Luke 1:17. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
If you were told today you are to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, would you accept the charge? Would you grasp the magnitude of the duty laid upon you?
Such a man was told this would happen from his offspring. An angel came to Zacharias telling him his wife would bear a male child. His son, John, would be great in the sight of the Lord and filled with the Holy Ghost. Let us read: Luke 1:13b-16. ;…thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
If you are the son spoken of here, would you accept the charge?
Believers of the Lord Jesus Christ are charged with telling the story (Gospel) of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Just as John was given the duty to prepare a people for the Lord, believers are charged with the same. Mt. 28:19-20. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Before Jesus came into the world, John was given a charge to prepare a people prepared for the coming of the Lord. When Jesus left to prepare a place for his believers to come in the next life, he gave believers–disciples–the same charge; to teach all nations to observe whatsoever he commanded. Just as the work John (the Baptist) was to perform, we have the Holy Ghost within us to do the same charge.
As the world choses to celebrate a birthday for the King Immanuel, let us consider the events leading up to this blessed event. God prepared a holy people in which to bring His son by human birth into human existence. He prepared the way.
God has kept a remnant of Israelite people holy and acceptable to him in order to bring his son into the physical world. God had designed this timely event long before the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. Many prophecies were given exclaiming the actual events before they happened.
Ezekiel 11:16-20. 16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
In this progression of events, the parents of John were chosen. Luke 1:5-6. 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Chosen were a righteous couple of the priesthood. Both father and mother were of the house of Levi; the mother being of the house of Aaron the first High Priest. They were both ‘walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.’ To them God chose to bring into the world a male child to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
Not all men are living righteously at all times before the Lord. Many of them must be made ready to accept the Lord in their lives. This requires a time of preparation. John was the one chosen before the earthly birth of our Lord.
Now we are to prepare the way for mankind to become righteous before entering into the next life.
Let us look at John, we call The Baptist, and imitate his work in the Holy Ghost to prepare for Jesus.
John was charged ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’. Vs. 17.
The first required duty of John was to see that the children believed in Christ as the fathers did. The fathers spoken of here are the Israelite nation chosen by God and given the Law of Moses by which to make themselves acceptable unto God. As each generation came into the world, the fathers were charged to tell and remind them of the tribulations, the oppression and hardships they endured but overcame, with the love of God working wonders in their lives. It was the fathers responsibility to train the children in the ways of God by the Law of Moses and to tell of the promise given unto Abraham.
Solomon wrote in Proverbs 22:6, 6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. We see the command God spoke through Solomon, the wisest man to live.
In our physical world, children are to be under a schoolmaster; parents. Parents are to teach their children things we once called ‘common sense’. With this ability, a child can mature to adulthood and perform things in their lives to sustain themselves and future families.
Included in this schooling, God requires mankind to teach their children of the righteous things they must perform to be found within His graces. This includes religious beliefs and activities they possess to be good citizens in God’s Kingdom.
This is what Solomon was speaking of in his Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 6. The parents first duty is to train up their children in the ways of the Lord by the Law which was their schoolmaster. Gal. 3:24. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Each generation was to know and receive the prophecy of the coming Messiah, Jesus.
The second duty of John the Baptist was, ‘to turn the hearts of … the disobedient to the wisdom of the just’; Vs. 17.
Disobedience against God and the Lord is a product of evil beginning with Satan. Satan introduced disobedience to the world when he tempted Eve, the mother of all living. (Gen. 3) A child, born of a woman, is pure, sinless. It is by the influence of the unrighteous that the child turns from being pure and sinless. Satan has begun this job and his followers, the world, continues this endeavor. This makes it all the more important for parents to train up their children in the way they should go.
However, even adult children can falter and fall from righteousness. Therefore, John was given a charge to turn the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.
How do we accomplish the same? Titus chapter 2 was written by Apostle Paul to Titus giving instructions of what to do. Let us find and imitate his instructions.
Titus 2:1. Paul is instructing Titus to preach ‘sound doctrine’. Vs. 1. 2 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
We, teaching the disobedient, are to know what is ‘The Doctrine of Christ’, not doctrines of men. This requires us to be knowledgeable of ‘The Doctrine of Christ’. If we are truly one of the ‘Just’, we can teach the wisdom of Christ properly so the disobedient can understand their position before the Lord.
Who is therefore to teach and to whom are they to teach?
Aged Women to teach Young Women.
Titus 2:3a, 4-5. 3 The aged women likewise, 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
What requirements were these aged women to have in order to train the younger women? Just like John the Baptist was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, we see the ‘Just’ women are to have the same heart given to and obedient to God first before they train the younger women. Vs. 3. 3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
These ‘Just’ women are to be righteous before God as God desired His Israelite people to be at the coming of the Lord. (his earthly birth)
Righteous Titus (as with righteous men) are to teach young men.
Titus 2:6. 6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. Being ‘sober minded’ is to think clearly, having proper understanding and wisdom of God to discern things in a proper manner. An unsober mind is inclined to grave deception and deceit. Therefore, Paul tells Titus to: vss. 1-2. 2 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: 2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
To be found having a heart of God, man must possess these traits mentioned here. Without these traits, one cannot properly train their children nor others in the righteousness of God.
What additional conditions must a righteous man who teaches others be found? Titus 2:7-8. 7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, 8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Righteous Titus (as with righteous men) are to teach servants
Titus 2:9-10. 9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Are we servants? In similar fashion we are. We have occupations or jobs which require us to be in subjection to a boss. As an employee, we are to be obedient to our employers, pleasing them well in our workmanship.
Titus 2:15. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Unto John the Baptist was this same charge given, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
John’s father, Zacharias, was well pleased for the charge given unto his son. What an honor. In his excitement, Zacharias spoke these words of praise:
Luke 1:67-79. 67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of 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 thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
We, as parents, can begin training the next generation concerning this wonderful event, the birth and entrance into the world of a savior, Jesus Christ. We can be proud, like Zacharias, knowing our children can train their children. We can teach the disobedient the wisdom of the just that they might have the same hope of eternal life as we. We can be before the people of the world and prepare the way for the second coming of our Savior to meet him in the clouds and live with him for evermore.
