Devotions Archive Archive: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Search Archive Print This Article Looking for the baby Monday, December 23, 2002 Luke 1:63-66 63) Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled. 64) Immediately Zechariah's mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65) Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66) And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him. The name John means "son of thunder." John is the thunder preceding the rainstorm of Jesus. John's talk proclaims Jesus' walk. John was not a family name. No one had that name before. It came out of nowhere, from God to both Elizabeth and her husband. As Zechariah announced it his mouth was finally opened, and months of muteness ended. Everyone wondered what would happen next. As John grew, I imagine there were moments when he too wondered. And finally, growing up a Nazarite and living in the desert, he made real his calling to thunder the announcement of Jesus one more time. As a baby in his mother's womb, then born, then growing, finally becoming a man, only gradually did he realize who he was and what God called him to do. Even more, probably, he didn't know who Jesus was until a moment beside a stream when the Holy Spirit came and landed on Jesus ... he waited, he watched, he listened, and then suddenly, God came. Advent is such a waiting time; even though I know what's coming, I still can watch every hour for signs of my Savior, the one who loves all of us. Jesus, come. "; Add      Edit    Delete