The Prophet of the Promise

As Zacharias stood before the gathered crowd of kith and kin, all of them marveling at the sudden recovery of his faculty of speech, he uttered by the Holy Spirit a two-fold prophecy about two sons--one that had been born to him and his aged wife; the other still a growing bump in His mother's womb. The first part of his prophecy was about the unborn Son, the One who would arrive with salvation in His hands for His people. The second part was about the son Zacharias held in his arms, his own.

From before his conception, little John was called to be a prophet of the Highest, a proclaimer of truth, righteousness, and preparation for the soon arrival of the great deliverer of Israel. His ministry was to prepare the way for Messiah's entrance into the world, to prepare the hearts of all Israel to receive their promised savior.

His ministry truly defined the Biblical ministry of the prophet, a ministry so desperately needed in today's world to prepare for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet a ministry so often misused and misunderstood. For John, the prophetic ministry was one of proclaiming salvation, giving people the knowledge that they needed to receive it and offering the means of ridding themselves of sin. It wasn't through the blood of bulls and goats, but through repentance and faith in God and His coming One. It wouldn't be through their works that they obtained salvation, but through the tender mercy of God.

And that mercy was being personified in the womb of a young virgin, the Savior of the world, the Dayspring of God had come down from on high, had become flesh, and was on His way into a world of darkness and death to give them the light of life. John would lead his world to Jesus, Jesus would lead His world into the way of peace, the way of salvation, the way of God!

Our ministry--the ministry of pastors and prophets, of believers and churches--should be the ministry of John the Baptist, preparing the way of the Lord, giving knowledge of salvation to all who need it, offering forgiveness and mercy through Jesus Christ, so that our world can also experience the light of life!