In today’s world if we had an important announcement, we would hold a press conference at a noteworthy location like the nation’s capital with various news reporters and TV networks beaming the message across the land, coupled with postings on all the internet social media.

God took an entirely different approach in announcing that he would become one of us in the person of his son, Jesus.  First, he speaks through the prophets in sometimes obscure ways hundreds of years in advance to people who could not possibly be alive when the event takes place. 

On the day of the grand event – the birth of his son, Jesus – he sends a group of angels not to the temple in Jerusalem to speak with the leaders of the Jewish faith, but to a group of obscure shepherds in the remote hills outside of the small village of Bethlehem.   While Luke reports that the shepherds made known the message they were given, and “all who heard it were amazed,” the number of people who heard this news from these unlikely heralds had to be minimal. 

Next, he uses John the Baptist, not to announce the birth of Jesus but to prepare people’s hearts for the coming of his public appearance.  Instead of John going to where the people were, he went out to the desert, and the people came to him.  Mark reports, “People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him.” (Mark 1:5) 

Think of how powerful the Spirit of God must have been working in John to cause people to make the strenuous journey, walking for two or more days over rugged roads from Jerusalem and other parts of Judea to the Jordan River!  Even the Pharisees and Sadducees made the trip.

God tells us, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” (Isaiah 55:8) We see a foretaste of the power of the Holy Spirit working in John the Baptist which he says Jesus will pass on to us. 

Come Lord Jesus!  Come Holy Spirit!