"And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost"
Luke 1:15

Who except Christ in all history had as great a spiritual endowment, before his birth and during his childhood, as John the Baptist?

Other men and women have been filled with the Spirit of God—their most precious experience—but John was so filled "even from his mother’s womb" (Luke 1:15). Perhaps the nearest parallel to this in the Bible is the case of Jeremiah to whom the Lord said, "Before I, formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jer. 1:5). The Baptist’s endowment is more specific.

When Mary, the blessed mother of Jesus, was told about her priceless and unique privilege of giving human birth to the divine Son of God, she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, then six months expectant (Luke 1:35-40). But let Luke tell the beautiful story. "And it came to pass, that, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy" (Luke 1:41-44).

Here is a mystery. The unborn baby, who was to be John the Baptist, responded to the voice of the mother of the unborn baby Jesus! Who can understand this? We can only wonder and worship with awe, reverence, adoration and with a doxology!

Admitting that the births of John and Jesus were not typical of ordinary births, certain questions will yet arise. Is the Traducian theory true—that the soul, as well as the body, comes from the parents? Or is the Creationist theory better—that God creates a new soul for each body? Lutherans hold to the former view; Roman Catholics and most Reformed theologians hold to the latter. Dr. A. H. Strong, a Baptist, supported Traducianism.

Much more definitely, this account in Luke throws a merciless light on the bad ethics of abortion. For life begins, not simply at birth, but before. Just when it begins is not quite clear.

"Now Elizabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son . . . and on the eighth day . . . his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John" (Luke 1:57-60ff). Then Zacharias "wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marveled all . . . And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be? And the hand of the Lord was with him."

Since the hand of the Lord was with John, his future was assured. And it is safe to assume that a great many people who lived thirty years later were watching John’s life with great expectation. This should partially account for his wide hearing within a short span of a few months.

"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel" (Luke 1:80). All this time the Holy Spirit filled him with His ninefold fruit: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. 5:22, 23).

Luke, the beloved physician and accurate historian, had done careful research into the story of John’s birth. It seems likely that he had interviewed Mary for much of these data. Robertson says (John the Loyal; p. 2), "It is worth noting also that the story of the Baptist’s miraculous birth comes immediately after the classic introduction (Luke 1:1-4), in which he has stated his painstaking thoroughness in the examination and use of his sources of information."

He was "righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6). The Lord looks upon the heart, not merely on one’s outward appearance. Here was a really good man, living in a troubled time when goodness was not common. Another good man at this time was Simeon who was "just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25). Thank God for good men and women. The cynics are wrong when they say, "Everybody has his price." The "Untouchables" may be few but they do give us good reason to be hopeful and courageous.

Zacharias was a conscientious priest. When he "executed the priest’s office" —perhaps the only time his turn came in his long life—a "whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense" (Luke 1:5-10). This mention of a multitude may have indicated their trust in his character.

"And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord" (vs. 11f). This angel identified himself as Gabriel, one of the two named angels in the Bible, the other one being Michael (Dan. 8:16; 10:13; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7). Here was the first word from an angel since Zechariah 12:8, about 487 B.C. And it was the first word from an inspired source since Malachi, about 397 B.C. Little wonder that Zacharias "was troubled, and fear fell on him."

Zacharias had been a praying man. "Thy prayer is (was) heard," the angel said. Devout Jews for centuries had prayed—many still do—that they might have Messiah born into their homes. Jewish couples considered it a calamity to be childless. As with Abraham and Sarah who waited long years for a child, so Zacharias and Elizabeth waited and prayed until they were rewarded.

This promise of a son to an aged couple seemed too good to be true. After all, miracles do not happen frequently, and still more seldom do angels come with such an announcement.

Who are we to blame this dear old man for expressing doubt? If he had been quick witted he could have thought more about the angel and less about his own weakness. If this was his fault, it is a common one. Peter could walk on, the water with his eyes fixed on the Lord, but when he looked at the water and thought of himself he began to sink.

Gabriel answered Zacharias’ doubt by saying, "thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season" (Luke 1:20). This dumbness was less a punishment than it was a continuing evidence of the truth of divine revelation. It was a nine-month reminder to Zacharias and Elizabeth and to their friends that God had spoken. As a consequence, the birth of the promised child would be a suspenseful event.

When the mute Zacharias emerged from the temple the people "perceived that he had seen a vision" (Luke 1:22). Do our pastors and evangelists tarry long enough in the Holy Place of Prayer to give evidence that they have seen a vision from the Lord? The Sanhedrin, hounding Peter and John, "marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). "Oh, for a closer walk with God, a calm and heavenly frame, A light to shine upon the road that leads us to the Lamb" (Cowper).

The first use of speech by Zacharias, after John was born, was to praise God. How typical of him! For he had been obedient to the angel who had commanded him to name his baby "John" (Luke 1:13, 63, 64).

"The name John (Jehovah graciously gave) had become common, since the time of the popular ruler John Hyrcanus (died B.C. 106); thirteen persons of that name are mentioned in Josephus; and in the New Testament, besides the Baptist and the Evangelist we meet with John Mark (Acts 12:12) and John of the high priestly family (Acts 4:6)" (Broadus, p. 32, Commentary on Matthew).

Since Bible names have meanings, it is well to quote F. B. Meyer (John the Baptist; p. 21) here. "Zacharias meant ‘God’s remembrance’ as though he were to be a perpetual reminder to his fellows of what God has promised, and to God of what they were expecting from his hand. Elizabeth means ‘God’s oath,’ as though her people were perpetually appealing to those covenant promises in which, since He could swear by no greater, God had sworn by Himself, that He would never leave nor forsake, and that when the sceptre departed from Judah and the law-giver from between his feet, Shiloh should come." Shiloh, in Genesis 49:10, is one of the glorious names of the Messiah, Christ Jesus, who alone can bring peace on earth.

The "Benedictus" is one of the precious Christian hymns preserved for us by Luke, 1:68-79. In this prophecy inspired by the Holy Spirit (v. 67), Zacharias speaks of redemption for his people, salvation in the house of David, the fulfillment of ancient prophecies, political freedom to come, the holy covenant remembered, the oath to Abraham verified, holiness and righteousness anticipated, the ministry of his son to "go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins"; and to give light and peace.

With such a saintly father, John was indeed richly endowed.

She, too, was "righteous before God" and therefore she must have seemed exceptionally righteous before men. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. And if God who looks into the heart sees righteousness there, then that person is blessed indeed.

Elizabeth had likely been a woman of prayer all her long life. Like Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Sam. 1:10-28), she had likely prayed for a son ever since her marriage. Then when her prayers were about to be answered she gave praise to God, saying, "Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men" (Luke 1:25). This birth of a child to aged parents was clearly recognized as a miracle, but "with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37).

Elizabeth was completely submissive to God. She has the honor of being the first person to recognize the coming Lord Jesus, and that three months before His birth (Luke 1:42-45)! How different were the chief priests, supposedly trained in Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, who would not recognize the Christ even after knowing of His mighty miracles. And what about religious functionaries now in high places, the professionals who make a good living at the expense of churches, who yet question the deity of Christ? Some actually doubt His physical resurrection, His second coming, and His promises of heaven. The increasing evidences of Biblical archaeology seem not to affect their unbelief. The still greater evidence of genuine conversions, whether in mass meetings or in humble churches, leave these doubters cold in their prideful intellectualism. In the meantime, humble believers rejoice in the Lord’s continued working.

Elizabeth and Mary had a good visit, those wonderful three months (Luke 1:56). We do not know much of what they discussed, but we can speculate that Elizabeth would later tell her son John much of their conversation, and that Mary would likely tell her son Jesus about this memorable meeting.

A slight digression about Mary should be permitted here. She deserves more honor and love than most Protestants give to her, even though she is not mentioned in the Bible after Acts 1:14 where she is praying on an equal basis with other believers. Peter, in his sermons and letters, did not mention her. Paul did not name her, nor did James, Jude and John in their epistles. Elizabeth said she was blessed "among women," but not above women. Yet she was highly honored to be the mother of our Lord. Thank God for Mary, the pure, lovely, obedient, wise, tender, trustworthy Galilean virgin who bore the child Jesus, her firstborn. How her heart must have been troubled by the unbelief of her younger sons (John 7:3-5; Matthew 12:46-50). And still later, when she saw her beloved Son on the cruel cross, her heart was pierced with the keenest sorrow ever experienced by mankind. Perhaps, if she knew how wrongly she is now regarded by millions in Christendom who place her between themselves and Christ, she would suffer still more.

Elizabeth was a humble woman. Though much older than Mary, she said, "And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:34). This remark was more in honor to Mary’s Son than to Mary herself. Certainly Mary would shudder to think that she might displace her Lord in anyone’s affections, or prayers, or hopes of salvation.

Finally, Elizabeth was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. She knew that her son was to be called "John" and she held to it. In spite of the arguments of her relatives and neighbors who came to rejoice with her, and who tried to name the boy after his father Zacharias, Elizabeth answered and said, "Not so; but he shall be called John" (Luke 1:58-60). The Lord could trust a woman like that.

A good mother is a priceless endowment for any child. Abraham Lincoln said, "All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." He did not have her long. How long John had his aged parents we do not know, perhaps twenty years or less. But they poured their spiritually rich lives into their son, every minute they lived.

This prohibition, in a land and time where wine was common, indicated that John was to be a Nazirite. Except for Paul briefly (Acts 18:18; 21:24), John was the only Nazirite mentioned in the New Testament. Samson and Samuel were lifelong Nazirites in the Old. The Nazirite’s hair was not to be cut, indicating separation (Hebrew, Nazir, means separate).

With a Nazirite’s standard of holiness and devotion to God, and with both parents filled with the Holy Spirit, John’s home would be ideal. The age of his parents would indicate some measure of wisdom beyond that of young and immature parents. This home would be aseptically clean, morally. The Holy Spirit had full control of each member of the household. Conversation would be often on the Sacred Scriptures. The Old Testament plan for home life would be followed as the recipe for domestic happiness. Among other places, it is found in Deuteronomy 11:19-21.

"And ye shall teach them [God’s Word] your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth."

Then "heaven on earth" IS possible. John’s home had it. Jesus’ home had it. Other homes where heaven’s plan is followed may also have it. In such a home the young child John grew, and became strong in spirit. The training he received for his great life’s ministry would be the best.