4. Luke 1: 67–79
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty saviour for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’
I am a proud father to two children - now both well grown-up - Naomi and Ben. When they were born, I considered them as miracles of nature, small people that Kim and I now had responsibility for! Like every parent, I considered them both as the most wonderful babies ever born - there were none like them in the world, and to some extent every parent who feels that way is correct. As they grew into children, young adults , and took on more and more responsibilities for themselves, they developed into individuals - unlike anyone else in their values, their thoughts, their personalities. This world is full of around 8 billion individuals, each one somewhat unlike everyone else!
Zechariah's prophecy about his son marked John out with a special mission, a God-given mission to prepare the way for the Messiah. Of course, we can look back at the circumstances and know that his son would be called John the Baptiser, or John the Baptist. The prophecy was fulfilled, and John's role in our faith journey would ensure that he would never be forgotten.
More importantly, John should never be overlooked in his importance in the Scriptures. It records a life of service to God, challenging the social norms, calling people to repentance. He certainly prepared the people for the message of Christ, fulfilling the words his father said when he was born. Here's another Advent challenge - how will you be remembered? Will the next generations remember you as a Christian, a person who served God?
Collect
Almighty God, Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
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