“What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

Luke 1:66b

We read here the account of the birth of John the Baptist, of whom Jesus Himself said, “For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. (Luke 7:28)” There were most certainly extraordinary circumstances – his birth foretold through angelic visitation, father and mother both well advanced in age and beyond childbearing years, a supernatural infilling of the Holy Spirit at the greeting of Mary the mother of Jesus, and an 8 day post-birth miracle of healing after his father, Zacharias, had been struck dumb from his unbelief at the angel’s prophetic utterance. Naturally, people were talking. These types of things don’t just happen everyday. As his story plays out, it becomes clear that he was the greatest of all prophets because he had the divine assignment of introducing the Savior of the world, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29b) What an overwhelming privilege!

And what an astounding question that should be asked of every precious life conceived and brought forth into this world. “What then will this child turn out to be?” Psalm 139 details the intricate shaping of every face, freckle, and fingerprint by the Most High God. Aside from the careful crafting of a physical frame, God’s Word tells us that “…in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” (Psalm 139:16b) Your child’s days are written in God’s book, and though we have yet to know or foresee how their story will play out, we get to be apart. Is there a more awesome privilege in the entire world (parent / grandparent / uncle / aunt / cousin / neighbor / friend) than for you to be the one who sees that ‘something’ in a little child; that spark of faith just waiting to be ignited with the proclamation, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away … my sin … your sin … and the sin of the world.” Oh God! God forbid that it ever be spoken of any of us that we squandered an opportunity to see something of so great of eternal worth and value in Heaven as the soul of a precious little child. “But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:14) To the teachers, preachers, faithful Sunday school teachers, and Wednesday night workers – not every child that walks through the doors of your classroom or church has been loved at home or planned on earth, but they have been purposed in Heaven. Point them to the Lamb. For truly, “What then will this child turn out to be?”