June 24, 2023

Today's Reading: Luke 1:57-80

Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 3:5-24, John 11:38-57

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways. (Luke 1:76)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Usually, Luke 1 and 2 are reserved for Advent and Christmas. Many of you who read this can still remember being in Christmas programs at church when the story is repeated each and every year. But we don’t usually focus all that closely on the foretelling and subsequent conception and birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. But it makes sense that John, six months older than Jesus, would show up on the scene about 6 months before we celebrate Christmas, so today, we’ll celebrate the nativity of the Baptist. 

It had been a strange time in Zechariah’s home over these last 9 months. He returned from his priestly duties unable to speak. The angel Gabriel had met him as he offered incense at the Temple, telling him that his barren wife, Elizabeth, would conceive and bear a child in her old age. Zechariah hadn’t believed the angel’s unbelievable message, and had subsequently struck him mute. Sure enough, Elizabeth conceived. The last few months of her pregnancy, a relative had come to visit—Mary—who was visited by the very same angel, and who had conceived, by the Holy Spirit, another child. Mary’s greeting caused Zechariah’s child to leap for joy in the womb. When he was born, Zechariah insisted that he would be named John, as Gabriel had instructed him—and Zecharaiah’s tongue was loosed into words of praise directed to God…and a prophecy of his own, concerning this child. He had leapt in Elizabeth’s womb, and he would continue to precede Jesus; to herald our Lord’s entrance into the spotlight at His baptism in the Jordan River, and to lay down his life, not to atone for sins, but to show what the world intends to do to those whose trust is in Christ. 

The good news for you, dear Christian, is that God has gone above and beyond to point you to His beloved Son. Through the prophets, priests, and kings of old, we see a promise that God would certainly fulfill…and when John shows up, we know that Christ is coming soon. In short, I guess you could say that June 24th is a perfect day to remember that the beautiful promise of Immanuel (God with us) is coming soon. That God has sent a herald to announce the coming of the Kingdom—even the coming of the King Himself! So look for John! Where you hear his message of repentance and faith, you can rest assured that the Savior of the world is drawing near! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We praise You for the Baptist, forerunner of the Word, Our true Elijah, making a highway for the Lord. The last and greatest prophet, he saw the dawning ray of light that grows in splendor until the perfect day. Amen. (LSB 518:18)

-Pastor Dustin Beck is Pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Warda Texas.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Jonathan Lackey is an LCMS seminarian.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.