Is Christmas a Celebration of John the Baptist

Our Christmas programs and church celebrations may not include John the Baptist. So here is the real problem. During December we consider this to be the Christmas Season rather than the Season of Christmas starting on December 24th. Before Christmas Eve and After Thanksgiving (USA) is the Season of Advent.

It is difficult to really say Christmas itself. But we do find John the Baptist at the bookends of Christmas. Think about the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth which is connected with Mary's visit. Mary comes to see Elizabeth and we get to hear the first prophecy of John the Baptist. John leaps in his mother's womb pointing out the Mother of our LORD. The other bookend comes After the Day of Epiphany. Here John the Baptist points to the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of world. He Baptizes the LORD at the Jordan River. You can see the Bookends.

This is truly something to celebrate. God sends us one last Prophet to point to his coming. Now I should also point out that this prophet points to both Advents of our King as do the Old Testament prophets. New Testament prophets will point backward to the First Advent but forward to his Second Coming.

Now Christmas becomes a celebration of John the Baptist and how he prepars us for the coming of our LORD. John fulfills the passage of Isaiah as the voice in the desert. He prepares us for the coming of the Lord almost 30 years after his birth. But remember John is still there before the Birth of his six month younger cousin.

Christmas may not or should not be a direct Celebration of John the Baptist. Advent should celebrate the preparation for Christ's First Advent as well as Christ's second Advent. Again we should celebrate John the Baptist's contribution to the Ministry of Christ or Revelation of our Lord to his people through out the year. Celebrating during Epiphany, Pentecost, Lent. John should be mentioned at the beginning and the end to proclaim this promised Son of God who comes into the World to save the world. For he must come before our Lord in order to point him out, and there he is.

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