“Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he
will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to
their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter
destruction.”
(Malachi 4:5-6 ESV).
Zechariah
and his wife, Elizabeth, were devoted followers of God. They were old and
childless, and Elizabeth was a relative of Mary, who became the mother of Jesus
(cf. Luke 1:30-31, 36). One day Zechariah had a rare opportunity to burn
incense at the time of prayer in the temple. And while he was doing that, an angel
of God came with startling news: Zechariah and Elizabeth would have a son! He
was to be named John, and he would become a prophet like Elijah, bringing many
people back to the Lord, just as prophesized in our reading today. This child
became John the Baptist, who prepared people for the coming of Jesus, the
promised Savior (cf. Luke 3). When John was born, Zechariah sang a hymn of
praise because he knew salvation was coming. God had not forgotten his people.
My dear
friends, if you are struggling with disappointments and God seems far away,
take heart. God has not forgotten you. He wants to give you his peace today. In
his mercy and love God remembers each one of us. That’s the good news of
Christmas: Jesus, who forgives our sins
and brings us new life, has come! So let’s join with Zechariah and sing
God’s praises today.
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