His Name is John!

For Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Luke 1:63 NLT: “Zechariah motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, ‘His name is John.’”

Zechariah had been rendered mute after questioning the angel’s ability to bring God’s miracle of a son to fruition. And now they find themselves at the eight-day circumcision, and we need a name for that baby boy. Elizabeth, the mom, said to call him “John.” There was no relative in their family named John, and children were traditionally named in honor of an ancestor. So the mohel demanded verification from the dad. Zechariah wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately, Zechariah’s ability to speak returned.

Their friends and neighbors were in awe! First, the miracle of childbirth. Elizabeth had been barren throughout her life, and Zechariah was well past the age of fathering children. Then an encounter with an angel, a promise from God that came true, and Zechariah losing his voice and regaining it immediately after following the angel’s instructions for naming! With his newly found speaking voice, he began praising God!

Nowadays we have newspapers, radio, TV and the internet. But back then, word-of-mouth was the only way to spread the news. All throughout the Judean hills, word moved quickly. The names Zechariah, Elizabeth and John were on the tips of everyone’s tongues. It was obvious that God’s hand was on this special family. Everyone asked, “What will this child turn out to be?”

We know this child as John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for Jesus, God’s only Son! And Jesus is God’s gift to mankind!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Better Life!

 

For Tuesday, December 2, 2025:

Hebrews 12:1a NLT: “Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.”

Just one simple point today. God didn’t accept believers because we suddenly became perfect. God welcomes us because we’re friends of his Son. Jesus opened the door for believers to spend eternity with the Heavenly Father. And out of gratitude for what Jesus did for us, we do our best to live His way, to not sin, to conform to God’s directions for our lives.

There’s a fishing joke about new believers. “You catch ‘em and we’ll clean ‘em!” Devotion to Jesus comes first. Clean-up may be gradual, may take a little more time. We will nonetheless get cleaned. And because of that, our lives will be better.

With Jesus, everything is better!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Advent!

 December 1, 2025, Monday Message:

Luke 1:59b-60 NLT: “They wanted to name Elizabeth’s baby Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

As this baby matured, we would know him as John the Baptist. John was the forerunner, opening people’s minds and hearts as he set the stage for Jesus.

We too prepare for Jesus’ arrival with the Christian tradition of Advent, which means the arrival of something of great importance. On the church calendar, Advent is the four weeks preceding Christmas. Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, with three more to come. Advent is not in the Bible, although God arranged for John to pave the way for Jesus.

In the US, with Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve) and Thanksgiving behind us, our focus turns to Christmas. We bring trees and decorative branches indoors. We wrap special gifts for the wee ones. We lend extra support to charitable needs in our communities.

But most of all, we should keep Christ in Christmas. Yes, we’re celebrating Jesus’ arrival, his human birthday. But more importantly, we’re celebrating the rescue of mankind and the forgiving of our sins. And having been forgiven, Jesus prepared a place for us in the hereafter, eternity in the presence of the Lord. We’re celebrating the Assurance of Salvation for believers, made possible by his Son!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church