The Birth of John the Baptist
Luke 1:5-25; 57-80
If you want to run for governor of MN, you must take several steps long before election day to have any hope of success:
If you just write your name onto a ballot or show up on election day, you will certainly fail.
When God sent Christ into the world to be the Savior of our sins and King over all creation, he didn’t just send him then see what happened. He prepared long in advance and involved key people along the way. These people served as prophets, priests, and kings throughout history as God did all sorts of intricate and powerful things to prepare the way for Christ.
As the culmination of this process, he sent a man to prepare people to recognize and follow Christ as God’s promised Savior and King. He was God’s chief spokesperson, newscaster, reporter, and announcer for Christ. This man was John the Baptist. And from the story of John the Baptist’s birth, we will see that Christmas reminds us that God keeps his promises—and that he calls us to prepare the way for Christ in the lives of others.
After centuries of silence, God acted in a special way.
When John the Baptist came onto the scene, God had not provided any special revelation – prophecy, Scripture, etc. – for more than 400 years. During this long period of time (longer than the full history of the United States), his people experienced terrible oppression by the Syrian world empire. They struggled through persecution by the Greek world empire. Then they struggled through difficult times with the Roman world empire, which included being governed by a series of men called Herod, wicked politicians from Edom who hated the Jews. It seemed as though God has abandoned or forgot his people.
He chose a married couple devoted to him. (1:5-10)
Similar to how God chose a godly, faithful married couple to be parents to Samson at a very dark time, he did the same in choosing the parents of John the Baptist. Zechariah, the husband, was a priest and his wife, Elizabeth, was also the daughter of a priestly family. Both were considered righteous by God, which means they had believed in his promise of salvation by faith, just as their ancestor Abraham had done thousands of years before. From a human standpoint, they also had an outstanding reputation for taking seriously God’s commands.
The difficulty for them was that they had no children. This difficulty was compounded by the fact that it seemed impossible to resolve, since Elizabeth was unable to have children, and they were both too old to do so, even if she could. Once again, this resembles the condition of Samson’s parents, many years before.
Even so, this couple found purpose in serving God. And on this particular year, Zechariah was given the special opportunity to offer incense in the temple during their annual holiday. Priests (from among approx. 18,000) were chosen randomly once in their lifetime to perform this service during one of the three major Jewish festivals of the year (Passover, Weeks, and Booths) or during one of the two other weeks of priestly duties assigned to their group.
So, this was a special, once-in-a-lifetime moment for Zechariah. It was probably in the evening, as thousands of Jewish people looked on outside. This offering of incense represented the prayers of God’s people. And after offering this incense, Zechariah would have knelt down in prayer as the thousands of Jewish people did the same in the Temple courtyard outside.
He continued a plan set in motion long ago. (1:11-17)
As Zechariah fulfilled this special service, a surprising thing happened. An angel from God appeared standing beside the altar of burning incense. This unexpected appearance shocked Zechariah so greatly that he was both scared and terrified. Had he done something wrong? Was he about to be killed or judged by God?
The angel quickly assured him that he was safe. But not only was he safe, but the angel also assured him that his prayer had been answered. What prayer? The general prayer of salvation for God’s people? Maybe so, but apparently Zechariah was praying – like Hannah in the Old Testament prayed for a son, Samuel – that his wife would give birth to a son. I say this because the angel said that his prayer had been answered by reporting that Elizabeth would give birth to a son.
The angel further announced that Zechariah must name this child ‘John,’ which means “God is gracious.” He also announced that Zechariah and Elizabeth would experience much joy and gladness because of John’s birth and that beyond this, many other people would also experience much joy because of his birth, as well. This child would become a significant and impactful person in the sight of God in the outworking of God’s plan.
Like Samson and Samuel, this child would be raised to observe the Nazarite vow so that he would publicly stand out as a special servant of God, and God would give him a special enablement from the Holy Spirit – who is God – from infancy onward.
As an adult, this man would go on to have the kind of influence which would restore broken, intergenerational relationships between parents and children, and turn people disobedient to God to a lifestyle of following God’s ways. Most importantly, he would sensitive people to God’s truth so that they would be prepared and ready to recognize and follow Christ when he appeared.
The special ministry of this special man was promised more than four hundred years before by God himself through the prophet Malachi.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” (Mal 4:5-6)
This man would behave and have a ministry which resembled the highly respected and influential prophet, Elijah, from hundreds of years before, calling God’s people to turn away from idolatry to worshipping the one true God who loved them. So, by sending John the Baptist to do this work of preparing the way for Christ’s arrival, God was not doing something new or random. He was doing something he had promised to do many hundreds of years before.
He called for unquestioning faith. (1:18-25)
After hearing all these things from the angel standing beside the altar of incense, and after composing himself from his initial, terrified reaction, Zachariah asked how he could be certain that this would happen – reiterating the twofold problem which made this impossible, that he was too old to father a child and his wife was the same.
To answer this doubtful question, the angel identified himself as the angel Gabriel. He is one of only two archangels (or chief, topmost, most senior angels) of God named in Scripture. While the other archangel, Michael, seems to be primarily focused on overseeing the outworking of God’s plan in the spiritual realm (Dan 12:1), Gabriel seems to be primarily focused on the outworking of God’s plan in the material, human realm.
He gave key information to the prophet Daniel about what would happen on the final judgment day (Dan 8:16; 9:21-22), announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah, then sixth months later announced the birth of Jesus to Mary (Lk 1:11-20). To understand the significance of receiving a firsthand message from God through Gabriel, realize that this would be like receiving a special message or assignment from the President firsthand through the Vice President himself, only this was not the President and Vice President, but God and a highest-ranking angel.
Because Zechariah responded to this stunning announcement with doubt, Gabriel informed him that he would become mute – unable to speak – until the child was born. Why? “Because he did not believe [Gabriel’s] words.”
While this was going on, thousands of Israelites waited outside for Zechariah to come out from the Temple to indicate that God had received their prayers. They would have wondered why it was taking so long. Had God rejected their prayers? Was this an omen of bad things to come? Had Zechariah been struck dead?
You can imagine their confusion when Zechariah finally emerged but was unable to speak. As Luke describes, since Zechariah could not speak, he “beckoned” to the people instead, which means that he motioned to them with his hands to describe what had happened inside.
After his festival service in the Temple was complete, he returned home and Elizabeth soon became pregnant as Gabriel had promised, after which she isolated herself away from the public for five months. It was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, then, that Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would give birth to Jesus (Lk 1:26-56).
Through John the Baptist, God prepared people to follow Christ. (1:57-80)
After Mary heard the news that she would become the mother of Jesus, she visited Elizabeth to tell her the news. Elizabeth happened to be a close relative to Mary (as close as a first cousin or as distant as a fellow descendant of the same tribe of Israel). These two ladies lived together for three months, after which Mary returned home, and Elizabeth gave birth to her son.
As it was customary for Jewish families to do, Zechariah and Elizabeth held a circumcision ceremony for their infant son on the eight day of his life. And to this point, Zechariah was still unable to speak. So, the people present at the ceremony (close friends and family) expected that the parents would name their child Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth insisted that they would name him ‘John,’ instead. This surprised everyone because there was no family relative called John.
This demonstrates that Zechariah had found a way – probably through writing – to tell his wife what to name the child, which indicated that he had chosen to believe the promise. So, the people turned from Elizabeth to ask Zechariah what he would name the child, thinking that Elizabeth was acting independently. To communicate with Zechariah, they made hand motions and gestures, which indicates that Zechariah was not only mute but deaf. So, he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.”
At this very moment, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he immediately began to praise God. This situation became the talk of the surrounding countryside for days to come, and people began to wonder what this baby would grow up to be and do. If God had performed such a miracle through his birth – after four hundred plus years of silence and apparent absence – why?
The rest of Luke 1 (vv. 67-80) records a song of prophecy which Zechariah spoke with guidance from the Holy Spirit. This song foretold what John the Baptist would say and do for God. This child would grow up to be a messenger on behalf of God’s plan of salvation from the beginning of time, traced through Abraham and God’s promises to him, through King David and God’s promised to him, and the Old Testament prophets and God’s promises through them.
He would be a prophet for God in his own right who would provide a direct connection from all that the Old Testament tells us and Christ, who was about to appear at last. He would awaken peoples’ consciences to their sin and unbelief and prepare their hearts to recognize and follow Christ.
As Zechariah said, he would “go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people…to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death...” What a remarkable and special ministry this man would have!
Slow down to consider your calling.
As we prepare our hearts for a special but busy holiday season, we find ourselves in the same position as the Israelites at their special festival observance, when Zechariah went into the Temple to offer incense and prayers to God. Though we probably will not come face to face with an angel standing beside our Christmas trees, we should slow down to consider our calling.
It is good to celebrate God’s promises and blessings. Christmas gives us a wonderful way to do that. But we must first be sure that our hearts are directed towards God in genuine prayer and worship and that we are focused on our special calling as witnesses for Christ.
John the Baptist’s entire life was designed to direct attention away from himself and toward Jesus. That’s a profoundly countercultural message at Christmas, when the season often becomes self‑focused, stressful, or consumer‑driven. And does not this materialistic, self-focused approach to Christmas reflect a larger materialistic, self-focused approach to our everyday, non-holiday lives?
As we head into a special holiday week, let’s remember that every believer shares John the Baptist’s calling in miniature — to prepare the way for Christ in the lives of others. Christmas gives unique opportunities to speak of Christ with family, coworkers, and neighbors who are more open than usual.
You should be prepared to do so. You should also remember that simple acts of faithfulness — kindness, forgiveness, hospitality, generosity — can function like John’s ministry, softening hearts and pointing people toward the Savior. Let us see Christmas not only as a celebration of Christ but as a mission field for Christ. How will you prepare and help people to come to Christ this Christmas season?
Let Christmas renew your trust in God’s plan.
Christmas marks the near end of another calendar year of life for people. It serves as a closure of sorts on one year and a preparation for another. Zechariah and Elizabeth, along with so many other Israelites, went through the motions of their own special holiday, only to be surprised by God’s special intervention after centuries of seeming silence. May we have a similar experience today.
May this be a time of renewed belief that God is working in special ways in your life even when you see nothing. For centuries God had seemed absent, yet He was quietly orchestrating everything. Christmas reminds us that God keeps His promises—even when His people feel forgotten.
Like Zechariah, don’t give up praying. What long-buried prayers of your own, rooted in the promises of God, have begun to fade? Bring them back with renewed hope knowing that God is a patient, faithful God who often answers prayers and fulfills promises over long periods of time for good and necessary reasons known only to him. He is honored when his people believe his promises and don’t remain in doubt.
Zechariah’s prayer for a child seemed impossible, yet God answered it at precisely the right moment. Christmas invites believers to trust God with the prayers they’ve stopped praying. Let this Christmas becomes a season of renewed trust in God’s timing, God’s promises, and God’s grace.
The birth of John the Baptist reminds us that God works out his plan in his perfect way, even when his timing feels slow and our need seems impossible. For centuries, God’s people had waited in silence, yet God was preparing the way for Christ through ordinary people who trusted Him.
This Christmas, let that truth renew your confidence in God’s promises. He is still working in your life, even when you cannot see it. Like John the Baptist, your calling is to point others to Jesus—not to yourself. So, as you celebrate the Savior’s birth this Christmas, prayerfully ask yourself, “How will I prepare the way for Christ in my home, my workplace, and my community?”
Through prayer, faith, and witness, you can help others see the light of Christ in a dark world. Trust His timing, embrace your calling, and let this season be more than a holiday—make it a time of renewed hope in prayer and a time of renewed commitment to your mission to prepare people to believe on Christ. Christmas reminds us that God keeps his promises—and that he calls us to prepare the way for Christ in the lives of others.
Rosaria Butterfield was a tenured English professor at Syracuse University and a prominent voice in the LGBTQ community as a lesbian activity. She was intelligent, influential, and deeply committed to her unbelieving, secular worldview.
One day, she received a letter from a local pastor who gently challenged her thinking and invited her to dinner. Instead of dismissing it, she accepted his invitation to his home.
That meal changed everything—not because of a debate, but because of hospitality. Week after week, Rosaria sat at the table of this Christian family, sharing meals with them and experiencing genuine Christian love. They didn’t treat her like a project; they treated her like a person. Over time, those conversations led her to open a Bible, wrestle with what it said, and eventually she believed on Christ.
After believing on Christ, Rosaria left her old life behind, married a gospel-believing, Bible-teaching pastor, and became a committed homemaker, mother, and grandmother. She wrote the excellent books The Gospel Comes with a House Key and The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert and speaks occasionally across the country, urging Christians to practice “radically ordinary hospitality.” She says, “God used a humble meal to bring me to Himself. He can use your table too.”
Rosaria’s story reminds us that preparing the way for Christ often happens through simple, faithful acts—like opening your home, sharing a meal, or listening well. This Christmas, who could you invite to your table? Who needs to see Christ through your kindness? Like John the Baptist, we’re called to point people to Jesus—not ourselves. As you are waiting on God this Christmas, perhaps he is waiting on you – to prepare the way for Christ.
If you want to run for governor of MN, you must take several steps long before election day to have any hope of success:
- Confirm their eligibility and file for candidacy.
- Build a core campaign team.
- Develop a clear policy platform.
- Launch a fundraising and financing compliance strategy.
- Kick off a grassroots engagement and messaging campaign.
If you just write your name onto a ballot or show up on election day, you will certainly fail.
When God sent Christ into the world to be the Savior of our sins and King over all creation, he didn’t just send him then see what happened. He prepared long in advance and involved key people along the way. These people served as prophets, priests, and kings throughout history as God did all sorts of intricate and powerful things to prepare the way for Christ.
As the culmination of this process, he sent a man to prepare people to recognize and follow Christ as God’s promised Savior and King. He was God’s chief spokesperson, newscaster, reporter, and announcer for Christ. This man was John the Baptist. And from the story of John the Baptist’s birth, we will see that Christmas reminds us that God keeps his promises—and that he calls us to prepare the way for Christ in the lives of others.
After centuries of silence, God acted in a special way.
When John the Baptist came onto the scene, God had not provided any special revelation – prophecy, Scripture, etc. – for more than 400 years. During this long period of time (longer than the full history of the United States), his people experienced terrible oppression by the Syrian world empire. They struggled through persecution by the Greek world empire. Then they struggled through difficult times with the Roman world empire, which included being governed by a series of men called Herod, wicked politicians from Edom who hated the Jews. It seemed as though God has abandoned or forgot his people.
He chose a married couple devoted to him. (1:5-10)
Similar to how God chose a godly, faithful married couple to be parents to Samson at a very dark time, he did the same in choosing the parents of John the Baptist. Zechariah, the husband, was a priest and his wife, Elizabeth, was also the daughter of a priestly family. Both were considered righteous by God, which means they had believed in his promise of salvation by faith, just as their ancestor Abraham had done thousands of years before. From a human standpoint, they also had an outstanding reputation for taking seriously God’s commands.
The difficulty for them was that they had no children. This difficulty was compounded by the fact that it seemed impossible to resolve, since Elizabeth was unable to have children, and they were both too old to do so, even if she could. Once again, this resembles the condition of Samson’s parents, many years before.
Even so, this couple found purpose in serving God. And on this particular year, Zechariah was given the special opportunity to offer incense in the temple during their annual holiday. Priests (from among approx. 18,000) were chosen randomly once in their lifetime to perform this service during one of the three major Jewish festivals of the year (Passover, Weeks, and Booths) or during one of the two other weeks of priestly duties assigned to their group.
So, this was a special, once-in-a-lifetime moment for Zechariah. It was probably in the evening, as thousands of Jewish people looked on outside. This offering of incense represented the prayers of God’s people. And after offering this incense, Zechariah would have knelt down in prayer as the thousands of Jewish people did the same in the Temple courtyard outside.
He continued a plan set in motion long ago. (1:11-17)
As Zechariah fulfilled this special service, a surprising thing happened. An angel from God appeared standing beside the altar of burning incense. This unexpected appearance shocked Zechariah so greatly that he was both scared and terrified. Had he done something wrong? Was he about to be killed or judged by God?
The angel quickly assured him that he was safe. But not only was he safe, but the angel also assured him that his prayer had been answered. What prayer? The general prayer of salvation for God’s people? Maybe so, but apparently Zechariah was praying – like Hannah in the Old Testament prayed for a son, Samuel – that his wife would give birth to a son. I say this because the angel said that his prayer had been answered by reporting that Elizabeth would give birth to a son.
The angel further announced that Zechariah must name this child ‘John,’ which means “God is gracious.” He also announced that Zechariah and Elizabeth would experience much joy and gladness because of John’s birth and that beyond this, many other people would also experience much joy because of his birth, as well. This child would become a significant and impactful person in the sight of God in the outworking of God’s plan.
Like Samson and Samuel, this child would be raised to observe the Nazarite vow so that he would publicly stand out as a special servant of God, and God would give him a special enablement from the Holy Spirit – who is God – from infancy onward.
As an adult, this man would go on to have the kind of influence which would restore broken, intergenerational relationships between parents and children, and turn people disobedient to God to a lifestyle of following God’s ways. Most importantly, he would sensitive people to God’s truth so that they would be prepared and ready to recognize and follow Christ when he appeared.
The special ministry of this special man was promised more than four hundred years before by God himself through the prophet Malachi.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” (Mal 4:5-6)
This man would behave and have a ministry which resembled the highly respected and influential prophet, Elijah, from hundreds of years before, calling God’s people to turn away from idolatry to worshipping the one true God who loved them. So, by sending John the Baptist to do this work of preparing the way for Christ’s arrival, God was not doing something new or random. He was doing something he had promised to do many hundreds of years before.
He called for unquestioning faith. (1:18-25)
After hearing all these things from the angel standing beside the altar of incense, and after composing himself from his initial, terrified reaction, Zachariah asked how he could be certain that this would happen – reiterating the twofold problem which made this impossible, that he was too old to father a child and his wife was the same.
To answer this doubtful question, the angel identified himself as the angel Gabriel. He is one of only two archangels (or chief, topmost, most senior angels) of God named in Scripture. While the other archangel, Michael, seems to be primarily focused on overseeing the outworking of God’s plan in the spiritual realm (Dan 12:1), Gabriel seems to be primarily focused on the outworking of God’s plan in the material, human realm.
He gave key information to the prophet Daniel about what would happen on the final judgment day (Dan 8:16; 9:21-22), announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah, then sixth months later announced the birth of Jesus to Mary (Lk 1:11-20). To understand the significance of receiving a firsthand message from God through Gabriel, realize that this would be like receiving a special message or assignment from the President firsthand through the Vice President himself, only this was not the President and Vice President, but God and a highest-ranking angel.
Because Zechariah responded to this stunning announcement with doubt, Gabriel informed him that he would become mute – unable to speak – until the child was born. Why? “Because he did not believe [Gabriel’s] words.”
While this was going on, thousands of Israelites waited outside for Zechariah to come out from the Temple to indicate that God had received their prayers. They would have wondered why it was taking so long. Had God rejected their prayers? Was this an omen of bad things to come? Had Zechariah been struck dead?
You can imagine their confusion when Zechariah finally emerged but was unable to speak. As Luke describes, since Zechariah could not speak, he “beckoned” to the people instead, which means that he motioned to them with his hands to describe what had happened inside.
After his festival service in the Temple was complete, he returned home and Elizabeth soon became pregnant as Gabriel had promised, after which she isolated herself away from the public for five months. It was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, then, that Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would give birth to Jesus (Lk 1:26-56).
Through John the Baptist, God prepared people to follow Christ. (1:57-80)
After Mary heard the news that she would become the mother of Jesus, she visited Elizabeth to tell her the news. Elizabeth happened to be a close relative to Mary (as close as a first cousin or as distant as a fellow descendant of the same tribe of Israel). These two ladies lived together for three months, after which Mary returned home, and Elizabeth gave birth to her son.
As it was customary for Jewish families to do, Zechariah and Elizabeth held a circumcision ceremony for their infant son on the eight day of his life. And to this point, Zechariah was still unable to speak. So, the people present at the ceremony (close friends and family) expected that the parents would name their child Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth insisted that they would name him ‘John,’ instead. This surprised everyone because there was no family relative called John.
This demonstrates that Zechariah had found a way – probably through writing – to tell his wife what to name the child, which indicated that he had chosen to believe the promise. So, the people turned from Elizabeth to ask Zechariah what he would name the child, thinking that Elizabeth was acting independently. To communicate with Zechariah, they made hand motions and gestures, which indicates that Zechariah was not only mute but deaf. So, he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.”
At this very moment, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he immediately began to praise God. This situation became the talk of the surrounding countryside for days to come, and people began to wonder what this baby would grow up to be and do. If God had performed such a miracle through his birth – after four hundred plus years of silence and apparent absence – why?
The rest of Luke 1 (vv. 67-80) records a song of prophecy which Zechariah spoke with guidance from the Holy Spirit. This song foretold what John the Baptist would say and do for God. This child would grow up to be a messenger on behalf of God’s plan of salvation from the beginning of time, traced through Abraham and God’s promises to him, through King David and God’s promised to him, and the Old Testament prophets and God’s promises through them.
He would be a prophet for God in his own right who would provide a direct connection from all that the Old Testament tells us and Christ, who was about to appear at last. He would awaken peoples’ consciences to their sin and unbelief and prepare their hearts to recognize and follow Christ.
As Zechariah said, he would “go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people…to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death...” What a remarkable and special ministry this man would have!
Slow down to consider your calling.
As we prepare our hearts for a special but busy holiday season, we find ourselves in the same position as the Israelites at their special festival observance, when Zechariah went into the Temple to offer incense and prayers to God. Though we probably will not come face to face with an angel standing beside our Christmas trees, we should slow down to consider our calling.
It is good to celebrate God’s promises and blessings. Christmas gives us a wonderful way to do that. But we must first be sure that our hearts are directed towards God in genuine prayer and worship and that we are focused on our special calling as witnesses for Christ.
John the Baptist’s entire life was designed to direct attention away from himself and toward Jesus. That’s a profoundly countercultural message at Christmas, when the season often becomes self‑focused, stressful, or consumer‑driven. And does not this materialistic, self-focused approach to Christmas reflect a larger materialistic, self-focused approach to our everyday, non-holiday lives?
As we head into a special holiday week, let’s remember that every believer shares John the Baptist’s calling in miniature — to prepare the way for Christ in the lives of others. Christmas gives unique opportunities to speak of Christ with family, coworkers, and neighbors who are more open than usual.
You should be prepared to do so. You should also remember that simple acts of faithfulness — kindness, forgiveness, hospitality, generosity — can function like John’s ministry, softening hearts and pointing people toward the Savior. Let us see Christmas not only as a celebration of Christ but as a mission field for Christ. How will you prepare and help people to come to Christ this Christmas season?
Let Christmas renew your trust in God’s plan.
Christmas marks the near end of another calendar year of life for people. It serves as a closure of sorts on one year and a preparation for another. Zechariah and Elizabeth, along with so many other Israelites, went through the motions of their own special holiday, only to be surprised by God’s special intervention after centuries of seeming silence. May we have a similar experience today.
May this be a time of renewed belief that God is working in special ways in your life even when you see nothing. For centuries God had seemed absent, yet He was quietly orchestrating everything. Christmas reminds us that God keeps His promises—even when His people feel forgotten.
Like Zechariah, don’t give up praying. What long-buried prayers of your own, rooted in the promises of God, have begun to fade? Bring them back with renewed hope knowing that God is a patient, faithful God who often answers prayers and fulfills promises over long periods of time for good and necessary reasons known only to him. He is honored when his people believe his promises and don’t remain in doubt.
Zechariah’s prayer for a child seemed impossible, yet God answered it at precisely the right moment. Christmas invites believers to trust God with the prayers they’ve stopped praying. Let this Christmas becomes a season of renewed trust in God’s timing, God’s promises, and God’s grace.
The birth of John the Baptist reminds us that God works out his plan in his perfect way, even when his timing feels slow and our need seems impossible. For centuries, God’s people had waited in silence, yet God was preparing the way for Christ through ordinary people who trusted Him.
This Christmas, let that truth renew your confidence in God’s promises. He is still working in your life, even when you cannot see it. Like John the Baptist, your calling is to point others to Jesus—not to yourself. So, as you celebrate the Savior’s birth this Christmas, prayerfully ask yourself, “How will I prepare the way for Christ in my home, my workplace, and my community?”
Through prayer, faith, and witness, you can help others see the light of Christ in a dark world. Trust His timing, embrace your calling, and let this season be more than a holiday—make it a time of renewed hope in prayer and a time of renewed commitment to your mission to prepare people to believe on Christ. Christmas reminds us that God keeps his promises—and that he calls us to prepare the way for Christ in the lives of others.
Rosaria Butterfield was a tenured English professor at Syracuse University and a prominent voice in the LGBTQ community as a lesbian activity. She was intelligent, influential, and deeply committed to her unbelieving, secular worldview.
One day, she received a letter from a local pastor who gently challenged her thinking and invited her to dinner. Instead of dismissing it, she accepted his invitation to his home.
That meal changed everything—not because of a debate, but because of hospitality. Week after week, Rosaria sat at the table of this Christian family, sharing meals with them and experiencing genuine Christian love. They didn’t treat her like a project; they treated her like a person. Over time, those conversations led her to open a Bible, wrestle with what it said, and eventually she believed on Christ.
After believing on Christ, Rosaria left her old life behind, married a gospel-believing, Bible-teaching pastor, and became a committed homemaker, mother, and grandmother. She wrote the excellent books The Gospel Comes with a House Key and The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert and speaks occasionally across the country, urging Christians to practice “radically ordinary hospitality.” She says, “God used a humble meal to bring me to Himself. He can use your table too.”
Rosaria’s story reminds us that preparing the way for Christ often happens through simple, faithful acts—like opening your home, sharing a meal, or listening well. This Christmas, who could you invite to your table? Who needs to see Christ through your kindness? Like John the Baptist, we’re called to point people to Jesus—not ourselves. As you are waiting on God this Christmas, perhaps he is waiting on you – to prepare the way for Christ.
Posted in Christmas, Sermon Manuscript
Posted in John the Baptist, New Testament, Christmas, Hope, Prayer, Witness
Posted in John the Baptist, New Testament, Christmas, Hope, Prayer, Witness
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