December 19, 2019
The first story Luke tells in his gospel is Zechariah’s story. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s inability to conceive in their old age reminds us of the stories of many of Israel’s patriarchs and matriarchs. Zechariah’s song is the longest of several songs in the birth narrative of Jesus, and it overflows with language from Israel’s Scriptures. The connection is loud and clear. The story we are now reading is not a new story; it is a continuation of the story of God’s love and faithfulness for generations.
If this is true, then what’s different about the story this time around? What is the proclamation and promise that the birth of John brings?
After centuries of prophets foretelling the Messiah, John is the closest prophet we have to Jesus himself, the one we Christians believe is the Messiah. What can we learn from John about our role of “paving the way” for Jesus? If there was a prophet so close to Jesus in his day and age (even living at the same time as Jesus), what does that tell us about the role of prophets in our faith today? If John came before Jesus, who is coming after?