People not that familiar with the New Testament, probably assume the Gospels begin with some cute verse, like, It came upon a midnight clear, or Away in a Manger no crib for a bed. But none of the first verses of any of the Gospels, begin with a Christmas narrative. Matthew starts with a long Geneology and while the Gospel of John’s beginning may sound more familiar: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… after that the Gospel of John along with Mark and Luke all tell us something first about John the Baptist before they ever talk about Jesus.
Why is John the Baptist so important? What can we learn from him this Advent?