Luke 1:76-77

“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.”

In his song of praise, Zechariah makes an incredible claim. There had been no prophet in the land for about 400 years, but he claimed that his little son would fulfil that role. More than that, he declared that John would be preparing the way for the long-promised Messiah who would bring salvation to the world. What an amazing moment this was for Zechariah, the elderly priest, who had long believed that he would never be a father! God had very different plans for him.

The importance of John the Baptist was not in himself, but in the one to whom he pointed. His role was to prepare the ground for the coming of the saviour of the world. The context may be different, but that is precisely our role. God doesn’t call us to draw attention to ourselves, but to prepare the way for others to meet Jesus.

The Christmas season gives us amazing opportunities for pointing to Jesus. Many people who would never normally consider attending a church service during the rest of the year gladly accept an invitation to a carol service. Recent statistics show that about three times as many attend at Christmas as on a ‘normal’ Sunday.

Preparing the way for Jesus was tough for John the Baptist. People were not eager to hear his message, and he spent much of his ministry in the desert. His prominent role brought him into conflict with the king and, finally, to his brutal death. No one said that introducing people to Jesus was an easy task, but it is certainly the most wonderful and valuable thing that we can ever do.

Question

In what ways are you able to introduce people to Jesus?

Prayer

Loving God, help me to seize every opportunity for helping people to meet Jesus. Amen