 |
| The Visitation- Tissot, Brooklyn Museum |
Elizabeth delivered her son and they named him John, meaning, "The Lord has shown favor". Her neighbors and relatives rejoiced at the great mercy the Lord had shown her!
Joy emanates from God's favor and grace.
The neighbors of Zacharias and Elizabeth witnessed the miraculous work of God and marveled. Zacharias could then speak again for the first time since the visit of Gabriel. Then fear came over the people. They kept these sayings in their hearts, acknowledging the Lord is with John and wondered what kind of child he will be.
Fear (Phobeo):frightening fearful sight...to be in awe of, revere... reverence.
What does it mean to fear God? Jesus said, "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they can not touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10: 28 NLT Fearing God begins in recognizing who He is and what our place should be before Him. He is not some warm and fuzzy grandfather or Santa Claus, that winks and overlooks sin. He is the Creator of the Universe, He is awesome and Holy. There is no one like Him. He has the power over life and death, over kingdoms and kings, and He makes the decision of where each individual will spend eternity. He is merciful and completely righteous in His judgment. On our own merits we all deserve damnation, but He provided a way to bridge the gap between complete holiness and sinful man. The bridge is the cross of Christ and all who believe in Him can cross over into eternal life. Fearing God means to have a true reverence and respect for Him... to realize He is God and I am not.
