I believe that most of us understand the importance of introductions. Things just seem to go better when you have either been formally introduced, have a letter of recommendation, or can use someone’s name as a door of entry. Something as simple as, “I was told that you could help me, and so I have come to you,” may be all that it takes.
As I am reading the gospel of John, I am slowly asking for revelation as I proceed.
According to Scripture, John the Baptist was the forerunner proclaiming the coming of the Messiah. Of course, we know that the coming of Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament, but it was John who, using my words, was the boots on the ground person at that time.
As I was reading about John the Baptist I was reminded of his first encounter with Jesus. You will remember it, too.
Mary, the mother of Jesus entered the house of Elizabeth and Zachariah with a greeting. When she did, Scripture makes it very clear what happened next. Luke 1:41-43 says, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside of her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
The Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth, and her words became a testimony to what God was doing. Furthermore, in Luke 1:44 it says, “For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped inside of me.”
When I reflect on this Scripture, it tells me that John first encountered Jesus when they were both in the womb. The Holy Spirit made the introductions. Mary was filled with God’s Spirit by the very presence of Jesus, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit as a gift from God to bear witness to God’s presence.
When you examine all of this, reading it for the revelation that God wants us to understand, it is very sobering to realize how the deceiver has worked to kill the unborn child in the world we live in. The unborn child will have their first, and tragically for many, their last connection with their mother through the sound of her voice.
John 1:32-34 CSB And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him. I didn’t know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on—He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”