No Indeed

"And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. But his mother answered and said, 'No indeed; but he shall be called John.' And they said to her, 'There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.'” 

Luke 1:59-61

In the Israelite culture, the name of a child was quite significant. The naming of a son after his father implied that the child would follow in the steps of his father, that he would carry on the father’s name and also his work. If John had been named Zacharias, he would have been expected to grow up as a priest, just like his father. But this was not to be John's future. He would not follow in his father's footsteps. He would prepare the way for the Messiah. Those attending the circumcision made assumptions about the proper name for the baby. But Elizabeth -- obedient to the Lord --  stood up to them and made a declaration. "He shall be called John." Sometimes other people try to give us advice. If it's contrary to God's will, we should say, "No indeed," and obey the Lord.