Five-minute read.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Luke 1:76-80
Zechariah sings a song to the Lord, praising Him for salvation through Jesus and for his son, John’s role in the coming events. As a prophet of the Most High, John has a pivotal role in announcing Christ’s birth. Zechariah links John to Elijah, referring to Luke 1:17: and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers. What an amazing calling, announcing the arrival of the Savior, sent to redeem humanity from their sinful ways.
John preaches a message of repentance, which requires recognition of and turning away from sin. Recently, someone asked me how I would respond to the question, “If someone was considering committing a sin and asked God for forgiveness for it before they committed the deed, would it still count?”
“It doesn’t work that way. God does forgive our sins, but once we know something’s a sin, we’re not to do it. God does love us in our messes, but He doesn’t leave us there. Once we’re convicted something’s a sin, we’re not to do it anymore.” My response seemed to satisfy the questioner, but I’ve continued thinking about it.
Repentance requires a behavior change. Once we recognize sinful actions and ask the Lord for forgiveness, He expects us to stop doing it. God doesn’t give forgiveness for pre-meditated sin; it defeats the purpose of repentance. True turning away from sin starts with the realization that whatever the deed, it doesn’t align with God’s will or word. John made people aware of their need for salvation, and we learn of ours through scripture. The prophet grew up in the wilderness, becoming strong in spirit, meaning God grew his moral character to fulfill the mission.
Preparing our hearts for Jesus means acknowledging our sinful nature. When we repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness, He does forgive. Only God truly knows the intentions of our hearts. We can’t see the inner workings of someone’s soul, but the Lord does. And He knows whether we come to Him with sincere regret. Others will know when they see the change in our lives as we leave the sinful behavior behind and strive to become more like the Savior, loving unconditionally, leading with grace and mercy, and honoring the Father in all we do.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for making us aware of our sinful nature and giving us a way out of it. Please search our hearts and illuminate any areas we haven’t given to You yet. Let us repent of our sinful ways and become more like Jesus as we seek and follow Him. In all things, let us honor and glorify You.
IJNIP. Amen
