Voices of Our Past: John the Baptist   |  By Barbara Howard Brock
Week 1, Day 3  |  December 1

Impatience seems part of each of us. “Promises, promises!” “Are we there yet?” “How much longer?” “When is the change really going to happen?”

Jewish parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, plus the prophets and priests had for about 400 years been repeating their hopeful promises to their families. Life was not always going to be this way; the drudgery, disappointment and doom. The Messiah was coming!! God Himself in human form would show the way life was supposed to be lived. Then everybody could be happy and content and could live in God’s love and blessings…someday.

Into this picture steps John the Baptist; miraculously born to an elderly couple and reared as a Nazarene. He was a “man sent from God” to “prepare the way of the Lord.” His message summoned people to remember the commandments of God and to reject sinful ways. The New Day had arrived. Salvation was near. John was sent to urge all to see, to repent, and to accept Jesus as Lord of Life.

For us in 2015, Christmas is coming. We celebrate anew the coming of our Savior. Our rejoicing is seen and heard in sacred music, in pageants, in worship, in sharing with family and friends, and helping those in need.

What do we get for Christmas? The greatest gift of all time, given to all people everywhere: Jesus, the Savior: MY SAVIOR, YOUR SAVIOR, that we might have life and have it more abundantly…this Christmas.

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for keeping your promises. May we all accept the greatest of all Christmas presents…your gracious gift of Jesus Christ. Amen.


Barbara Brock is a retired missionary and longtime member of FBC. A proud mother of three daughters, Barbara is one of the teachers in the Charity class.