Christmas, Forerunners and Jesus' Return
God always brings heaven to earth in partnership with humanity
Enjoy this podcast teaching from a few years ago. Merry Christmas!
Teaching Notes
This time of year, when so many people are thinking about the birth of Jesus, I like to reflect on the story in the first few chapters of Luke’s gospel. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is fascinating and worthy of celebration. Yet what always sticks out to me are the other characters involved in the story of His first coming.
It is fascinating because God chose to partner with forerunners to bring forth the Messiah. Look at the other characters – Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Anna, and Simeon. The Father chose to cooperate with willing vessels to birth His dream on the earth.
Mary told Gabriel, who was telling her God’s plan to conceive Christ in her, “Let it be to me according to Your word.” She literally birthed the Messiah!
Anna was faithful for decades in intercession and fasting, birthing the Messiah in the spirit through prayer!
God always brings heaven to earth in partnership with humanity.
Anna
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:36-38
Ministered first to God as a prophetic intercessor in day & night fasting and prayer (Luke 2:36-37)
She was faithful in intercession for decades, waiting for the promise of the Messiah (Luke 2:39).
Anna was a part of the forerunner company who prepared the way for and were ready for the coming of Jesus(Luke 1-3)
Anna gives us an example of the vocational calling to prayer
She ministered secondly as an evangelist to others (Luke 2:38)
Anna is a type of the body of Christ before Jesus returns, which will function as a corporate “Anna” in day & night prayer, fasting and evangelism. (Isaiah 62:6-7, Luke 18:7-8).
God always brings heaven to earth in partnership with humanity.
John the Baptist
“It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”-Luke 1:17 [NASB]
John was a forerunner to the first coming of Jesus (Luke 1:15-17, 76-79, 3:3-6 [Isaiah 40:3-5])
John operated in the “spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17)
Israel was expecting Elijah to come as a precursor to the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6)
Jesus indicated that John only partially fulfilled the prophecy in Malachi, and that Elijah was yet to come (Matthew 17:11-13, Mark 9:12-13, John 1:21), because He is coming again.
This “is coming/has come” answer is because, in this age, God’s kingdom is both now & not yet. Since Jesus’ first coming, the kingdom of God has been sown like a seed into the earth, and it’s spreading. But the kingdom is only coming in fullness at His return. And just as there were forerunners to prepare for the first coming of Jesus, the Church is to be the forerunners who prepare the way (and are prepared for) the second coming of Jesus.
Because God always brings heaven to earth in partnership with humanity.
Profile of a Forerunner
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3
Forerunners are forged in the wilderness of prayer and fasting. The wilderness speaks of a challenging season to prepare for entering the fullness of your destiny (such as David being chased by Saul in the wilderness, Israel wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land). This prepares the person/people by cultivating….
Humility and dependence.
A lifestyle of fasting (Matthew 4:1)
Prayer in the secret place (Matthew 6:6)
Intimacy with Jesus (Song of Solomon 8:5)
A forerunner emerges from the wilderness as a prophetic voice with a clear message (Isaiah 40:3).
Forerunners are prophetic pioneers, visionaries, and leaders. They see and declare what is yet to come- what others do not see.
Note: Often, there are “voice” people and “wilderness” people: those who want to preach & prophesy, and those who wish to pray & worship. But the forerunner knows that the authority of his message is cultivated in the wilderness. So he stands in the gap between heaven and earth. Firmly rooted in intimacy with Jesus and boldly proclaiming God’s word to a broken world.
Forerunners are intercessors. They practice the ministry of reconciliation - standing in the gap between heaven and earth (Luke 1:17, Matthew 6:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18)
God is preparing His bride for his return. Before He returns, the Church will be in partnership with Him in His purposes. In the spirit and power of Elijah, the body of Christ will be praying & fasting day & night, and declaring the Gospel with boldness & power to every nation. This will actually lead to the second coming of Jesus and the full establishment of God’s kingdom on the earth.
Because God always brings heaven to earth in partnership with humanity.