The Backstory of : The Last Prophet In this, our final look at the backstory of Christmas, we are looking at the last Old Testament era gospel prophet. John the Baptist. He was born just six months before . All four of the gospels tell us about John the Baptist’ ministry, but only the gospel of Luke tells us the circumstances of his birth.

1. The story of John the Baptist’s birth, Luke 1:5-22 A. His parents, 5-10

B. The announcement, 11-17 Malachi 4:4-6.

C. The doubt, 18-22

2. The ministry of John the Baptist, Luke 1:67-79 A. He announces the fulfullement of prophecy, 67-75

B. He announces the forgiveness of sins, 76-79

3. The Message of John the Baptist, Luke 3:1-3 Acts 20:20-21; 17:30-31; 16:31; 19:4; Jeremiah 31:31-34.

4. The Mission of John the Baptist, :6-8, 29-34

So What’s the Big Idea? John the Baptist pulls together several ideas for us. (1) Jesus is the one who fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of a Redeemer who crushes evil, a descendant of Abraham through whom the entire world is blessed, and a Davidic King whose kingdom will never end. (2) Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World (3) It is upon repentance and faith that forgiveness of sins occurs.

What is God calling on you to do, now that you know the backstory of Christmas? 1) If you have not already done so, God is calling on you to repent of your sins and express faith in Christ’s death and resurrection on your behalf. Otherwise, trying to celebrate Christmas is like crashing a party to which you were not invited. 2) Spend less time criticizing the modern myths of Christmas, and more time overpowering them with the biblical story of Christmas, including the backstory. The Santa Claus myth does not hold a candle to the story of plan devised in eternity past to overthrown the evil reign of sin and Satan, promised over thousands of years, and finally put into motion by a baby in Bethlehem. Rudolph doesn’t stand a chance when you teach your children the true story of Christmas! 3) Make sure your celebration of Christmas keeps the whole story in mind, for both you and your children. The manger in Bethlehem was a milestone on the journey to the cross, a journey Jesus took in order to save those who would trust in Him. • Read several passages of Scripture to your family on Christmas morning. Let kids who are old enough do some of the reading. • Spend some time in prayer as a family on Christmas morning, thanking God for what He has done through Christ. • Talk about the whole story of Christ, not just His birth.