For 2,000 years Christians have turned to the story and message of John the Baptist in the weeks leading up to Christmas. In each of the Gospels, the story of Jesus is intertwined with his cousin John, the one whom the prophets foretold would come to “prepare the way of the Lord.” Join us as we explore the Advent themes of John’s life and ministry, and how John calls all followers of Jesus to prepare our hearts for his coming.
Today we look at how John the Baptist prepared people for the coming of the Lord. But it’s not just John the Baptist that is supposed to prepare people for the Lord’s coming, we all are tasked with preparing people for Jesus’ coming and spreading hope.
Today we look at the birth of John the Baptist and the response of his father Zechariah to his birth; and what we learn from this story is how God brings peace to this world and how we are called to be on a peace-bringing mission as well.
Today we look at the message of John the Baptist to the Jewish people to “change their hearts and their lives,” as they prepared themselves for the coming of Jesus. Today, we are called to “change our hearts and minds” and produce the fruit worthy of repentance; and we are all meant to be a “John the Baptist” for someone else.
In varied places, the Bible saw the good-versus-evil conflict as “light” and “darkness.” The gospel writer John saw the “light” as the person that John the Baptist was preparing the way for. The Jesus he had seen/heard/known, he said, was the light shining in the world’s darkness. Jesus, the life and light, could (and can) deliver us from our world’s and our own darkness.