“But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”
Luke 1:60
“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.”
Luke 1:76
Four hundred years of silence. God hasn’t spoken through His prophets since Malachi. The people of Israel have disrespected the Lord’s name. The book of Malachi gives a litany of their sins against God. The people have been freed from captivity, and the second Temple has been built. Yet, the people have remained unfaithful.
“…If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.
Malachi 1:6
But God hasn’t given up on His people. God is a covenant keeping Father. John is the last Biblical prophet, and whom we have come to know as John the Baptist.
“I have loved you,” says the Lord…”
Malachi 1:2
As the angel, Gabriel predicted, John would be filled with the Holy Spirit prior to his birth. Luke 1:15 and as Luke tells the story, we see that prophecy occur in verse 41. This showed God’s blessing on these faith-filled lives from the start.
Click the link to read Elizabeth’s full greeting to Mary, “…you were blessed by God because you believed.” Luke 1:42-45
God’s tender mercy and unfailing promises follow John through a short but remarkable life. Each of his days were devoted to the mission of Jesus. He prepared the way for the Messiah by preaching and baptizing disciples to be sent out among the people. John’s life is recorded in each of the Gospels. I hope you will do a Bible study on this man of faith, whose focus throughout his life, was Jesus.
John’s life was summed up by his father, Zechariah in the final verses of this part of the Christmas story. Click the link (Luke 1:67-80) to read all of Zechariah’s prophecy and prayer of thanksgiving.
76“And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
77 You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of God’s tender mercy,
the Morning Light from heaven is about to break upon us
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.”
Share the Gospel in your world this Christmas.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 