The Life of Christ

the angel said to him, “ Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.”

The discarded hope of Zacharias and Elizabeth was to have had a son who would succeed Zacharias in the priesthood.

• They naturally assumed that if they ever had a son, he would succeed Zacharias in the priesthood; for centuries the first -born son of a priest would also become a priest.

• Little did they know that John’s parish would be the wilderness.

Lk. 1:14-15 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb.”

This order is in accordance with the Nazarite vow, spoken of in Num. 6.

• We can't say with certainty that John had this vow upon him, especially since there is nothing mentioned about the length of his hair or other related characteristics.

• This may have been a special adaptation for John, alone.

Many in the Bible were called while in their mother's womb, but John was the only person ever mentioned to be "filled with the Spirit while in his mother's womb.”

• Jesus was conceived by the Spirit, but there is no reference to Him being “filled with the Spirit” in the womb; that honor belongs exclusively to John.

Lk. 1:16-17 “And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 “And it is he who will a go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

To be in the spirit and power of Elijah doesn't mean a reincarnation of Elijah.

• It rather refers to the same anointing Elijah enjoyed, which would also be upon John the Baptist.

• The expression , "the spirit and power...which turns the hearts of the fathers back to the children...and the disobedient to the attitude of righteousness,” shows that it takes power and the Spirit to truly change hearts. Lk. 1:18-19 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.”

Gabriel is one of the senior angels in all of heaven, and the importance of this moment required his involvement.

• He is described in Dan. 10:5-6 accordingly:

I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes

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