Everybody has a name: it is their most precious and personal possession.  Their name is their external identity and reflects their parents' choice and family bonding.  Naming customs vary throughout the world, some follow family names and others invent new names.  The custom in Britain has been a combination of the two, the first (Christian) name being the parents' choice, the last (Surname) name being the family name of the father and middle names which honour other family members.  The custom in Israel, when John was born, was to name a son with the father's name.  However, God sometimes gave a new name when He gave a new commission (Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, Saul to Paul).

Zechariah, the aged priest was struck dumb when he refused to believe that his elderly and barren wife, Elizabeth, would have a child (Luke 1:18-22).  Nevertheless, the act of judgement spurred his obedience and a baby was conceived (Luke 1:23-24).  When the boy was born everybody expected him to be named Zechariah but Elizabeth interrupted the circumcision and naming ceremony with the startling announcement that his name was to be called John.     

Nine months earlier, Gabriel has told Zechariah God's name for the boy even before he was conceived (Luke 1:13). ‘John’ means ‘God is gracious’, and that same word is used in Greek to mean 'preceding' or ‘going before’.  His name was God's way of telling the parents and the child what his purpose was to be: preceding and announcing the Messiah who would bring the grace of God in salvation to all who believed.  This Divine naming was also a special mark of God's authority over His appointed person.  John was to be God's special wake-up-call to Israel (Luke 1:16) as Malachi had prophesied (Malachi 4:5-6).  He was born for ministry (functionally, he was the last of the Old Testament prophets), to prepare God's people for the arrival of their Messiah.

God's name for John was a surprise break from the family and cultural tradition.  Elizabeth had to speak against all the relatives because God had spoken and she had to be obedient.  Her joy at the safe arrival of a son after years of barrenness did not push God's instruction into the background, nor was she swayed by the power-pack of relatives.  She was faithful to God's commission.  For us, the pressure of family or powerful colleagues in business may tempt us into giving way over some matter for which we are responsible - even though we know that God's Word speaks differently. The man or woman of faith must resist such pressure and intimidation.  We must be unashamed to say that we are going to follow the Lord.  For Elizabeth, that moment would have been anticipated for months: she was prepared and, with the help of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41), she did not fail the test.