His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come to His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us-to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, but which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
And the child grew and became strong in the spirit, and he lived in the wilderness until He appeared publicly to Israel.
*******
John was to be the one to prepare the way. To prepare the hearts and minds of the people so that Jesus could then transform them. You and I are also called to prepare the hearts and minds of people…so that God can transform them. We get to plant the seed and watch God turn that seed into life. We get to place the Gospel on the hearts and minds of others and watch God bring it to life in their life. We have a great responsibility as a Christ follower. Will you accept the challenge?
A Journey With Jesus 