Luke 1:8-17

Luke 1:8-17 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Are your children or grandchildren a joy and delight to you? Elizabeth and Zechariah prayed many years for a baby, so of course, John's birth was a joy and delight to them. He became the center of their household. John experienced unreserved love, for Elizabeth and Zechariah poured themselves and their God into him. John was considered God's child. All parents should view their children in the same way. Yes, your child entered your household, but your child is God's child. Your child should never be considered your property alone, for every child is a blessing from God. If we view our children as something more than just the product of an intimate relationship, we will provide our children with a heritage that will last for generations.

Children learn love and sacrifice from their parents, and as adults, they will extend the same relationship to their children. Appropriate, affectionate relationships learned in the home provide God with people who affect the world positively. Children should always be viewed as Elizabeth and Zechariah viewed John. If we view them as special, as God's gifts, we will treat them with the tenderness and affection they deserve. Therefore, they will never be viewed as inconsequential, as a fifth wheel. They are not to be considered merely an extraneous product of a relationship. They are not to be considered burdens or insurmountable obstacles to happiness and a fulfilled life. No, they are gifts from God, to achieve his purposes, to bring glory to him.

One can easily envision John being central in Elizabeth and Zechariah's lives. But, John was given back to God, for they knew he was God's child. When our children are born, we need to give them back to God. We need to put them on the altar, and say to God, "This child is yours." Every child is really God's child. John's life was a rugged one, a demanding one. His message was a difficult one for the Jewish people to swallow, but he fulfilled his message as one crying out in the wilderness: "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near." Every child should be prepared to do God's will. Sometimes we parents prepare our children to have a better life than we have had. We want them to have more money, more luxuries, more free time, less work, and so on. Unknowingly, we set them up for an attack by the devil and for their own fleshly desires to undermine them. By seeking the best for them in the worldly arena, we may subvert their spiritual growth and maturity in Christ. We may set them up to win the world but to lose the kingdom of God.

John the Baptist did not have a better life than his parents, but HE WAS DOING THE WILL OF GOD. Your children probably will not win the best the world has to offer while doing what God wants them to do. If you think so, your flesh is driving your dreams for them. Yes, some of you might have a child gain status or wealth in the world and still remain sacrificially committed to God. But, I suspect there are not many people who can accomplish both: wealth and sacrifice. Most of the time, status and wealth come from one hundred percent commitment to the world. What do you really want for your children or grandchildren is the question? Do you want them to have it better than you in this life, or do you want them to be more committed to God than you? I hope it is the latter, for how we live this life has eternal consequences. To win the world and lose your soul is the horrible consequence of a successful self-life lived outside of Christ. John, the beloved son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, lived a life for God that ended in his beheading, but for eternity he will be known as God's choice servant, one who made ready a people prepared for the Lord.