The Almost Forgotten Miracle Birth

We all know which birth takes center stage in the Christmas story. It is the virgin birth of Jesus. But there is another miracle baby born a few months before Jesus was born. Jesus had a cousin whose name was John…you might know him as John the Baptist. In Luke 1 we read about his miraculous birth. John was born to two people, Zacharias and Elizabeth that were past the age of child bearing and Elizabeth had never had a child. But God had a plan. John was a miracle baby. No, not the miracle of the virgin birth but John was still a baby that was born because God stepped into the lives of Zacharias and Elizabeth and gave them a son…the old fashioned way, but still a supernatural way.

John the Baptist goes on to prepare the way of Jesus, preaching a baptism of repentance. Then as Jesus matures and arrives on the public scene, John the Baptist steps aside. I don’t know how much of the birth story he knew of Jesus; but I have a feeling he was told about how their lives intersected. And John certainly knew which of them was to be given preference.

John’s birth is not typically celebrated during the Christmas season and yet it was a very important birth. John was quickly overshadowed by Jesus but not until John had fulfilled a very important purpose.   We all get overshadowed at times; but I hope that’s ok with you. If you are overshadowed by Jesus, then you are in very, very good company.