The Fifth Day of Christmas

Luke 1:57-80
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. 62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

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The hand of the Lord is with John to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. Already at his birth people are asking, “What manner of child shall this be!” The birth of John is the spark that spreads a wildfire of anticipation and repentance throughout Israel before Jesus begins His ministry. People are talking. The news is spreading. Something BIG is coming!


That big thing is, of course, Jesus. But this is not just the birth of a special person. Zecharias prophesies that now will come a “knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins.” Preparing the way for Jesus means paving the way for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is truly “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” (John 1:29) just as John will later testify. 


John is God’s instrument to prepare the way for Jesus. Jesus is the long awaited one, God in the flesh, who will forgive our sin with His death and make it possible to “serve [God] without fear.” Something BIG is here.


Not only are your sins forgiven in Jesus, wiped clean by His innocent blood, but you are given the opportunity to serve God without fear. You are free from the fear of enemies. God will protect you. You are free from the fear of God’s wrath. It has been appeased with the death of Jesus. You can labor with all the intensity and joy that John seemed to bring to his work of preparation know that the Lord approves of all that we do in His name. 


Another way to look at this is through the word “grace”.  The name “John” means “God is gracious.” And in John, through him, God shows grace to His people. It is not merely that God has given us the gift of a savior, but that His entire disposition toward you and me has changed because of Jesus. Formerly we were the enemies of God. (Romans 5:5-6) Now we are His children. We have peace with God. (Romans 5:1)


God has been gracious to you. He is gracious to you. He will continue to be gracious because John prepared the way, and Jesus walked in it.