The Preparation Before Christmas Is Almost Done

Most of us parents have been up late at night preparing for Christmas morning.  That preparation might include wrapping or assembling or scrambling around the house trying to find batteries or Scotch tape.  There is a lot of preparation before Christmas morning.  God rarely bursts into this world without preparation.  Certainly the birth of Jesus is God “bursting” into this world but this did not happen without some preparation.  We do have prophecy in the Old Testament which told of Jesus’ birth, but very few people understood it, or those who knew it, misapplied or misunderstood it.

The Christmas story really doesn’t begin with Jesus but with John the Baptist, or really, with John’s parents, Zacharias and Elizabeth.   God came to Zacharias while he was serving in the temple and gave him the news that he and Elizabeth were going to have a son.  God also told Zacharias that the baby’s name should be John.  Because of Zacharias’ unbelief, he was made mute until the scripture we read below: 

57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.  59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”  61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.  63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Tomorrow we will look at the prophecy that Zacharias gives but it is clear that God is up to something special and He begins the process with John the Baptist.  I think that all of us should look for things that God might be doing to prepare us for His activity.  Sometimes they are miraculous.  Sometimes they are ordinary.  But there is always preparation.  Be on the lookout for God’s preparation before Christmas.

Happy “Prepared” Christmas