The Forerunner - John The Baptist
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There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well advanced in years.
Now while he served as priest before God, when his division was on duty,
according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
And the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
When Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not fear, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
He will turn many of the sons 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 a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife well advanced in years.”
The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. And I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
And now you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their season.”
The people waited for Zechariah, and wondered why he waited so long in the temple.
When he came out, he could not speak to them. They perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he made signs to them and remained speechless.
As soon as the days of his service were fulfilled, he departed to his own home.
In those days Mary arose and quickly went into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
and entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
She spoke out with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Indeed, as soon as the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a completion to those things which were told her by the Lord.”
Now Elizabeth’s time had come to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and cousins heard how the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they were calling him Zechariah, after the name of his father.
But his mother answered, “Not so! He shall be called John.”
They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
They made signs to his father, asking what he would have him called.
He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he spoke and praised God.
Fear came on all who lived around them. And all these facts were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
All those who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will he be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’ ”
This same John had clothing made of camel’s hair, a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Then Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him,
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to escape from the wrath to come?
Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance,
and do not think to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
Even now the axe is put to the tree roots. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean His floor and gather His wheat into the granary, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
But John prohibited Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.
And when Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water. And suddenly the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending on Him like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The disciples of John told him of all these things.
John, calling for two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the One who is coming, or shall we look for another?”
When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the One who is coming, or shall we look for another?’ ”
In that same hour He cured many of their infirmities and afflictions and evil spirits. And to many who were blind He gave sight.
So Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor.
Blessed is he who does not fall away on account of Me.”