Characters at the Cradle: Zechariah, Father of John the Baptist

by David Chadwick

John was the long awaited son to Zechariah and Elizabeth. His birth paved the way for Jesus's birth. His voice prepared the way of the Lord. His life pointed to the soon and coming King.

Luke 1:16-17 says this of John: "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people."

The personal calling of John's life in God's story grabs my heart every time. Turning many hearts to God. Going before the Messiah. Carrying the same spirit and power of Elijah, perhaps the greatest of all Old Testament prophets. God entrusted so much to John's hands.

Pause for a moment and consider the magnitude of John's call and what Zechariah must have felt as he anticipated the coming of his long-awaited son.

Now pause and consider the swell of anticipation that Israel would have with the coming of their long-awaited Messiah.

Zechariah's story is full of wonder! Both personally and for God's people. A deeply personal and a deeply corporate groan were being answered all at once!

John would fulfill Malachi 4:5, the prophecy that told of one preceding the Messiah who would turn hearts of fathers back to children and the disobedient back to the wisdom of the Lord. John would call the world to repentance and to ready their hearts for Jesus's entrance.

As you may know, this John is John the Baptist. 6 months older than Jesus, he preached a message of repentance in the wilderness. Many followed him. But he kept pointing all of his followers to Jesus saying, "I must decrease and he (Jesus) must increase" (John 3:30).

May we all have John's courage in spirit and an unwavering desire to point people to Jesus and never to ourselves.

For Jesus alone is worthy to be praised!