The Best is Yet to Come
Barbi Shires

Scripture: Luke 1:57-80
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him. His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn[a] of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation   through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”  And the child grew and became strong in spirit[b]; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Devotional:
The scripture starts with a birth that was anticipated by many, especially Elizabeth and Zechariah as they had waited and prayed and been obedient to God, for a moment such as this. They continued their obedience by naming their child John instead of following cultural expectations and choosing a family name. Because of his obedience, Zechariah was once again able to speak. What he said over two thousand years ago still resounds with us today. 

His prophecy extended far beyond his personal circumstances and experiences. He celebrated God's grand plan of redemption for all people. Zechariah spoke of light appearing to those shrouded in darkness and the shadow of death. He set the stage for what his son was called to do. John’s purpose was to go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Just as John did this for Jesus, Jesus did this for us. Jesus came to illuminate our path and guide us into peace. Zechariah is the epitome of a proud father and beautifully spoke of the impact his son would have on the world. 

It is easy to understand how Zechariah felt with the birth of his son. If you have ever seen the look on the face of a new father, you have experienced the emotion that certainly coursed through Zechariah. So proud of you child, so excited for their future, so full of love for a tiny baby that will change the world. 

Zechariah found his voice by being obedient to God. His months of silence ended in words of praise and thanksgiving. The doubt he had when he was told of his impending fatherhood changed to a declaration of his faith. His story became part of God’s redeeming power. The same God who was faithful to Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary is faithful to you. God is still breaking into our lives with grace. He is still preparing the way for us. He continues to bring light into dark places. And He still invites ordinary people to participate in His extraordinary plan.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness across all generations. Help us to obey and to trust even when we don't understand Your timing, and to use our voices to point others to Jesus. Fill us with Your Spirit so that our lives might be songs of praise. Use us to light the way for others to find you in the midst of their darkness. In the name of Jesus, the tiny baby that changed the world, Amen.