John said, these were written so that you would BELIEVE.

The Sign of John the Baptist
One of the first signs was: Zacharias and Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God walking in all the commands… but…they did not have children.

Sometimes good people, righteous people, go through very difficult circumstances like infertility, and it isn’t punishment for wrong doing, it isn’t a curse, it’s God’s TIMING.
Trust in the Lord. Be faithful. God sees. He will reward.

Zacharias was Faithful
Zacharias and Elizabeth, despite their prayers not being answered remained FAITHFUL.

The angel said: Don’t be afraid Zacharias, FOR YOUR PRAYER HAS BEEN HEARD.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you will call his name John.

Your LONG awaited prayer, the Lord has heard, and in His TIMING, you will see the answer!

The Sign of John
· He won’t drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth.
· He will come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

John himself was a sign. He was a Nazarite like Samson and Samuel. They did not drink wine, they did not cut their HAIR, nor could they touch a dead body.

John would come like Elijah. He wore camel skins and a leather belt, not soft clothing, he lived outside in the wilderness, and ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4).

Elizabeth Conceives
Vs 24 Elizabeth conceived and hid herself for five months saying: The Lord has taken away my reproach among the people. This is another sign! Two elderly people having a baby!

Jesus is born in Bethlehem

Mary and Joseph are from Nazareth, and they traveled to Bethlehem to register and pay taxes, because Joseph is from the lineage of David.

Joseph and Mary are both from the line of David, another sign that Jesus is the Messiah.
Mary delivered baby Jesus, in stable, with livestock, as night was falling on Bethlehem.
They wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.

The Shepherds

There were shepherds in Bethlehem watching their flocks by night.

Passover
Have you ever considered how many Passover lambs would have to be prepared for Passover? Hundreds of thousands.
The shepherds raised these lambs, mainly for SACRIFICE because of the proximity to Jerusalem.

These shepherds were out in the fields watching their flock at night, and an Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

In a Manger
The shepherds would take “swaddling clothes” and wrap the lambs and lay them in a manger.

I Corinthians 5:7 …Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us.
John 1:29 The next day John said: The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
John 1:36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said:
I Peter 1:18, 19 …but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a LAMB without blemish and spot.
Jesus is the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world.

The SIGN
He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a MANGER, the SIGN given by the Angels.

Testing of our Faith
When we go through tough times, we forget the things that God promised. Don’t lose heart! Don’t give up! God is working in your life despite the difficulty that you may be facing. Encourage your faith today.

The Signs
These signs are meant for you to believe, that Jesus is the Lamb of God, who came as God’s gift to us, to die in our place. That is the message of Christmas.

Believe
For some He’s reminding you: Don’t forget what I told you! Your prayer has been heard!
For some today, the Lord is inviting you to Believe in Him again.