomes a child of God. However, in Old Testament times the Holy Spirit was given to those to whom God chose. And, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit could be taken away from these people. We find John in the period between the Old Testament and the New Testament. John was chosen especially by God and had the Holy Spirit before he was ever born. He did indeed believe in the Lord Jesus Christ at a later time. Though he knew from before birth that Jesus was the Christ, he still had to personally believe in Christ just as any of us does.

Heavenly Father, thank You for taking such a profound interest in our lives. You care about every little detail. You have a plan for every last moment. And You know our future. Thank You for Your love and care for us! You are the one who guides our steps. We praise You forever! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:14 “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”

   A bringer of joy. That is what John was to be. And how so? How did the ministry of John bring joy? John spent most of his time calling people to repentance. His ministry focused on people confessing and repenting. The point was preparation, to be ready for the Lord’s coming.
   Though this ministry does not strike us as being especially joyous, it is because we tend to look at things backwards. Jesus could have come and judged the world immediately. The ministry of John changed the landscape so to speak. The spiritual condition of nation of Israel was addressed more effectively than it had been in several centuries. Change for the better is always a cause for joy.

Heavenly Father, help us to understand that your joy is a result of Your work. It is not a passing feeling, but an abiding assurance that You are at work. You are in control. Thank You for that! We cannot ever repay You. But we can surely abide in Your blessings. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:13 “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

   Evidently, Zacharias and Elizabeth had prayed earnestly for children. But, being older, they had not asked in quite some time. The tense of the verb here tells us this. So, God was answering a prayer they had stopped praying long before.

Heavenly Father, sometimes we just stand back in awe at Your amazing goodness. You are amazing! You know just the time for everything. You are so wise! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:12 “And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.”

   Why the troubling first and the fear after? Well, rather than being spooked he just couldn’t believe his eyes at first. The angel didn’t sneak up on him. He was in the temple, so his awareness of his surroundings was on overdrive to say the least. So he wasn’t scared at first. He was puzzled, flabbergasted, surprised, but not scared. Then, once he began to realize his senses were not decieving him, the fear set in. Now he was afraid because he knew what he was seeing. He understood that this could be bad news for him. The angel could have been sent to slay him for not being holy as he worked in the temple, or whatever.

Heavenly Father, thank You for releaving our fears. You could make Your work with us more fearsome, but You do not. You remember we are but dust. You are kind and faithful. We will praise You forever for the beauty of Your plan! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:11 “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”

   The right side of the alter was a place of preference. Zacharias immediately knew what was happening. Though fear entered his heart, it was the fear of God not a phobia. There had not been such communication from God since the end of the Old Testament.

Heavenly Father, thank You for communicating with us. You could have just left us to figure it out. But we never would have. We need Your revelation. We will praise You for it all of our lives. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:10 “And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.”

   It seems the morning and evening hours of incense had become the expected hours of prayer. Indeed this was the practice to such an extent that the early church observed the same. Prayers are often compared to incense in the Scriptures, though not necessarily solely because of this practice.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of prayer. It is liberating to be able to give to You our burdens. We praise You for Your patience and Your power. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:9 “according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.”

   This duty was considered a great privilege. To be able to go into the temple itself was special. This offering of incense was likely the one offered after the morning or evening sacrifice. It was linked with the prayers of God’s people.

Heavenly Father, thank You for hearing our prayers. It is precious to us to know that You care about us and or needs. Thank You! We praise You for Your goodness. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:8 “So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,”

   In 1 Chronicles 24 we read of the dividing of the courses of the priests by David, Zadok, and Ahimelech. There were sixteen courses of the sons of Eleazar and eight courses of the sons of Ithamar. Abijah was the eighth course in line, and was of the sons of Eleazar.
   The priests would perform the various services of the temple in their order, according to thier course. Thus, due to the fact that there were 24 of these orders, Zacharias was surely glad his turn had come round. It would likely be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Heavenly Father, so often we tend to shy away from opportunities for service. Yet, maybe we have the wrong idea. We think that since there is so much work to be done, opportunity is endless. But, maybe You use us differently than we think. May we covet Your service rather than seeing it as a burden. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.