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was the name reveal. However, the drama than he began to speak: “And his mouth
did not usually run very high; most people was opened immediately, and his tongue
knew the boy’s name would either be loosed, and he spake, and praised God”
taken from his father or his grandfather. (v64). He acted in faith; Gabriel had told
In this case, they all knew what to expect him, “Thou shalt call his name John” (v13),
– or at least they thought they did – and and now he obeyed. The combination of
so “they called him Zacharias, after the his faith and obedience effected the loos-
name of his father” (v59). But then there ing of his tongue. What was the first thing
was drama, and plenty of it. Elisabeth he said? He did not reiterate his son’s
intervened with a shocker: “And his name, now with spoken words, nor did
mother answered and said, Not so; but he begin to tell everyone what happened
he shall be called John” (v60). John? Did to him on that memorable day in the holy
they hear that correctly? John? Really? place. Rather, he “praised God.” The dis-
3
They started chatting with one another: cipline he received for his failure to believe
Could anyone recall a John in their family God’s promise had not made him bitter. It
history? With its many branches, no one was given for his good and had yielded
could find a John in their family tree. If “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” in
they lived today, their search for his name his life (Heb 12:10-11), evidenced by his
on ancestry.com would be fruitless. “And obedience to God’s Word.
they said unto her, There is none of thy
kindred that is called by this name” (v61). Reacting with Wonder
Apparently, Elisabeth was adamant about Like Zacharias (v12) and Mary (v30)
the name, so they moved on to “discuss” earlier, the reaction of everyone was fear:
this with Zacharias. Perhaps he would be “And fear came on all that dwelt round
more sensible and talk (or write) some of about them” (v65). Sure, there was the
that sense into his wife. “And they made shock of hearing Zacharias’ voice after
signs to his father, how he would have such a long silence, but it was more than
him called” (v62). But Zacharias was even that. A couple old enough to be grand-
2
more firm. Elisabeth had said, “He shall be parents becoming first-time parents, the
called John,” but her husband scribbled on strange name they gave their boy, the
his tablet, “His name is John” (vv60,63). muting and unmuting of the father – it
They were in total agreement. Case closed. was all so different. Something special was
John was his name, which means “the happening outside Jerusalem. The whole
Lord has given grace.” How fitting that the episode filled them with awe.
forerunner of the Messiah, the Savior who In addition to fear, there was plenty
would usher in the dispensation of grace, of discussion about these events: “And
be called “the Lord has given grace.” all these sayings were noised abroad
Restoring Speech throughout all the hill country of Judaea”
(v65). Zacharias was talking and so was
No sooner had Zacharias written the ex- everyone else! It was a story too good to
clamation point at the end of his sentence be kept to oneself.

2 As pointed out in a previous article, the fact 3 The verb “praised” is in the imperfect tense,
that they had to make signs to Zacharias here implying continued praise, as Zacharias will
implies he was likely deaf as well as mute. demonstrate in the song to follow (vv67-79).
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