Life and Mission of John
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“Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking
in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” They
were far advanced in years. Zacharias ministered in the holy office of
the priesthood. “And it came to pass that while he executed the priest’s
office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom
of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into
the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were
praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him
an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”
And when Zacharias saw the angel of God, he was surprised and
troubled. This conscientious, God-fearing soul questioned whether he
had himself offended God, and that this divine messenger had come to
reprove, or in judgment, to condemn. The heavenly messenger cheered
him with these words:
“Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou
shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he
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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. And many of
the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 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.”
In the above words the angel Gabriel enjoined upon Zacharias that
John should be brought up with strictly temperate habits. This was to
secure to him physical, mental, and moral health, that he should be
qualified for the important mission of making ready a people for the
Lord. In order to accomplish this great work, the Lord must work with
him. The Spirit of God would be with John if he should be obedient to
the requirement of the angel.
A great work was before John, and in order for him to have a
sound physical constitution, and mental and moral power, to do this
work, he must control appetite and passion. John was to lead out as
a reformer, and by his abstemious life, and plain dress, rebuke the
intemperate habits, and the sinful extravagance, of the people. The
indulgence of appetite in luxurious food, and the use of wine, were
lessening physical strength, and weakening the intellect, so that crime
and grievous sins did not appear sinful. The angel Gabriel gave special