Here Comes John! (4th Monday of Advent)

Note: For this week’s readings I am greatly indebted to the thoughts of the late Raymond Brown, a wonderful Catholic scholar.

Hooray! We’ve finally hit the Christmas story in our Advent readings. No longer do you have to put up with my ramblings about random scriptures. We’re in the home stretch now!

This year, the liturgical calendar focuses on Luke’s telling of Jesus’ birth. Today, we get the first twenty-five verses. Luke begins by noting how he has carefully investigated everything about Jesus from the very beginning–his birth. This investigative mind set is important because none of the biblical writers were present at the birth of Jesus. Unlike Jesus’ three years of ministry, when his every move was under the microscope of many, few people were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ first days here on earth.

Remember too that the earliest emphasis of the Christian church centered on the Passion narrative. After all, it was Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection that formed the core of early theology. In fact, neither Mark nor John even have a birth narrative. Mark begins with Jesus’ ministry, as does John (though he first makes a profound statement about Christ’s preexistent nature as God.) However, when the Gospel writers of Luke and Matthew sat down to write, they started with Jesus’ birth. Why? Because, as Raymond Brown has noted, the birth narrative is itself a mini-gospel message. First, we read of the special circumstances surrounding the birth of John the Baptist. Keeping in mind that Luke and Acts were meant to be two parts of one narrative, we see the importance of John’s birth. In Luke, Elizabeth’s pregnancy is announced before Mary’s, and his birth takes place before Jesus’. In a very real sense, John the Baptist’s beginnings mirror the beginning of the Lord. The reason for this? Well, in the person of John we see one who represents the age of the Law and the Prophets. In fact, John is the major prophet of the New Testament, the “voice in the wilderness” that comes proclaiming good news. Clearly, John’s life and ministry is so closely tied to the work of Jesus, that Luke deems it important to show that link from the very beginning.

Second, though John represents the age of the Law and Prophets, he also serves as a link to the age of Jesus Christ. It is he who will one day preach a gospel of repentance and it is he who will one day baptize his cousin. This baptism is a key point in Jesus’ life as it is the beginning of his public ministry. (Note: the third movement or “age” of Luke-Acts, deals with the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church).

In short, John the Baptist serves as an important link between Jewish heritage (Law and Prophets) and the coming of the Messiah. He is a precursor to the working of Christ and is an important “signpost” for those who seek the coming of the Christ-child.

As we celebrate this last week of Advent, I ask you: how are you a signpost for Christ? How are you announcing the coming of the Christ? Is your life closely linked with the life of Christ? Do people look at you and see the good news of God?

Luke 1:1-25 (NIV)

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.

Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."

The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."