What Child is This?

“I wonder what this child will turn out to be?” Luke 1:66

Because of the events preceding John the Baptist’s birth, everyone in their neighborhood and beyond were in awe and were wondering what was the deal about this child. An angel had appeared to his father Zechariah and he was struck dumb, his mother Elizabeth had been way past child bearing age when she conceived, and now the parents were naming him after no one in the family! Surely this child would blaze a trail, and he did!

We may not have had angels foretelling our birth, and other miracles attending our coming into the world, but like John the Baptist, we too have a God-given purpose and destiny. John knew his from birth apparently because he recognized Jesus when he was still in Elizabeth’s womb. Do we? 

All of us, like John, have the primary, so important job of being prophets in a fallen world. While we are being mothers, bank executives, engineers or students, we have the assignment to tell the world the wonderful news about God’s love and plan of salvation. If we’re not excited about that, we should be! We’re on the winning team! While people go about spreading fake news, and dire predictions about the economy, and complain about how the world is going to the dogs, we should know that we are on the victorious side. We are more than conquerors if we are on the side of Jesus. Why? Because we know the end of the book! We win!

We need not wonder anymore what that child would turn out to be! John the Baptist was not afraid of Herod or any worldly leader. He continued to tell the truth and he got beheaded for it. He fulfilled his role as prophet. Are we?