11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing to the right of the incense altar.
12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah!
God has heard your prayer.
Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.
He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.
17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah.
He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.
He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,
and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
Luke 1:11-17 NLT
***
And in the angel’s words we hear the last words of the final book of the Old Testament, written 400 years ago.
5 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah
before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives.
6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children,
and the hearts of children to their fathers.”
Malachi 4:5-6a NLT
***
John was a transitional figure, the link between the Old and New Testaments. He spans the ages with one foot firmly planted in the Old Testament and the other squarely placed in the New.
The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
Clear the road for him!’”
Matthew 3:3 NLT
God has remembered. God is moving. It is time.