Luke 1:11-17
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
The chronicling of the birth of John the Baptist and his role in preparing the people for the coming of the Lord reminds us during this Christmas season that Jesus came. This was God’s plan for our salvation … the turning of our hearts back to God the Father.
It also reminds us that Jesus is coming again and that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, should be continually preparing for His coming and calling the lost to repentance. Only tribulation awaits those who fail to turn back to God before Jesus comes again. That is why there must be an urgency about our work of evangelism.
The Lord is coming … tell somebody today!
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