Progressive Revelation

Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

You awake in a darkened room and stagger groggily into the bathroom. You flip on the light switch – and – youch! Severe eye pain. It’s more than your eyes can stand…

The way God has designed our eyes is amazing. The pupil opens and closes depending on the brightness of the light source. Natural light provided by God has a gradual brightening and darkening. (We call those ‘morning’ and ‘evening.’) God understands the need for our exposure to light to be gradual rather than sudden.

John the Baptist IS “Elijah who is to come.” He is the gradual lightening to come before the Light of the World.

John the Baptist is key for the ministry of Christ for two reasons. 1.) He would be the fulfillment of prophecy spoken by Isaiah, (40:3-5,) and Malachi, (3:1 & 4:5.) 2.) He would be God’s emissary whose mission would be to prepare the ‘eyes’ of man for the Light of the World - Who is Christ the LORD.

God is gentle with His revelation before man. He knows our sensitivity to His Divine Light, and so the ground is well-prepared long before the light switch is flipped. (A mixed-metaphor for sure!) But you get the drift…2,000 years of prophecy followed by the birth of John the Baptist, followed by Christ. Do you see God’s prep work?

Who is the person who was your own personal, ‘John the Baptist?’ Whose personal ‘John the Baptist’ will you be? How fascinating God uses man to introduce men to God. We are not that Light, but we are those who bring others gradually to it.

-  Pastor Bill