It Just Isn’t Natural

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.”
Luke 1:68, 69

In this passage of Scripture, the Holy Spirit came upon Zacharias. He was the father of John the Baptist. When I first read this passage and Zacharias’ prophecy, I was initially confused because I didn’t immediately know to whom he was referring. Wasn’t he referring to his son John? As a father, it made sense that he would praise God for the birth of his son and to speak of the great things that his son would do. After all, isn’t that what fathers do? Aren’t their sons the best? The most talented? The strongest, wisest and best looking of the lot? I mean, come on, here Zacharias spoke right after the birth of his son, and he was unable to speak before that for how long? Nine, ten months? Then consider that Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, were old and well past the child bearing years, but she miraculously conceived. Don’t you think that would have caused Zacharias’ praise to center on God for John’s birth? I do! Of course, Elizabeth’s conception didn’t  surprise me given that I was familiar with the story of Abraham and Sarah and the troubles that Rebecca had to conceive before the twins, Esau and Jacob, were born. It made sense how Isaac preferred Esau, the first born, over Jacob. That’s the way fathers are, aren’t they? Bragging about their first born bouncin’ baby boys? But that wasn’t the case with Zacharias. Zacharias’ praise of God and what he had to say centered on another child: Jesus.

“What? Really? That’s not natural!” I thought as I read the passage.

“Exactly,” my spirit responded. “There is a greater Father to be mentioned here. You do know that don’t you? God, the Father of Jesus. His name is above all names; his birth above all births; his purpose above all purposes.”

It was at that point that I realized the rightness of Zacharias’ praise and adoration of God’s Son even before mentioning his own son. As written in Matthew 10:37. “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” In this passage Zacharias not only prophesized what marvelous things that God had done in the birth of Jesus, and what John would do in preparing His way, but he demonstrated true worthiness as a son of God by mentioning God’s Son first. That is something we all should do, but let may say, “Still, it just isn’t natural.”