The Festival of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Posted on June 24, 2025 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 1:57-80 (NKJV)
1:57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”
61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 “and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,
70 “as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began,
71 “that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
72 “to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,
73 “the oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
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 the days of our life.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 “to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,
78 “through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 “To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Devotion
The pinnacle of God’s mercy is shown in the Gospel of our forgiveness in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Our salvation from sin and His promise of eternal life in glory is the utmost focus of what we believe, teach, and confess as His people. But Satan also lies and twists this powerful Gospel message. The enemy encourages us to selfishly turn inward on our feelings of freedom and to neglect the further work and witness of what Christ would accomplish through us. Our gracious Lord saves us from sin and death, but He does not want us to sit around in idleness, thinking, “I’m forgiven and I’m going to heaven, so now I can just focus on me and how I’m going to kill time until then…”
God sends His faithful children as servants, called to obey His commandments and do the work of love, so that His truth and righteousness may be given as a witness to all others. This is the wonderful message that He proclaimed in the song of Zacharias at the birth of John. Zacharias and his miracle son were part of God’s merciful work to declare our salvation in Jesus Christ, but their lives were also examples of faithful action and duty.
Collect: O Lord God, Heavenly Father, Who, through Thy servant John the Baptist, didst bear witness that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God Which taketh away the sin of the world and that all who believe in Him shall inherit eternal life: We humbly pray Thee to enlighten us by Thy Holy Spirit that we may at all times find comfort and joy in this witness, continue steadfast in the true faith and at last with all believers attain unto eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the First Sunday after Trinity Sunday
O God, the Strength of all them that put their trust in Thee: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without Thee, grant us the help of Thy grace, that in keeping Thy commandments we may please Thee, both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
