“When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.” Luke 1:57‭-‬66

Elizabeth had waited for this moment her entire life! She’d planned for it, dreamed of it and eventually given up on it-yet here it was, she was in labor, giving birth to her son! Her friends and relatives couldn’t believe it-they only knew her as “Old Elizabeth”, who by now was well beyond child-bearing years. She’d gone into seclusion for better part of when she carried John (vs. 24), so very few probably suspected her to be pregnant, and now the day had come-she gave birth to John and was the “talk of the town”!

8 days after John was born, Zechariah and Elizabeth took John to the temple to dedicate him to God. In so doing, Elizabeth announced that his name was John-remember, Zechariah still couldn’t speak, due to his doubting what Gabriel, God’s angel said to him when he encountered him. Zechariah, however, confirmed John’s name, in obedience to God, and he could suddenly speak!

News of all these events, Elizabeth’s untimely pregnancy, Zechariah, the local priests miracle, even the unlikely fact that they’d named their baby, “John”–no one in their family’s name was John. All of this spread throughout all the hills of Judea, people rejoiced and as they thought about these things, they couldn’t help but wonder who John was in God’s big plan and who & what he’d become!

Who are you in God’s big plan? EVERYONE is SOMEONE of importance to God! Discovering this purpose means discovering Him!

Who are you?

Think about it!