Grace - God Remembers God's Oath

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace."  John 1:14, 16

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  (Luke 1:5 NASB)

...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."  (Luke 1:13 NASB)

I hope this finds you well and restful enough during this Christmas time.  After the passing of my father, I'm approaching this time like none I've experienced before.  In his absence and the sadness I feel, I do feel hope in this season, but it is difficult, especially as I look through old photographs and see a much younger father than I seem to remember.  Who was he?  What was he like in his 20s and 30s?  I see pictures of him even as a youth and realize he probably wasn't much different than the school children I see on a daily basis.  Memories fade, but photos bring back both fond and regretful memories alike.

It is during these times that we must stand on things greater than ourselves.  I know that there are those who rely upon their own strength, endurance, and determination in order to not be downcast; however, I believe wisdom calls us to not look at ourselves and our abilities, but rather the steadfastness of Christ in us.  Sometimes it's not easy, but it is the wisest thing to do.

So, to show you how and why we should look to Christ, I want look at the stories of how the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were foretold.  And more particularly, the names of those involved.

Zacharias was of the priestly division of Abijah, which means "God is my father".  Elizabeth's lineage is from Aaron, whose name means "Light-Bringer".  I wonder if this is one reason why the apostle John goes to much effort to explain Christ as the Light of men in the first chapter of his letter:

There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.  He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.  (John 1:6-8 NASB)

Elizabeth, from the lineage of Aaron (Light-Bringer), brings forth the Light of the world.  Her son, John, will testify to that light.

In similar fashion, Zacharias shares in Elizabeth's message by testifying in his priestly role "God is my father".  The apostle John also picks up on this when he writes:

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  (John 1:12-13)

An even greater understanding of what has happened in the history of mankind will be had if we also look at the meanings of Zacharias' and Elizabeth's names--and this is where we really begin to marvel at God's plan!

The name Zacharias means "God remembers".  I think it would be enough to say that this points to the name of Abijah, meaning "God is my father".  In other words:  "God remembers that He is my father."  Sounds great.  But what if we combined Zacharias and Elizabeth's names?  Elizabeth means "God's Oath"

Zacharias and Elizabeth

"God Remembers God's Oath"

Simply amazing.  But there's more.  Here's what Zacharias said about their son, John the Baptist:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by [consisting in] the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God.  (Luke 1:76-78a)

Forgiveness:  It's always been in the heart of our Father, and Christ demonstrated that on the cross.  Moreover, Christ demonstrated that men's sins were already forgiven:

I do not condemn you, either.  (John 8:11)

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home."  (Mark 2:10)

But why?  Why did God extend and pay for forgiveness even before we asked?  The answer is not only found in the name of Jesus, which means Jehovah is salvation, but also in John's name.  Elizabeth's neighbors and relatives objected when Zacharias named his son John, as he was commanded by the angel Gabriel.  Elizabeth affirms the child's name when she says:

But his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John."  And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name." (Luke 1:60-61)

But what does John's name mean?  "Jehovah is a gracious giver"

Hear my point:  It is significant that no one in Elizabeth's priestly line had been until that time been named John.  By making this radical change, God remembered His Oath and extends GRACE to mankind.  The name of John heralds a new covenant in the person of Jesus, moving God's people from the Old Covenant into the New.

In this season, I pray three things:

1.  That, if you haven't turned from your own strength, your own goodness, and your own insight and abilities to place your faith in Jesus Christ and receive His life, you would choose wisely and do so, experiencing His love for you and allowing that to change your life.

2.  That you would know that God remembered and fulfilled His Oath to you.

3.  That you would know and experience Him as a gracious Father and trust your life to His care.

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory,

glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace."

John 1:14, 16

Merry Christmas!

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,



Jeremy