Thought for the Week

Scriptures to Read:

St. Luke 1:5-25

St. Luke 1:26-38

St. Luke 139-56

St. Luke 1:57-66

St. Luke 1:67-80

St. John 1:19-34

St. Luke 2:1-20

Another often overlooked character in the Christmas Story is an infant, but not the Infant Jesus. He is the infant John, who, along with his parents Zachariah and Elizabeth, fills an important role in the Christmas Story. Much of their story is found in St. Luke's Gospel. There is prophecy telling of his coming found in Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6 and explained by Jesus in St. Matthew 11:7-19.

At the birth of John, his father Zachariah, is able to speak again. His is not a long oration but he does a marvelous job of praising God for His faithfulness to Israel. In the midst of that praise (St. Luke 1:67-79) there are just two verses 76-77 that tell us about John's role in adult life. He will the "announcer" for the Christ. That is he will tell people of His coming, His responsibility, His role in "God's story of the redemption of humanity." John will be the "way-preparer." He will preach a message of "repentance." He will also clearly let people know some of the responsibility Christ will assume.

I think his most famous announcement is given to the people while he is performing water baptism and telling people that One is coming Who is mightier than he is and Who will ultimately baptize people, not with water but with the Holy Ghost and fire (see St. Matthew 3:11-12). It is at this point John points out Jesus of Nazareth and proclaims "Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world" (see St. John 1:24-34). In his own right, as an adult, John becomes a marvelous preacher with the tremendous message that people can be forgiven by God, and saved from their sin and sins. John's father, Zachariah, had prophesied this some 30 years before.

I want you to see something amazing. It happens even before John is born. It happens some six months after he is conceived and likely about three months before he is born. Mary, the soon-to-be mother of Jesus comes to visit John's mother, Elizabeth. They are related in some way. As Mary comes to Elizabeth's doorway, she calls out a greeting. As her voice sounds, the unborn baby John, leaps with joy in his mother's womb (see St. Luke 1:41 and 44). It is certainly normal for an unborn child to move about in the womb. But this movement is way beyond normal. It is a violent movement. This Greek verb is used in the New Testament only in this passage.

There is nothing else in Scripture like it except in my opinion, an equal activity when King David leaped/danced in worship before the Lord (see II Samuel 6:12-22). We need also to consider something the angel Gabriel said to Zachariah: It was that the child would be filled with the Holy Ghost even before he is born (see St. Luke 1:15).

According to verse 15, when the unborn baby leaped in her womb, Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Ghost. So far as we know, only the two mothers-to-be witnessed this testimony of John. I wish there had been a ladies sewing circle or coffee-clatch present to also observe, but nothing like that is recorded.

I hope you will rejoice and celebrate the Coming of Christ at this Christmas-time. We have problems, no doubt. But there is also great cause for celebration and joy. I doubt we will celebrate as well as John did in our today's story. There is one specific cause for celebration in Heaven: It happens when a lost sinner repents and comes to God for salvation. There is no better time for us to celebrate than the time of His first coming, but there is coming an even better time when He returns.