“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the presence 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, whereby the sunrise from on high has visited 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.” Luke 1:76-79 (Read Luke 1)
Silence Broken
For 400 years, the people of Israel had waited. No major prophet had spoken since Malachi. But in the hill country of Judea, that silence was broken — not by the roar of a conqueror, but by the cry of a baby.
In Luke 1, we see God setting the stage for the arrival of the Messiah. He began by sending a forerunner. The birth of John the Baptist was miraculous, being born to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age. Yet, his miraculous birth was secondary to his miraculous mission.
Preparing the Way
Before John was even conceived, the angel Gabriel defined his life’s purpose to his father, Zechariah: “And he will 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” (Luke 1:17).
John was not the Light, but he prepared God’s people for the appearance of the Light. His work was the hard labor of spiritual agriculture — breaking up the fallow ground of hard hearts so that the seeds of Jesus’ ministry could take root. He was called to turn hearts that had grown cold and disobedient to the truth back “to the wisdom of the just.”
Leap of Recognition
John’s spiritual sensitivity was evident even before his birth. When Mary, only newly pregnant with Jesus, visited Elizabeth, the presence of the Messiah caused a physical reaction in the unborn John. “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41).
This “leap” was not merely movement; it was joyful recognition. It reminds us that the work of God often begins in the quiet, unseen places before it is ever made manifest in the public square. John’s entire existence was tuned to the frequency of the coming Messiah and Savior.
Sunrise from On High
When John was born, Zechariah’s speech was restored, and the father prophesied over the son. He spoke of a “sunrise from on high” that would visit the people.
In ancient times, travelers stuck in the darkness of night would “sit in darkness” eagerly awaiting the dawn’s light when they could see their way. Zechariah declared that John’s ministry would point to the Sunrise — the Messiah — who would finally reveal the path back to God and “guide our feet into the way of peace” with God through repentance and the remission of sins through faith in Jesus and His cross (Luke 1:79).
Ministry of John the Baptist Still Vital
• Just as John prepared the way for Christ’s first coming, the Holy Spirit uses the law of God to convict us of sin and point us to Christ and His cross, and so prepare our hearts for Christ’s return. We cannot fully embrace the grace and mercy of Jesus until we, like the people of John’s day, see our need for God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus (Luke 1:77).
• Like John, we are not the Savior. We are not the solution to the world’s darkness. Our job is not to manufacture light, but to point urgently and joyfully to the Sunrise — to “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
• Luke 1:80 tells us that “the child grew and became strong in spirit.” In a culture that is often hostile to truth, we need that same strength of spirit — a rugged, wilderness faith that cares more about God’s approval than public opinion.
John the Baptist reminds us that God has prepared a way. No matter how dark the night or how long the silence, the Sunrise beams brightly in Christ Jesus!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the tender mercy You showed in sending the Sunrise from on high to visit us. Thank You for the ministry and example of John the Baptist, who was content to simply be a voice crying in the wilderness, pointing others to Your Son, Jesus Christ. Prepare my own heart for His coming. Break up the hard soil of my sinfulness and rebellion and grant me faith to look to Messiah Jesus for pardon and forgiveness. Give me the spirit of a forerunner today. Let my life be a signpost that points my family, my coworkers, and my community to Jesus, the Light of the World. And make me strong in spirit, that I may stand firm in Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(The Holy Bible, Modern English Version, Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association, Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.)