The Forerunners

• What is a forerunner?

• Share something that you know about John the Baptist.

“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 before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel 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 parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Luke 1:15 – 17

Of all the people discussed in the Bible, it’s tough to find anyone more fascinating than John the Baptist. People of all ages are drawn to him—he’s tough, well-spoken, smart, and committed. He’s committed to his work. He wears camel fur and eats honey and locusts. He’s the stuff of legends, and he was very much real.

John the Baptist served a very important purpose. He was Jesus’ forerunner. A forerunner is someone who is sent in advance to announce the coming of someone or something. And Jesus’ cousin John took his job very seriously. He preached to anyone who would listen, and people came from miles around to hear what he had to say. He told them that the Messiah was coming and would soon be in their midst. Because of John the Baptist’s powerful words, many people repented and were baptized before Jesus even began his ministry.

We too are Christ’s forerunners, though we may never have to eat locusts. Jesus is coming back to earth, and we are to prepare the way for him. We can learn a lot from John the Baptist’s boldness and dedication. He was a great and humble man.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for John the Baptist. Please show us how to be forerunners for Jesus. Please help us to prepare the way for him. Amen.