God can bring Peace to your Past, Purpose to your present, and Hope to your future. John 14:27
John the Baptist was a young man, probably in his late-twenties, when he began his wilderness ministry. To the common men and women of Judea he was a prophet in the mode of Elijah, sent by God to prepare the way for the promised Messiah.
This was his life’s purpose – to share a message of hope in the One who would fulfill all God’s promises. Thrust into prison by King Herod, his entire life’s hope rested in Jesus. There were many signs and prophecies pointing to Jesus as the One. But before John’s execution took place, his heart longed to know if his life’s passions and exertions had been in vain. Did Jesus himself believe himself to be the Messiah?
Yes! When John sent a message to Jesus asking if he was the promised One, Jesus answered in unequivocal terms that He was the One. He pointed to his actions, his miracles, his fulfillment of prophecy.
Those same evidences, described in the world’s most miraculous collection of writings, the Bible, are ours today. They remind us that ours is not a hope pulled out of thin air but firmly planted in reason and faith. May that hope grow in us all during this Advent season!