Birth of John the Baptist—Luk_1:57-79
Mary remained three months with her aged friends; and then, the time of Elisabeth’s confinement drawing nigh, she returned to her home, probably because their domestic arrangements, or some other cause, rendered it unfit or inconvenient that she should remain longer with them.
When the time was fully come, Elisabeth gave birth to a son; and her friends and neighbors rejoiced with her, that the Lord had shown her mercy in delivering her from the reproach of childlessness. On the eighth day the child was, according to the law, to be circumcised, and then, also, according to custom, to receive his name.
It was proposed by those present to call him Zacharias, “after the name of his father.” We observe it stated by some, that it was usual to name the eldest son after his father. But, indeed, it was not only not usual, but exceedingly rare—so rare that we do not recollect any other instance in Scripture. In fact, as the Jews had no proper surnames; and the name of the father formed a distinctive addition to that of the son, as “David the son of Jesse,” it would have been exceedingly awkward and inconvenient that both should have the same name, in a place where there might be a score of persons bearing that name, and distinguishable from one another only by the combination of the father’s name with their own. It was, however, done sometimes, and under special circumstances. And the very remarkable circumstances under which the parentage of this child was given to an aged couple, probably suggested this course. Zacharias, it will be recollected, was still dumb; but Elisabeth, to whom he had assuredly ere this imparted all the particulars of his vision in writing, insisted that the child should be called John—being the name the angel had assigned to him. The persons present not being aware of the cause, were amazed at this, and objected, that there were none of the family that bore this name—an objection which shows that it was customary with the Jews, as it is with us, to name children after forefathers or living members of the family who were held in honor, or to whom it was desired to pay a compliment. Sometimes names were given after persons not of the family, who were held in high esteem; and by this time, the custom of giving at circumcision names, selected with a reference to their significance, seems to have nearly passed away.
In this perplexity an appeal was made to the father, and he, asking by signs for “a writing-table,” wrote, “his name is John.” The writing-table, or tablet, was used much like a slate, for temporary use. Sometimes it was of lead, the writing on which was formed with a bodkin or stylus, and could be beaten out when no longer needed. Sometimes it was composed of a thin board covered with wax, on which, also, the characters were traced with a metal stylus; and often it was merely a small clean board, on which the writing was formed with chalk. Such boards are to this day used instead of slates in the common schools of Greece—the writing being washed or scraped off, that the board may receive a succession of fresh lessons. This kind of tablet is called by the very same name that the evangelist here gives to the writing tablet for which Zacharias called. Sometimes these tablets were made up into books of three or four leaves, like our slate books.
Ancient Writing Tablet and Stylus
At this confirmation by the father of the choice of name which the mother had indicated, “they marvelled all.” But they marvelled more, when Zacharias, whose mouth had been closed so long, began to speak; and his first utterances were, as became him, to the praise of the Lord. These circumstances, and the words which the father uttered, were heeded with grave and surprised attention by those who were present; and, taken in connection with the antecedent circumstances, which now, if not before, became publicly known, excited a great sensation in southern Judea, and led men to regard the child’s career with solicitude, and to look for those further fulfillments of prophecy in the person of the Messiah with which his destiny seemed to be connected and bound up. Thus the infant son of Zacharias began “to prepare the way” of the Lord, even before the latter had made his appearance in the world.
The utterance in which Zacharias, when “filled with the Holy Ghost,” gave vent to his perceptions and convictions, is very remarkable, and is clothed in a highly poetic diction, like the song of Mary, though more confined to the indication of simple facts. He very distinctly announces the separate stations and offices of his son, and of the yet unborn Messiah. For John is announced as the prophet of the highest, who “shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.” What follows seems, however, to show that Zacharias had not been led into the spiritualities of the kingdom which Christ was to set up, much, if at all, beyond the popular Jewish notions of the day—at least such notions are predominant; for he apprehends, that the first object of the Messiah’s coming is, that the children of Israel “should be saved from their enemies, and from the hands of all that hate them;” that they “being delivered from the hand of their enemies, may serve Him without fear.” He does, however, ascribe to the Messiah a higher nature than the Jews expected for Him, having been doubtless led thereto by the communications of the angel to himself and to Mary. He saw that He was to be “the day-spring from on high,” and that the approaching salvation, which his son had to announce, consisted in “the remission of sins.” We are not disposed to take these large terms in the comparatively narrow and Jewish sense which some ascribe to them; for the terms that follow are as large as they well could be—the day-spring comes, not merely to meet current expectations, but “to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace.” This, in fact, would be the proto-evangel, were not the angel’s intimation to Mary, “Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for He shall save his people from their sins,” of still earlier date. In our view it is full Gospel doctrine, except as regards the atonement, which has not yet been fully proclaimed. It represents the people as travellers, who, being overtaken by night, and, not knowing where they are, sit down in the darkness and wait for the morning light, that they may know what to do, and that the path of peace and safety may be disclosed.
Hitherto, therefore, the essential doctrine which we have learned is, that the Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, whose path the son of Zacharias is to prepare, is “the Son of the Highest;” that He comes to make the way of salvation known; and that the way lies through Him—for it is He and no other who is to save his people from their sins. This is going very far beyond the popular notions of that day. The Jews believed that he would save them from their enemies; but they now begin to be taught, that their worst and most fatal enemies are their sins, and that it is from these enemies the Messiah comes to save them.
Autor: JOHN KITTO