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God Is Gracious: The Miraculous Birth of John the Baptist

Every baby is a miracle, a gift from God. But some stories make it undeniable that God had His hand directly involved. Today, we’re looking at one of those stories, a reminder that the same God responsible for all the miracle births in Scripture is still at work in our lives today.

What’s in a Name?

His name was John, which means “God is gracious.” Every time someone called his name, they were reminded of the God they served. Every time they yelled at him (because let’s be honest, kids will be kids), they had to remember to be gracious too.

But this baby boy was a long time in coming, about 400 years, to be exact.

The final book of prophecy in the Hebrew Bible is Malachi, where God promises: “See, I’m going to send my messenger and he will clear the way before me” (Malachi 3:1). God said He would send someone to prepare the way, someone in the spirit of Elijah, before the great day of the Lord.

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Laughter Is Born: The Ridiculous Promise of God

When God’s Plans Sound Absolutely Absurd

What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard of an elderly person accomplishing? Running a marathon at 100? Climbing Mount Everest at 80? Going skydiving at 103?

Now imagine this: having your first baby at 90.

That’s the story of Abraham and Sarah – and it’s so absurd that their son’s name literally means “laughter.” Because when God told them the news, they laughed. Not the joyful kind of laughter, but the incredulous kind. The “you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me” kind.

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