Stephen De La Vega

Alternate Title: Why Did We Hear from John the Baptist Before We Heard from Jesus? As I enjoyed Thanksgiving, I looked forward to Christmas and I couldn’t stop wondering: Why did the man we call John the Baptist need to tell the Jews that Jesus was coming? I’d never thought about it before. Why is he part of biblical history? And why did God lay out such an integrated and impossible duo of supernatural pregnancies for Baby John and Baby Jesus? The Christmas story began with the pregnancy of John, who was selected by God to be a forerunner to Jesus. He was precursor both in birth and in ministry. So the Christmas story is not complete without the birth of John the Baptist. So why did the Jews need a forerunner? Wouldn’t they still have their Messiah, and wouldn’t we still have the gospel, without John the Baptist? Let’s consider their situation… The Jews expected a Messiah as promised from God. They expected a King who would rescue them from their ...

To help ring in Christmas, I hope you enjoy this paraphrase of John 1. I wrote it in a fun meter so it might help engage the kids in your life (including the big ones). The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as the Savior for all - the Son of God, and the Messiah for which the Jews waited so long. We also get to know John the Baptist, God's chosen messenger who explained the good news of Jesus to the Jews. Read about how it all plays out... The Gospel of John Chapter 1 - He Who's the Word Now, there is a He, who is also the Word. This He who's the Word, spoke before He was heard. He spoke before ears Were on heads that could hear, With nothing around, Not even the ground. This He who's the Word, is also the Maker, He's with God, and is God, but no, not a faker. He surely made all, Like trees, short and tall. There's nothing, for sure, That's not made by the Word. Now, John was a man the Maker made later, To...