Luke 1:59-80 KJV
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

How many signs from the begining of the Christmas story to the end of it, I have never counted them as far as a number, but I find myself wondering this morning as I am typing. How many signs did God give of the coming of Emmanuel just in the New Testament, of his blessing of the birth of John and then Christ. Eight days after the birth of John, Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth went to the temple to have John not only circumcised but to give the name of their new baby to be recorded. As the name was given by the wife because Zacharias still had not been able to speak, motion for them to give him something to write on, because John was not a family name. As soon has Zacharias wrote the name John down as being the baby's name his tongue was loosen and he was able to speak. The people wonder and marveled at this event. The people including those in surrounding areas wonder what manner of child this would be. Who was this John? Zacharias began to prophesy/preach about who John was as well as the one to come.

His son was to be a prophet to the highest, and at the baptism, prior to the baptism and after John preaches about who Christ was and is. John purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus through his preaching. God was showing mercy, by giving light in the darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide their feet from slipping. If you been keeping up this season with writing you will know we been talking about the light in the darkness. The darkness here is the world around them of people without faith or blinders on and they need light to see by and that light is coming by God's Spirit through the prophetic word of Zacharias, Old Testament, and will be when John time comes to tell who the Messiah is, who is yet to be born at the time of the story.

God demonstrating word through the birth of John and the events that would continue to unfold, with first John's birth and then the birth of the Messiah. God moves in the lives of a nation, He was making enough noise, to wake the sleeping, perhaps not the ones dead spiritually, but enough to wake the napping and the ones waiting with hope. Someone blind can walk around room and tell you were almost everything is or at least the important stuff, but someone not blind take little notice of his surroundings, that when something is out of place it might take a little while to figure out what has been moved. Even with all this knowledge of Messiah coming blinders were still on, because of brightness of the light that was coming from God with the prophesy. God was preparing the world to receive though he brought his word to his children to hear and some would hear and others would not believe. Point is God light is either blinding, like when Christ blinded Paul, or is a light in the darkness so one can see the promises and signs God is not only perform but is doing to convince the people of the reality of his word.

Dear Heavenly Father thank you for the signs and wonders you provide when you fullfillment of your word comes to light. The events that can not be duplicated by man and is a sign you are in control, delivering the reality of your word. Your word and prophesy still in our world today, as we watch days of tribulation and darkness, along with your light shining forth in the darkness of our time. Thank you for your evidence of your reality, you redeeming love for man. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Isaiah 40:1-11 KJV
1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 60:1-3 KJV
1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Isaiah 42:16 KJV
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.