What’s In A Name
Introduction: My name is Marc, the meaning of my name is ‘Mighty Warrior’. My wife’s name is Michelle it means, ‘Like unto the Lord’, Micah’s name is like it, ‘Like unto Jehovah’. Tabitha’s name comes from a story in Acts, depending on which source book you use her name either means, ‘ Like a Gazelle’ or ‘Symbol of Beauty. It’s interesting to look up the meanings of our names, but it is quite telling that the majority of us have no idea what our names mean or even that our names carry some special meaning. To us the idea of knowing what our name means is more a novelty than a necessity. In our North American culture we find ourselves naming our children with names that appeal to our ear. We sound them out and try out the rhythm to see if they fit. Sometimes we name our children after a family relative to honour them, sometimes we reject a name simply because we once knew someone we didn’t like by that name.
But in the Old and New Testaments we encounter a very different culture. The culture of the Jews was such that names were of incredible importance. A name carried more than your identity, it said something about who you were, or what your God was like, or how you were expected to live. Name were not always given to a child at birth, in fact it was not entirely unusual for a child to go for many years without a permanent name. In scripture we even see that God changes the names of certain characters to better define who they were or whom they would become. Abram’s name was changed to Abraham; Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. So we are not out of line when we consider narrative stories in scripture to ask the question, ‘What’s in a name?’
Every year in December we open our Bibles and look at the Christmas story, but it is rare that we have the opportunity to consider the very earliest narrative, the story of the coming of Gabriel to Zechariah and his promise that his wife Elisabeth would bear a son and they would call his name John. But today we will consider this story and the meaning of the names God places on each one of these characters. You will see in this passage that God is faithful to do what he has prophesied and promised, no matter what the odds. Let’s see if we can see the story with new eyes today.
I. Zechariah – Jehovah Will Remember
“It was the time of the morning sacrifice. As the massive Temple-gates slowly swung on their hinges, a three-fold blast from the silver trumpets of the Priests seemed to waken the City, as with the Voice of God, to the life of another day. As its echoes came in the still air… up the slopes of the Upper City, down the busy quarters below, or away to the new suburb beyond, they must, if but for a moment, have brought holier thoughts to all. For, did it not seem to link the present to the past and the future, as with the golden chain of promises that bound the Holy City to the Jerusalem that was above, which in type had already, and in reality would soon descend from heaven? Patriot, saint, or stranger, he could not have heard it unmoved, as thrice the summons from within the Temple-gates rose and fell.” (Edersheim 94)
Within the temple gates the priests were already busy with their task of preparing the temple for worship, and among them an older priest, a quiet and humble man of many years. He was unlike many of the priests in more ways than simply age. While the majority of the priests hailed from Jerusalem or Jericho this elderly man chose to live in the hills of Judea. In modern days he may have been from a place not unlike Creston, he may have driven a beat up old Ford pick-up and tended to a little farm up the side of one of the mountains when he wasn’t on duty. Of the order of Abia, he was certainly one of the oldest priests still serving in the temple.
If you were to see him that day you may have noticed a glint in his eye, perhaps a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, for to him had fallen the great honour and responsibility of burning the incense. In all of his years as a priest the honour had never fallen to him, and he may well have expected that it never would fall to him, as it seemed his lot in life to miss out on special blessing. To be chosen to burn incense was a once in a lifetime privilege for any priest. So honoured was this act that ever afterwards the priests chosen would be referred to as rich.
Many thoughts must have mixed through Zechariah’s mind as he prepared himself to present the incense. Would he remember his part? The act was simple in and of itself, he simply had to enter the holy place alone and spread the incense on the coals. As the assembled congregation prayed outside he was to offer the prayer before the altar and withdraw as quickly as possible, as he exited the holy place he would pause on the steps to offer the Aaronic Benediction, ‘’The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’ He must also have thought about the Old Testament stories of priests who did not return, those who were smitten for sin and falseness in their service, surely in some corner of his mind those thoughts must have entered.
In all of this we must be reminded of the meaning of Zechariah’s name, ‘Jehovah will remember’. How many men in this day must have born that name, how many must have uttered it as a silent prayer. In the bleak days of life under Herod the Great, as a fraction of the people they once were, Zechariah’s name cries out, ‘Jehovah will remember’. Remember your promise Jehovah, remember your people Jehovah, a quiet consolation over the past 400 years of silence was the promise, ‘Jehovah will remember.’
And so on that day with a multitude of faithful Israelites gathered outside the holy place Zechariah humbly slipped through the entry and into the holy place, dimly lit by candle-light. The incense that was burned on the altar was a symbol of Israel’s prayers, accepted by God. For the moment Zechariah was alone, I wonder if he paused a moment to etch the scene into his memory, a moment of blessing in a lifetime of service, a moment that would soon be done. Alone Zechariah approached the altar, alone he spread the incense, alone he waited as it kindled on the coals and as the smoke began to ascend and the multitude outside fell prostrate in prayer, old Zechariah prayed in silence. He must have prayed, ‘Remember Jehovah, remember your people, remember your promise.’
As Zechariah opened his eyes he was aware that he was not alone. With trembling fear he lifted his eyes to the figure standing to the right of the altar of incense. No man was to enter the holy place when the incense was being offered, but clearly this was no man.
II. Gabriel – Mighty One of Jehovah
Before the aged priest stood Gabriel, whose name means, ‘Mighty One of Jehovah’. The last time Gabriel stood before a man it was Daniel living in exile. That had been about 600 years earlier. Gabriel had been sent to reveal to Daniel the mystery of God’s timing for the arrival of the Messiah.
Seventy-sevens are declared for your people Daniel, first seven sevens; then sixty-two more sevens until the anointed one will be cut off. There were those in Israel who could do the math, those who must have known that the coming of the Messiah was drawing near. For when the sevens were calculated as years the total number was 483 years from the time the command was given to rebuild Jerusalem until the time that the anointed one would be cut off. Those who knew the prophecy must have known that the promised one would have to born in the coming generation in order to fulfill the prophecy.
It was the same with Zechariah as it was with Daniel; and it would be the same again with Mary in a short time. Gabriel had come, the ‘Mighty One of God’ to deliver a message, but before he could deliver the message he had to calm the fears of those to whom he had appeared. With Daniel he had actually had to pick him up from the ground and encourage him to have strength for the fear was so great in him. Zacharia must have paled considerably for the first words Gabriel speaks are, ‘Fear not’.
In understanding the name of Gabriel we can well understand how terrifying it must have been to stand face to face with him. Never are we given a description of his appearance, but based on the little scripture tells us of God’s angels he must have been amazing to behold.
How strange it must have seemed to Zechariah that he should be in the presence of an angel, the last words of God were recorded over 400 years ago by the prophet Malachi, people had come to not expect to hear from God, but stranger still was the reason for this visit, the angel had come to inform him that his prayer had been heard and that his wife would now bear him a son, to whom the name John would be given.
His prayer had been heard, but which prayer? The prayer he had just uttered, that God would remember his promise or the prayer he had long since ceased to pray, that God might bless him with a son. Gabriel makes it clear that the answer is to both prayers, as he will indeed have a son in his old age and that son will be the immediate forerunner to the promised Messiah.
Whether from fear or doubt, Zechariah dared to challenge Gabriel with the question, ’How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.’
Gabriel’s response reveals to us again the importance of this message, for it is not some lowly messenger angel that bears these tidings, but Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. As a sign to Zechariah and all around him of the veracity of the promise Zechariah is told that he will be silent until these things are accomplished.
With that Zechariah finds himself alone again in the dimly lit holy place. As he steps again into the light of the temple courts he encounters many concerned faces of worshippers wonder why he had been so long in the temple. The other priests must have stood for a moment in their given places waiting for the blessing which would conclude the ceremony, but the words didn’t come, as they looked at the white head of Zechariah they must have noticed a paleness and from his gesturing they were led to understand that he had had a vision within the temple. When the week ended Zechariah departed silently for his home many miles away in the hills of Judea.
III. Elisabeth – Jehovah is an Oath; (Jehovah, the Absolutely Reliable One)
The only one who would be more shocked by the promise Zechariah had received must have been Elisabeth. She must have started life with high hopes like all young women do. She was a descendant of Aaron of the priestly line and she had married a priest, their union was said by tradition to have a double blessing, but things just didn’t seem to turn out that way, in fact most every dream she had ever dreamed had by this time withered and died.
Her name means Jehovah is an Oath, or in more modern language, Jehovah is Absolutely Reliable. The name must have often seemed to be a bitter joke to Elisabeth, for to her had fallen the apparent double curse of being barren. A curse in those days because it was believed that children were a sign of God’s blessing and so to be without children was obviously a sign of God’s displeasure or judgment for some secret sin. Second a curse because it automatically disqualified the parents from the possibility of being part of the blood-line of the promised Messiah. The desire of every Jewish woman was to be mother of the Messiah who would restore their nation and fulfill the promise of God.
For years Zechariah and Elisabeth must have prayed that God would remove their shame and grant them a son, but surely those prayers had stopped at menopause and the two had resigned themselves to the autumn of life alone. But what would have embittered many did not corrupt Elisabeth. We are clearly told in the passage that both she and her husband were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. Zechariah and Elisabeth did not concern themselves with the whispers and questions of their neighbours, they knew whom it was they were meant to please, and that was the Lord. We are told that they were blameless in the sight of God, which shouldn’t lead us to believe that they were without sin, rather just as Abraham’s faith that God would complete his promise was reckoned to him as righteousness; so Zechariah and Elisabeth were accepted in God’s sight based on their faith in what he had not yet done.
According to verses 23-25 Elisabeth became pregnant after Zechariah’s silent return and that she secluded herself for a period of five months. Well we might imagine that she spent her time pondering the wonder of what had happened to her. The name which seemed so long to be misplaced on her now took on its fullest meaning, Jehovah, the Absolutely Reliable One!
Can you imagine the scene at the home of Zechariah on the day of the baby’s circumcision. An elderly couple standing by the head of the counter on which the little child lay, neighbours looking on with wonder and Elisabeth with a maternal glow. What must it have been like for her, to gaze at this miracle child, to gently caress the little hands and feet or to look into the child’s eyes of one announced by the angel Gabriel himself. Indeed we see in scripture that God proves himself faith even in the impossible; dare we say especially in the impossible. Those things which we call supernatural because they are outside of our regular experience God calls natural.
IV. John – Jehovah is Gracious
The day of circumcision arrived for Elisabeth’s son eight days after he was born just as it has for all faithful Jews from the time of Abraham onward. In the times of the early New Testament it was not uncommon for the neighbours to gather at this solemn assembly as the male child was set apart with the sign of God’s covenant with Israel. I imagine that the crowd may have been larger than usual, as this was an unusual event – the dedication of a miracle child.
Tremendous tradition and meaning were concentrated in this ritual and as the ceremony began the people fell silent listening to the traditional words of benediction that would be spoken in dedication over the child. The Jewish liturgy droned on until it reached the point of the naming of the child. Obviously there had been no discussion with Elisabeth as to the name and seeing as old Zechariah could no longer speak it was assumed that the name Zechariah would be given to this child, that he might model his life after his fathers and serve as a priest of God.
Suddenly Elisabeth interrupted the ceremony, ‘No, his name will not be Zechariah, he will be called John.’
Surely a ripple of surprise must have passed through those assembled; does she choose to dishonour her aged husband by giving the child a different name? No surely there must be another relative with this name, her father or his father or maybe an uncle; but no there is no one. Why the name John? In confusion they turn to Zechariah and pose to him the question of what the child should be named.
Purposefully Zechariah took up his stylus and writing tablet. With a glisten in his eye he turned the tablet towards them and they saw it was written, ‘His name is John.’ Not, ‘His name should be John;’ or ‘we would like to call him John,’ but, ‘His name IS John. It was the name given to him by the command of God through the angel Gabriel. Immediately upon completing this task the tongue of Zechariah which had been silent for over nine months was loosed and he began to give great praise to God, surely to the utter surprise of all his neighbours.
But well we might ask ourselves, ‘What’s in a name?’ Surely there must be some reason for God choosing the name John rather than allowing the parents to name the son. The name John means, Jehovah is Gracious.
Surely the first meaning that comes to mind is that Jehovah was Gracious to an elderly couple in giving them a son, but to really understand the fullness of his name we have to revisit the words of Gabriel. We are told that many people will rejoice because of his birth. He is a sign given to the Jews of the coming arrival of their king, and so they should rejoice at his birth. Gabriel tells us that he will turn many people back to the Lord their God and that he will precede the coming of the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah.
Indeed no other character in scripture is more like Elijah than John the Baptist. Just as Elijah had no fear of the powers of his day, but stood toe to toe with King Ahab and wicked Queen Jezebel; so John the Baptist would stand toe to toe with King Herod the Great, a king known for his brutality and ruthlessness. Just as Elijah preached unflinchingly God’s call to return to true religion, so John the Baptist stood in the wilderness preaching, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.’
John the Baptist is so often ignored in our study of the gospels, he doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the New Testament characters, there is something unnerving about him, something archaic. He appears for only a few chapters in each of our gospels, dressed in animal skins and eating locust and wild honey and baptizing people who turn to God in repentance. In fact as we read about him he seems better suited for the Old Testament, the words, ‘God is Gracious,’ most of us would never apply to this fiery prophet.
Indeed we are right in our judgment to some degree, for John the Baptist forms the bridge between Old Testament and New for us. In Malachi 4:5-6 we read the final words God speaks in the Old Testament before 400 years of silence, these words are, ‘See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hears of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.’ When God breaks his silence for the first time in 400 years it is through Gabriel that he speaks to an old priest serving in the temple and the message he delivers is that you will have a son who will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah.
It was with intent that John’s parents were both descendants from Aaron, the first priest of Israel. It was John who would be the last prophet of the Old Covenant, the perfect representation of what Israel was meant to be religiously. It was an Old Testament prophet who was needed to come and graciously turn the people of Israel back to their God and to prepare the way for the promised one.
It is to John that the announcement of the Messiah falls, ‘Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.’ Jesus would later say of him, ‘No greater prophet has ever lived.’
Our world today looks at the message of John the Baptist and resists it. They do not recognize the grace of God found in repentance. They simply see what they perceive to be the loss of freedom. John comes to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, to restore right family relationships; our world asks us to make no comment as to what right family relationships should be. John comes to turn the disobedient back to the way of the righteous, but our world today asks us to make no comment about right and wrong, to avoid judging a person based on how they live or what they do… but one day God will judge each one of us based on the decisions we have made in this lifetime, is it not grace to send a fiery prophet as both a warning and a sign. Indeed Jehovah is Gracious.
Conclusion: As I conclude this message I want to remind you that we serve a God who is remembers; a God who is mighty; a God who is faithful and a God who is gracious.
There is coming a day when again an angel will appear to herald the coming of the Messiah, but this time the coming will be immanent and immediate. Scripture tells us that the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of the archangel and the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first, and then we who are alive and remain will be caught up to the clouds to be with the Lord forever. Are you ready to go? John the Baptist has already come and gone, but his message bears warning to us today – prepare yourself to meet your God, for God will not forget what he has promised; his coming will be swift and mighty and the time we are living in now is a period of grace.
Have we repented of our sin and received the salvation that Jesus offers? Have we turned from sin and turned to righteousness? For surely our King is coming let us prepare ourselves to meet him on that great day.
