We are now full into the Christmas season as the colored lights, music and the hustle and bustle of the people shopping and attending events confirm that day is almost here.
During the Christmas season, much of the focus is upon the birth of Christ in a manger. Included in that story are the usual references to wise-men, shepherds and of course, Mary and Joseph.
However, there are two other key individuals I want to remember that are related to the story: Zacharias and Elizabeth—the parents of John the Baptist.
John was the forerunner for Jesus Christ—the one declaring “Prepare the way of the Lord.” He was the one that declared to the people upon seeing Jesus coming for water baptism, “Behold, the Lamb of God”.
It may seem strange to relate these three people to Christmas but let me explain why I think it makes sense.
For 400 hundred years, there had not been a prophetic voice in Israel. People had been told about one coming called Messiah, but the absence of any word caused the people to wonder if it would ever happen.
This is “why” I believe the birth of John the Baptist is related to the story of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
The Scripture tells us about John coming to “prepare the way” for Messiah. To that point, his birth is related to the Christmas story. No forerunner (which was prophesied), no Messiah. However, there’s even more to the story that is somewhat hidden. The meanings of the names of John’s parents are the key.
Zacharias means “God Remembers”, while Elizabeth means “The oath of God”. When you put their names together, you have “God remembers his oath”.
When Adam sinned, God made a promise in Genesis 3:15—the first prophecy about a coming Savior that would come to restore the broken relationship with mankind.
The advertising execs would tell us that Christmas is a time of remembering those we love and to buy gifts to express it. Christmas is that season that reminds us God loves us so much that He gave the most precious gift He could give—His only Son.
The birth of John the Baptist and his parents’ names remind us during the Christmas season that God remembers every promise made and recorded through prophets in Scripture.
And while Christmas focuses on the past prophecies of a coming Savior, there are seven times more prophecies in the Bible about Jesus Christ coming again than the first coming in the manger. This time, when Christ comes, He’s not coming as a baby into a world unaware of His presence. No, this time He’s coming in full glory to fulfill the Scriptures in establishing His kingdom on earth, to judge the wicked and reward the righteous.
So, when you see those twinkling lights and hear the songs of Christmas about the baby Jesus, it would serve us well to remember that God remembers!
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