John is His Name
The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 139; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66.80
In today’s Gospel an old couple - Zachariah and Elizabeth - celebrates the birth of their son. John the Baptist, the child of God's promise, will prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah.
"The Lord called me before I was born, He named me while I was in my mother’s womb" (Isaiah 49: 1). Life and vocation of every human being date from the moment of conception. The angel of the Lord announces the mission of Elizabeth's son while he is still in his mother’s womb (see Luke 1: 14-17). The angel also gives the child a name (Luke 1:13), which means "God is gracious."
The birth of John ends the silence of his father. It is a symbol of God's temporary silence in response to the lack of faith in His word. According to Jewish tradition, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi were the last prophets; after them, prophecy ceased. John's birth ends this silence and begins a new period in the history of salvation. "In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son" (Heb. 1: 1-2).
“He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me" (Is. 49: 2). The Gospel of Luke concludes the narrative about the birth of John saying that he "remained in the wilderness until he appeared before Israel" (Luke 1:80). John, God's arrow hidden in the wilderness, expects to be sent on a mission. When he is finally pulled out of God's quiver, he will announce to the people the baptism of repentance and reveal to them the Savior of the world (Acts 13: 24-25).
The father praises God but the fear of the Lord overtakes all the neighbors (Luke 1: 64-65). Fear is a frequent reaction to God revealing His presence among the people. Isaiah responded with fear when he saw the Lord sitting on the throne (Isaiah 6: 1-5). The fear of the Lord is also the beginning of wisdom; it prevents us from committing sin. Thus, the events accompanying the birth of John were already calling the people to repentance. Later on, John himself appearing in the wilderness will call everyone to bring fruit worthy of repentance (Matt. 3:8).
“For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him "(Luke 1:66). This phrase speaks of God's protection and guidance. The Book of Chronicles contains a prayer of Jabez. The prayer reads: "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain" (1 Chron. 4:10). We find the same phrase in the Acts of the Apostles describing the surprising growth of the young Church: "And the hand of the Lord was with them, because a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord" (Acts 11:21). God's blessing is the key to real success.
The motto of John’s life is captured in the sentence: "He must increase; I must decrease" (John 3:30). To call a nation to repentance and to lead people to Christ is associated with great risk. The one who was not a reed swayed by the wind, who did not live in kings’ palaces, and who was not dressed in fine clothes (Matt. 11: 7-8) ended his life like most of the prophets becoming a martyr.
Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.