John the Baptist - part I

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for you prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many if the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” And Zacharias said to angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:13 – 18)

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feed into the way of peace. (Luke 1:76 – 79)

John the Baptist was a great prophet, the letter-day Elijah, whose ministry was epochal, historical and unprecedented. He was called the prophet of the Highest, for he went before the face of the Lord to prepare His way, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins. He was a minister who dispelled the clouds so that people would see the sun, untying the knots in people’s hearts. He caused the Dayspring to shine upon the world from on high, giving light to those who sat in darkness and shadow of death, and guiding their feet into the way of peace. Through an angel, God prophesied to Zacharias, John’s father, that John would be great in the sight of the Lord and he would also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. All these testify that God has chosen John and sent him to accomplish the special mission of the era. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, even from him mother’s womb, and had gained the spirit and power of Elijah.

We know that our forefather Isaac was born through promise, but very few of us know that John the Baptist was also born through promise. Zacharias, John’s father, said to the angel, “I am an old man, and my wife is well advance in years.” To man, this old couple would never bear a child again. But God’s promise made it possible. Born through promise means not born according to the flesh, or by natural means of birth. It is beyond the knowledge of man. Let me ask, who else was born through promise besides Isaac and John the Baptist?

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