S – Luke 1:13–17 (CSB): But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit  while still in his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.” 

A – Luke 1:14–17 (BKC): The angel not only gave the name of the son, but also detailed six aspects of John’s character.

1. He will be a joy and delight to you (v. 14). Luke frequently used the word “joy” in his accounts in Luke and Acts, often linking it closely with salvation.
2. He will be great in the sight of the Lord. The expression “in the sight of” (enōpion) is characteristic of Luke. Though it appears 35 times in Luke and Acts, it is used only one other time in the other Gospels (John 20:30).
3. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink. Later John voluntarily took on himself a Nazirite vow, refusing to drink anything fermented (Num. 6:1–21). Luke did not specifically state that John would fulfill all aspects of the Nazirite vow. Instead, John would avoid taking any wine perhaps to support his contention that his message was urgent. Another way he emphasized the urgency of his message was to dress, act, and eat like Elijah the prophet (cf. Matt. 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8).
4. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. “From birth” is literally “from his mother’s womb.” When Mary visited Elizabeth before John was born, the baby leaped in her womb. The ministry of the Holy Spirit was important to Luke, and he often went to great length to show His empowering and enabling ministry. Both of John’s parents were filled with the Spirit (Luke 1:41, 67).
   Luke 1:14–17
5.  Many of the people of Israel would he bring back to … God. Crowds of Israelites did turn to the Lord through John’s ministry (Matt. 3:5–6; Mark 1:4–5).
6. He will go on before the Lord. John the Baptist was the Lord’s forerunner, announcing His coming in the spirit and power of Elijah. Luke here referred to two passages in Malachi which speak of messengers: a messenger was to be sent to clear the way before the Lord (Mal. 3:1), and Elijah’s return was promised before the day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5–6) to restore the hearts of the fathers to their children.

A – We often hear of Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy and relation to the Holy Spirit.  Interesting that John also centered in both.  It elevates that John being fully human, was an essential person in the transition of OT relationship with God and the new covenant he helped usher in.

R – Lord, let me live today in a way that honors the past culture and tradition of the early church.  Let me do that by being in complete unity with your Holy Spirit in all that I think, say or do today.