More than a Gender Reveal

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Scripture:

Luke 1:72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us
74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.

Observation:

John the Baptist has just been born and his father has affirmed his name. Suddenly, Zacharias regains his voice and begins to speak prophetically. Not only speaking of his son, he speaks of the soon to be born Messiah and reveals his mission. This is the fulfillment of God’s promise to his people. 

This is the dawning of the gospel, a revelation about the very hopeful transformation of humanity. The goal is to be able to serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness. This would be affirmed later by the apostles: 

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

This was not just a gender reveal, or a naming reveal, but an unveiling of God’s plan for all of humanity. 



Application:

The other day my husband and I were taking a ride down by a lake. There we saw a big pavilion decked out with blue and pink streamers and a huge sign that said, “gender reveal.” These events are becoming more and more popular, and even more complicated as the days go by. This is because the news of a long-awaited baby is exciting for all, and the same was true for Elizabeth and Zacharias. They had waited through many years of infertility and now, John had arrived. The timing was perfect, for another baby would arrive soon as well, a little cousin for baby John. It was the culmination of God’s plan for humanity and it was much more exciting than a gender reveal.

We are to live into the promises brought to us by the Lord. We can live “rescued from the hands of our enemies,” and without fear. Enemies are not always outside of us, but may be the demons of our own soul that haunt us and drive us to live with fear and anxiety. The revelation of Christ is wholistic, for it provides a new way in which humanity can live. 

Holiness is possible in this lifetime, if we continually draw near to the revealed Messiah. It is in Christ’s revelation that we can become Christ’s reflection. This is the way in which God made holiness a very real possibility for all of humanity. Now, we embrace a life of righteousness. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can live lives of self-control and practice living like Christ. The practice of virtues will strengthen and transform us, helping to form us into a clearer reflection of Christ and his holiness. This is the dawning of the good news; the light is beginning to shine and will continue to do so until all is entirely revealed in Christ’s second coming. 

Prayer

Lord, as the dawn breaks, may I live in your light and your revealed son. Amen. 

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