Dusk Til Dawn: The Dawn — Tuesday
Malachi 3:1
“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. (NLT)
As a kid, were you ever dared—or did you dare someone else—to eat a worm? I remember having a pretty wild classmate in high school that wanted to be the center of attention, and on owl pellet dissection day, he either licked or ate the owl pellet he was given. Gross, right?
John the Baptist, another pretty wild guy we read about in scripture (Matthew 3, John 1:6-34), maintained a notable diet consisting of locusts and honey. Also gross, right? I did a quick 5-second Google search and learned that locusts can be 3-5 inches long. That’s somewhere between a Twinkie and a taco. He also wore a tunic of camel hair and lived in the wilderness. As uncivilized as he may have been, this wild man had a very important role in the story of Jesus, and truthfully, no one embodies the joy and hope of the season more than him.
John was filled with joy at the thought of Jesus’ upcoming arrival. His entire life was spent preparing the way for the Messiah (as prophesied in Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3). He preached and baptized people in the Jordan River, tirelessly working to get people ready for the Savior. When John saw that Jesus had arrived and was ready to start His ministry, he cried out, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29).
John also set an example for us of how to celebrate Jesus’ birth. John humbly stepped back so that others could witness Jesus’ ministry. Instead of drawing attention to himself, John chose to point others to Christ. This is a great reminder that Christmas shouldn’t be all about us, and that what we do for the Lord isn’t about us being celebrated. Rather, it’s about sharing His message with those around us. So today, let’s remember to be like John and turn to Jesus with excitement and enthusiasm!
Tuesday’s Reflection
John the Baptist was a great example of someone who focused on Jesus and shared His joy with others. How can we spend time this week sharing His Joy in the way that John did—selflessly and enthusiastically?
