by Pastor Anthony Lucarini

I grew up about four and a half hours north of here in a town outside of Charlotte, NC, called Mooresville. In Mooresville, Friday nights in the fall were spent one way—at the high school football games, watching Mooresville High.

During my eighth-grade year, there was a star linebacker on the team. He was the talk of the town, and everyone had high hopes for him. The question wasn’t if he was going Division 1, but where. This guy was built like a refrigerator with legs, and I remember deciding one game to keep my eyes on him for a play. I wanted to understand what made him so special beyond his sheer size.

When the quarterback said “hike,” this linebacker made a split-second decision to blitz. The running back tried to block him, but it was like he wasn’t even there. The linebacker plowed through him, grabbed the quarterback, and launched him eight yards in the other direction. The crowd went insane. I looked at my friend with my jaw on the floor, thinking two things: This guy is special—Where is he going to go? What will he be?

That was the question everyone asked about this hometown hero. And it’s the same question that is answered in Luke 1 about someone who had God’s hand on his life before birth.

The Hand of God at Work

Luke 1 tells us about Elizabeth and Zecharias, a couple who had no children and were well beyond childbearing years—until an angel appeared to Zecharias, declaring that they would have a son named John. Zecharias doubted, and because of his disbelief, the angel made him mute until the promise was fulfilled.

When Elizabeth gave birth, the time had come not just for their son, but for God’s perfect plan to unfold. Paul echoes this in Galatians 4:4: “But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son.” God’s timing is never accidental. He sent Jesus into the world at the perfect moment—during the Pax Romana, when roads connected vast regions and a common language facilitated communication, allowing the Gospel to spread rapidly.

God’s Plan Unfolds

When Zecharias confirmed, “His name is John,” his mouth was opened, and he praised God. John’s name means “Grace of God,” and his life would be a living testimony to that grace.

The people asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” They didn’t know the details, but they recognized that the hand of the Lord was upon him. Throughout the Old Testament, the phrase “the hand of God” signified His presence and guidance. It didn’t specify what would happen, but it assured who was directing it.

Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied about John’s role. John would be the forerunner, the voice in the wilderness, the one preparing the way for the Messiah. He was the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3-5.

Three Takeaways for Us Today

Time is in God’s Hands

John’s purpose came at a predetermined time. Jesus came at the perfect moment in history. God’s promises always unfold at the right time, even when we don’t understand the timeline.

Choose Your Voices Carefully

Elizabeth and Zecharias had many voices around them, but they listened to God’s voice above all. Be selective about which voices you allow to influence you. As the world’s voices grow louder, become more familiar with the voice of God through Scripture.

Give God Praise

Zecharias didn’t just receive the miracle—he responded with worship. We often ask God for things, but do we return to thank Him? Like the one leper who came back to Jesus (Luke 17:15-16), let’s be people who give God the praise He is due.

So, what will we be? Will we trust God’s timing? Will we choose His voice over the noise of the world? Will we live lives of gratitude and praise? Just as John had a calling to prepare the way for Jesus, we, too, have a calling—to point others to the hope, redemption, and grace found in Christ.