There was a man sent from God; his name was John. He came for a testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but was sent to bear witness to the Light.

There was a true Light, Which enlightens every person who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. And to those who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the power to become children of God, who were not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we have seen His glory, the glory as the Only Begotten of the Father. John bears witness to Him, and exclaiming, he says, "This was the One of whom I said, that He who came after me stood before me, because he was before me."

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses; but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; The Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed.

A. THE FIRST PART OF THE GOSPEL STORY

I. The Son of God is incarnate and abides

in hiddenness until He reveals Himself to the world

4. An angel announces the birth of the Forerunner. His conception.

Lux. 1, 5-25.

In the days of Herod, king of Judah, there was a priest of the Abian family, whose name was Zechariah, and his wife of the family of Aaron, whose name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, acting according to all the commandments and statutes of the Lord blamelessly. They had no children, for Elizabeth was barren, and both were already in old age.

Once, when he was serving before God in the order of his rank, by lot, as was usual with priests, it fell to him to enter the temple of the Lord for incense, and all the multitude of people prayed outside during the incense.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear came upon him. And the angel said to him, Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer has been heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord; he shall not drink wine or strong drink,[1] and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to restore the hearts of the fathers to the children, and to the disobedient the minds of the righteous, that he may present to the Lord a prepared people.

And Zechariah said to the angel, "By what shall I know this?" for I am old, and my wife is old. The angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, standing before God, and I have been sent to speak with you, and to preach these things to you; and behold, you will be silent, and you will not be able to speak until the day that it comes to pass, because you have not believed my words, which will come to pass in due time.