Luke 1:13-15 - Samson or John?

Luke 1:13-15 (ESV)

[13] But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. [14] And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, [15] for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

This is almost exactly what an angel told Samson’s mother, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean” (Judges 13:3b-4). The difference is that in Judges the angel went on to say that Samson would be a Nazirite from the womb. Whereas Zechariah was told that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. Samson’s mother was also told not to cut his hair. That was a stipulation of the Nazirite vow. Nothing is said about John’s hair, but it is said that he will turn many “to the Lord their God,” and that “he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah.”

Samson’s calling was deliverance and while he fulfilled his calling to some extent, he did it poorly, finally succeeding through his own death. John’s calling was that of a prophet rather than a judge. He called the people of God back to covenant relationship and announced the coming Messiah. Samson’s legacy was one of self-absorption with some success. John’s legacy was one of success with the humility to step out of the way for the one he was announcing. Samson’s life was one of dissipation. John’s life was one of self-denial and service.

I recently hear a woman say, “I’ve learned that the key to happiness is to do whatever you want.” She was young. She will learn differently, but for now she sounds an awful lot like Samson. Giving your life to satisfy your life is a small vision at best. I prefer to give my life to something larger than myself. Jesus’ words in John 12:25 seem significant here, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” As we celebrate Thanksgiving and rapidly approach the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord, may we choose to give our lives to something and someone greater than ourselves. May we be a John, not a Samson.