The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 1:67-79, “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant–
72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old–
71 Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us;
73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us,
79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The most important person on the platform, second only to the speaker, is the one who introduces the speaker to the
audience. Yet, so often –almost always!—Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist is omitted except for when he affirms
the name of his son to be John. That affirmation and all the rest of what Zacharias says comes from the Holy Spirit.
Notice, too, that his first words are words of praise to the LORD.

Salvation had come to the nation of Israel. The LORD had not forgotten His promise. What the prophets of old had
proclaimed, has now come to pass: Salvation is freedom from all enemies! It was the LORD’s promise to Abraham! He
has remembered all that He promised; and His promise of deliverance is that His people might serve Him without fear.

So many in our world today serve the LORD in fear. The trust Him, but their enemies continue to threaten them. Often,
they are persecuted and murdered simply because they serve the LORD. Yet, the LORD has not forgotten them. Perhaps,
He allows us the knowledge of their sufferings to awaken us to serve Him all the more. John the Baptist (literally, John, the
baptizing one) is the one who introduces the Speaker, Jesus Christ. John prepares the minds and hearts of Israel to listen
and trust the Words of Jesus, the Father’s Promised Messiah. And it is the Messiah, Who shines upon those who live
in darkness. It is He who “guides our feet into the way of peace.”

If you lack peace in your heart and life, you need only to look to Jesus. The way to Him is so simple that many stumble
over the simplicity. Speak to Him in prayer. Confess the wrong that has residence in your heart and life. Trust Him to
forgive that wrong and to replace it with Himself and the warmth of His love. CHRISTmas’ true meaning will then
become for you what it has never been before! God bless you richly and abundantly! You are in my prayers.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom