For hundreds of years the Jewish prophets had predicted the coming of a divine-human saviour king from the line of David, an “Anointed One” (Hebrew: Messiah; Greek: Christ), who would one day rule over the whole earth. This book, written by Luke, a companion of Paul and the apostles, narrates the fulfilment of that long expectation. Luke doesn’t, however, begin with Jesus. He begins his account with the story of the miraculous birth of the prophet, John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for Jesus. It so happens that the account of David’s life in the first book of Samuel begins the same way: it narrates the miraculous birth of Samuel who would prepare the way for David. This patterning is enormously significant. Here is the point: God speaks before God acts, and he always acts in accordance with his word. God speaks to us to prepare us for what he is about to do. When Malachi predicted the coming of Jesus, he said that he would be preceded by a messenger who would “prepare the way” so that the people would “stand when he appears” (Malachi 3:1-5). Jesus’ coming was not ‘out of the blue’. There was lots of divine activity preparing the way, and the story of the miraculous birth of John the Baptist, is part of that. Those who responded to the ministry of John would be prepared for Jesus’ coming. God is doing things in your life now that will prepare you for what he wants to do next. He is speaking to you, and you listening to him is what will prepare you for what is coming.
Reflect on what God is saying and doing in your life right now.
Read Luke 1:1-25
