“Great Before the Lord”

 

 

 

“You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. He must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:14–17).

 

Reflecting on this passage, I want to consider the lessons the Lord gives us:

(1) When I meditate on this passage, I want to reflect on what kind of person is called “great before the Lord” [“a great man before the Lord” (Modern Translation Bible, Lk 1:15), or “a virtuous/authoritative person before the Lord” (cf. Hokma commentary)]. The Lord’s angel (v.11, Modern Translation Bible) revealed to Zechariah that the son born to him and his wife Elizabeth—John the Baptist (v.13)—would be such a man. Based on Luke 1:14–17, I would like to think of this in several ways:

(a) First, “great before the Lord” is one who “does not drink wine or strong drink” (v.15).

(i) This recalls the Nazarite vow: “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins’” (Numbers 6:1–4).

  • The Hebrew word Nazir (נָזִיר) means “holy,” “set apart,” or “dedicated,” referring to one consecrated to God by vow, either for a time or for life. Nazirites abstained from wine, avoided cutting their hair, and did not touch corpses, living a life of separation unto God. Famous Nazirites include Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist.

  • Their abstinence symbolized separation from worldly pleasures and dedication to God. Refusing wine or strong drink was a declaration of holiness, purity, and devotion to God.

(ii) Luke 1:15 also reminds me of Proverbs 31:4–5: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.” This was the counsel given by King Lemuel’s mother to her son.

  • She warned him that drunkenness would impair judgment and lead to injustice for the poor and needy. Drunkenness dulls discernment, clouds judgment, and leads to distorted decisions.

  • Scripture also warns us: drunkenness is a deed of darkness (Rom 13:13), contrary to God’s will (1 Pet 4:3), dulls the heart (Lk 21:34), and is a foolish pursuit of pleasure (Ecc 2:3).

Therefore, instead of drunkenness, we must be filled with God’s Word and draw near to Him. In times of sorrow, God calls us to trust Him, cast our burdens upon Him (1 Pet 5:7), and find joy and comfort in His Word (Jn 14:1; Ps 94:19).

(b) Second, “great before the Lord” is one who “will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Lk 1:15).

(i) This means John received a special calling and grace from God even before his birth, enabling him to carry out his prophetic mission as the forerunner of Christ.

  • He was chosen to proclaim God’s will and prepare the way for Jesus Christ.

  • “Spirit-filled” indicates empowerment for divine tasks beyond human ability.

  • His consecrated lifestyle reflected a life led by the Spirit.

(ii) Luke emphasizes the Holy Spirit often—12 times in his Gospel, including 4 times in chapter 1 (vv.15, 35, 41, 67)—and 41 times in Acts. Remarkably, even the unborn John was filled with the Spirit, showing the Spirit’s central role in the coming of the Messiah.

(iii) This verse also recalls Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Just as drunkenness controls the body, so being Spirit-filled means surrendering to the Spirit’s guidance and power.

  • Spirit-filling means:

    • yielding fully to the Spirit’s direction,

    • receiving God’s wisdom and power,

    • living in intimate communion with Him.

  • Its results include:

    • Christlike character,

    • true worship and mutual submission,

    • deeper understanding of Scripture,

    • and participation in the spread of God’s Kingdom.

Spirit-filling requires longing, prayer, repentance, and ongoing fellowship with God’s Word.

(c) Third, “great before the Lord” is one who “will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God” (Lk 1:16).

John, the last prophet of the Old Testament era, ended 400 years of silence and prepared the way for Christ. His mission was to call Israel to repentance, turning hearts back to God, crying out: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 3:1–2).

Jesus Himself said of him: “Among those born of women none is greater than John” (Lk 7:28).

This reminds me of Daniel 12:3: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

(d) Fourth, “great before the Lord” is one who “will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Lk 1:17).

(i) To minister “in the spirit and power of Elijah” means John shared Elijah’s prophetic zeal, boldness, and God-given authority. Like Elijah, John lived simply, preached repentance fearlessly, and prepared the way for the Messiah.

(ii) Luke 1:17 cites Malachi 4:6, foretelling reconciliation and restoration: hearts of fathers to children, and children to fathers—pointing to repentance and the return of families, and thus Israel, to God.

This recalls the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15). While the younger son returned in repentance, the elder son remained distant in pride and self-righteousness. True return to the Father required not only the younger son’s repentance but also the elder son’s humility and reconciliation.

(iii) The phrase “to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous” refers to repentance of the rebellious, described by the Greek word ἀπειθής (apeithēs)—used six times in the New Testament to describe spiritual disobedience and unbelief. John’s mission was to call such hearts to yield to Christ the King.

(iv) Finally, “to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” means that John’s role was to prepare people spiritually to receive Christ through repentance, renewal, and faith.

(2) The ultimate reason Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son, John, could be “great before the Lord” (Lk 1:15) is because of Jesus, the true “Great One” (Lk 1:32).

  • Through Jesus, we too can be made “great before the Lord.”

(a) Therefore, let us also:

(i) not be drunk with wine, but be filled with God’s Word,
(ii) be filled with the Holy Spirit,
(iii) carry out a ministry of repentance, turning people back to God,
(iv) prepare people to meet the returning Christ by leading them to faith and obedience.