“But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.’"
- Luke 1:13-14 -

Luke starts with a godly priest and his wife who live with the pain of childlessness. The promise of a child to a couple beyond childbearing age or unable to conceive reminds us of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Elkanah and Hannah; God’s plans have often come to fulfillment through unusual and unlikely births.

Their son, John will share some of the characteristics of the Nazirite. He will be filled with the Spirit, a mark of Old Testament prophets, and his call for people to return to the Lord is reminiscent of the prophetic message. The words of the angel, subsequently revealed as Gabriel, by referring to the final words of prophecy in the Old Testament (vs 16,17) build a bridge between the Testaments. God is starting something new, but it is in direct continuity with all that has gone before. We can have confidence in the ongoing story of God’s saving plan for the world. Malachi was looking forward to a new era of salvation; it is now dawning. John comes in the ‘Elijah’ role of Malachi to prepare the way for someone greater yet to come.

Prayer: Holy One, during this Christmas season, give me a renewed sense of wonder at your visitation to us in your Son. What a visitor he was and what a visit it was. Hallelujah!