Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testifyconcerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.^”

John the Baptist would today be called by some “fringy.” He was outside the mainstream and a nuisance to those who find truth to be too uncomfortable or inconvenient. John was not afraid to speak truth to power, calling out Herod the Tetrarch’s incestuous relationship with Herodias, his half-brother’s wife and niece.

The Baptist wore camel hair with a leather belt and ate honey and locusts. He was weird, but a powerful prophet who paved the way for the ministry of the Lord Jesus. He did this by calling people to repent.

Repentance is to have a change of mind and direction about sin. It is to decide that going my own way isn’t working and that I decide to turn away from my sinful ways and follow the way of Jesus, the way of love. Repentance opens my heart to receive from the Holy Spirit. He can then direct my life and lead me forward in faith.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the witness of John the Baptist who prepared the path for Your Son to do His redeeming work. I pray that my brothers and sisters and I would walk with You in humble repentance. We love You Lord. Amen.”

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

And the child grew and became strong in spirit ; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

—John the Baptist’s father’s song, Luke 1