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Today’s scripture is from the birth of John the Baptist. As it says John the Baptist was to go before the Lord to prepare the way. Zachariah and Elizabeth were the first to know of God’s immediate plan’s on earth. Zachariah was a high priest and it was his turn to enter the Holy of holies or beyond the veil; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was decided by the simple drawing of lots. His job was to burn incense; as the incense burned the people knew the prayers were being carried to heaven. There are many angels, but only two are named in the Bible, Gabriel and Michael, this was not a vision or a dream – it was an actual meeting with the arch-angel Gabriel. Suddenly he was face to face with, the highest ranking messenger of God. Luke 1: 14-21 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. 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And 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." 19The 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. 20And 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." 21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22When 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. Luke 1: 62-66 62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65The neighbours were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. Zechariah shows us that no matter what our abilities or age God can use us. Zachariah doubted God’s word, albeit momentarily, and for this he lost the ability of speech; yet still God worked through his life, allowing for the lack of faith. Family lines and names were very important to the Jews. Everyone assumed the Zechariah’s son would carry his name and would have been stunned when Elizabeth said, his name is to be John, and turned to Zechariah for conformation, upon giving this confirmation his voice was returned. The names John and Jesus were chosen by God, John means the Lord is Gracious and the meaning of Jesus we have already covered. The Lord was gracious is sending someone to prepare the people “A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God” John said “I baptise in water, but one who is coming, and is yet here, who will baptise in the Holy Ghost” To be baptised means to be immersed in the things of the spirit, that is spiritual thoughts, words and deeds; this is the most important part of John the Baptist’s message, to re focus people’s minds on the things of God – or to challenge people to meditate on the things of God and to absorb them fully into our life. Meditation on these things before the Christ comes into our life, prepares the way. Luke uses the word boao which means crying, there has to be an urgency and desire to find God. The word eremos means empty , a place of nothing. We are to make the pathway straight through our life. When we meditate on the things of God our mind must be empty of the things of this world. The word used for to prepare is fascinating, its etoimazo implying that when we meditate we must do so with purpose and intent, the desire to change and the prepare for a divine experience. The word for way is odos which means a pathway for God to come to us and us to speak to God. As the kingdom of God is within, these are also internal definite pathways; open to all through meditation. The word for Lord is Kurios which means supreme is all things. In the end all things come from and return to Him; as John the Baptist said “I must decrease and He must increase” . Although euthus is usually translated as straight it actually means level or even-minded, not experiences cycles of spirituality and then depression for a person on the right spiritual path is even-minded. A straight path has no twists and turns, it moves straight to God, without deviation. Thus should be our meditation; focused and without distraction, direct and with the intent, desire and goal to produce a oneness with Aham asmi in Sanskrit; Ego Eimi in Greek & YHWH in Hebrew.
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