Devotionals by Raul Ries

SATURDAY December 20, 2025

The Prophet of the Highest

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will 
 go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins....”
Luke 1:76-77

Zacharias the priest was filled with the Holy Spirit and continued his lengthy prophecy, which included his son’s future ministry. John was chosen to be a messenger––the prophet of the Highest––who would go before the Messiah to prepare His ways. John was filled with the Holy Spirit while in Elizabeth’s womb.

John would become a fiery preacher in the wilderness of Judea.  His special call from the Lord was to give people knowledge of salvation by the remission of their sins––through the ministry of the coming Messiah.

He would call people to repent! As John would preach repentance, people would be deeply convicted. As they turned to the Lord, the people’s hearts would be made ready for their coming Messiah.

Zacharias’ son would become known as John the Baptist, because he would baptize people in the Jordan River. John the Baptist would proclaim to men asking who he was: “I am ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said’ ” (John 1:23; Isaiah 40:3). In his ministry, John would always point people to Christ, not himself, which is something we also need to do.

Jesus would say of His relative: “John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message” (John 5:35). What about your life this Christmas? Are you a burning and shining light to others? Are people excited to hear the message you are bringing to them?

The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.
~J.I. Packer~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!