Luke 1:76-79  
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; 
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 
to give his people the knowledge of salvation 
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 
to shine on those living in darkness 
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace. 
(NIV)

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Zechariah had been silent for nine months. He had so much he wanted to say, and when he finally did, it was pure poetry. 

Every good mother and father believes their newborn children are something special, and they are. 

This was especially true of John, who would become The Baptist, or, more accurately, The Baptizer. 

Look at how Zechariah, with the knowledge God had revealed to him, describes his newborn son. 

* He would be a prophet of the Most High. 
* He would prepare the way for the Messiah. 
* He would give “people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” 
* He would express “the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven.”
* He would be the messenger declaring how God would “guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Little John would become Good News.

Let’s pause here for a moment. 

Becoming good news isn’t reserved only for people like John and Jesus. Look at what Zechariah says here. Ponder it for a moment or two, and you might begin to see something that maybe you haven’t considered before. 

God guides our feet into the path of peace. That’s not just for John or Jesus, but for you and me as well. King David, in Psalm 23, says God always guides us the right way. (See verse 3.)

Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (See Matthew 6:13.) When we let God lead, he always takes us on the right path. He always goes before us to prepare the way, behind us to protect us, and alongside us to speak with us. 

People who walk closely with God throughout their lives become good news. It’s not just a message they speak, it’s a life they live. It’s how they think. It’s the shape of the words that come out of their mouths. It’s the book they write with their lives. It’s the story they were created to tell. 

Where are you in the process of becoming good news? 

My friend Jessie Cruikshank, and her friend Julia Schmaltz, recently released a book entitled Becoming Good News: Reimagining Discipleship through Identity, Story, and Science. Jessie has an advanced degree in brain science from Harvard University. She is brilliant. She is also one of the most faithful followers of Jesus I know. I love sitting and learning from her. 

A few years ago, we sat in a restaurant with a group of our friends and ministry colleagues. When I asked her an important question I had been pondering, thirty minutes later she said, “Is that what you wanted to know?” It was, and so much more. 

John the Baptizer was taken from this life far too soon. Even so, he would tell you that he accomplished what he was sent to do. He became good news. He did this by pointing to the one who embodies Good News. 

You and I have the privilege of Becoming Good News. God wants to use us to announce to family, friends, co-workers, and everyone we meet that there is Good News. He wants to use our hands and our feet, our words and our work, to express this Good News. He wants to use us to guide others into the path of peace. 

It’s time to break the silence. Become good news. 

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I will become Good News. 

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Our Father, fill my life with your goodness. Overflow my life with your grace. I want to become Good News. Amen.