The lives of John and Jesus have a lot to teach. To begin with, God demonstrated in both cases that He can overrule the normal course of nature in order to establish divine purpose. Consider their birth for example. They were both born through what we might call impossible circumstances. Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old, past the child-bearing age. Suddenly, an angel appeared to Zechariah and announced that a son would be born to him and his wife. Mary, on the other hand, was told to expect a Son though she had no union with a man.

The lesson here is that it is better to seek our approval directly from God, because that is what really counts.

Another important lesson to learn from both lives is divine rating. They both had their rating done by God. In our passage today the angel told Zechariah that John would be great. This word was also spoken in respect of the Lord Jesus Christ. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32). Both are said to be great! God must definitely have different parameters by which He measures greatness. From the physical standpoint, neither John nor Jesus had any of this world’s means or acclaim as are normally accorded great men. The qualification is in the opening phrase of our passage: “He shall be great in the sight of the Lord”. Many are great in the sight of the Lord and weigh nothing before the world; and many are great in the sight of the world and are reputed as nothing in the sight of the Lord. The lesson here is that it is better to seek our approval directly from God, because that is what really counts.