Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 1:13

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Altho the great God useth so to shew himself to the best of his own People, as to imprint upon them a sacred aw of his Majesty, yet he never suffereth the Souls of his People to sink under those apprehensions. The fir[illegible: 1 letter] t Words, the Angel saith to Zacharias, are, Fear not Zacharias. I am no bad Messenger to thee, but a good Messenger from God, to tell thee, Thy Prayer is heard. This is good news to any Soul. But of what Prayer the Angel here speaketh, is a little further question, for it follows, And thy Wife Eliz[illegible: 1 letter]beth shall bear thee a Son. It is believed that the Priest while he Burned Incense, did offer up Prayers, but that he had now offered Prayers to God for issue, is not so probable, considering that both he and Elizabeth were well stricken in years, and probably past Children. Some therefore think that those Words. And thy Wife Elizabeth, &c. are given him only as a Sign, that his Prayers were heard. And added to signify that as a further Mercy to him than what he asked, Elizabeth should conceive. Nor do I see any reason why we should restrain the Prayer mentioned to the Prayer he had now made, and not expound it of those many Prayers which Zacharias had before made, which tho God had delay'd to Answer, yet the Angel assures him, should now be answered with Relation to issue, And thou shalt call his Name John, which is the same with Iohanan in the Hebrew, and signifies Gracious. The Angel directed Ioseph to call Christs Name Iesus, Because he was to save his People from their Sins, and he directeth Zachariah to call his Sons Name Iohn, because he was to open the Kingdom of Grace, and to Preach the Grace of the Gospel, through Jesus Christ.

Marginal references: Ver. 60.63.