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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.

Luke 1:7 “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”

   Miraculously supplying children to the barren and old seems to be one of God’s favorite things to do. And rightly so. These miracles remind us of the fact that all life comes from Him. He is in complete control of every circumstance. Not only does life itself come from him, but the way life goes comes from him too. He determines every step. He knows the end from the beginning.
   At this point Zacharias and Elizabeth would not have expected to have a child. And yet, God gave them one. How inconvenient that must have been! To have a child, when you never expected it to happen. But, I’m sure they never complained. We tend only to complain when God’s plans lead to an inconvenience that we didn’t want.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the inconveniences that You put in our lives. We see things as inconvenient, but You know exactly what we need and when we need it. May we run our lives by what is glorifying to You, rather than what is convenient. You are what it’s all about! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:6 “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”

   What a contrast this is! Much of the gospel accounts seem to put the law keepers against Christ and John the Baptist. Yet here the parents of the latter are said to be law keepers.
    What is the significance of this? The law was not the problem. Both Jesus and John His cousin were dealing with hypocrisy rather than law. The law was no problem for them. It was the Jewish additions and inconsistency of observation that was at issue.
   However, this verse seems to link righteousness and the keeping of the law. How can we reconcile that with the gospel of grace? As James would point out, works are an evidence of faith. So, the righteousness of these two folks was due to their faith. But their faith was evidenced by their works. Even in this age of grace, works are essential. But we understand that the works are only evidence of faith, and they do not save us. Grace alone may give us the righteous of Christ.

Heavenly Father, we will be careful to observe Your commandments. Though we understand that this obedience cannot save us, it shows our love for You, and the genuineness of our faith. Thank You for the mercy and grace that provide for us righteousness in Christ. We will do good because we are good by Your grace. It is impossible for us to live against our Savior. We will keep His laws, for we are His servants. May Christ be praised forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.