“Faithful to the End”
Luke 1:57-80
His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.” – Luke 1:60
Being faithful to the end. Elizabeth and Zacharias had been faithful before John was conceived, and faithful after. They faithfully served, faithfully prayed, and faithfully lived regardless of circumstance. And then, as we saw in our study a couple of weeks back, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias promising a son in their old age [ref. Lk 1:18].
John would not be an ordinary son. He would be the Forerunner of Messiah. He would “go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah” [Lk 1:17], and “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” [Lk 1:16].
God does extraordinary things through faithful ordinary people. Faithfulness in the day-to-day what is important.
Our passage this morning reveals this, how Zacharias and Elizabeth finished strong. It is not how you start but how you finish that makes all the difference in this life of faith. How are we going to finish?
Remember that children’s fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. Theirs’ was a race to the finish. And while the hare started fast, it was the slow methodical “step-by-step” tortoise who finished.
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” [Heb 12:1-2].
Faith is based on commitment, not excitement. At times there is excitement, but it is not based on it. Faith is sustained by a desire for God, “looking to Jesus,” and looking away from “self.”
Faith was the life of Zacharias and Elizabeth, and in our text this morning we will see that they are faithful to the end. Elizabeth answered, “No; he shall be called John,” not “Zacharias,” according to God’s word. He who began a good work in them had been faithful to complete it! And so, too, will He be with us.
May we stay the course of faith, being faithful to the end. Because it is true, it is not how you start but how you finish that makes all the difference.
