MESSAGE AND MESSENGERS
Before the fall of Adam and Eve, God the Father's plan was already in motion to bring about a new creation of humanity in the earth combining God and humanity in his Son, Jesus. This was not an afterthought of God after the fall but a divine plan for union of human mortality and Divine immortality (John 11:26), giving humanity a path to oneness with God, and Jesus was fully aware of this from before time began, knowing that becoming human was the only way for humanity to experience the fullness of God's love, and he would become its most perfect expression.

For ages, the earth suffered under the weight of its brokenness. Humanity was lost, unable to heal itself. Suspicion and hostility toward Father God, sown by Lucifer, had led to a distorted view of God in the earth. Many saw Him as distant and judgmental, fostering a religion of fear and appeasement. But God had a greater answer-not a set of rituals or rules, but Himself. Jesus, as God and man, would bridge the gap between heaven and earth. He would step out of eternity and into time, exchanging pure Spirit existence for Divine within human existence.

In this grand mission, the Holy Spirit played an essential role. The Spirit would partner with Jesus, sharing every moment of His earthly life. This partnership ensured that the Holy Spirit, too, would intimately experience human existence. After Jesus completed His mission, the Holy Spirit would continue the work of revealing God's love and drawing humanity into communion with the Divine.

To begin this new chapter, God sent a Divine seed to earth, choosing Mary, a young and humble woman, to receive it. The angel Gabriel appeared to her, announcing that she had been chosen to bear a child-Jesus, the Son of God. Although Mary was initially confused, having never been with a man, Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her, and she would conceive a child by Divine power. He reassured her that this was God's will, and Mary, in faith and humility, responded, "Let it be done unto me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

Mary was betrothed to a man called Joseph and in the cultural context of Mary and Joseph, betrothal was a formal, legal agreement between families, often formalized with a written contract (ketubah) and the couple was considered legally married, so if there was a breach of honour to that contract, either party could initiate divorce proceedings.
The betrothal period typically lasted about a year, and during this time, the bride remained in her parents' home, and the groom prepared a place for their future life together, often by building or preparing a home.

When Joseph discovered that Mary was going to have a child he was deeply troubled but he resolved to act with compassion, planning to quietly divorce her. However, an angel appeared to him in a dream, telling him that Mary's child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would save His people from their sins. Joseph obeyed the angel's command, and he took Mary as his wife while refraining from consummating their marriage until Jesus was born.

Following Gabriel's announcement, Mary journeyed to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also experiencing a miraculous pregnancy. Elizabeth, though elderly and previously unable to conceive, was carrying John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for Jesus. When Mary greeted her cousin, Elizabeth's unborn child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!" (Luke 1:42). Mary responded with a song of praise, glorifying God for His faithfulness and mercy.

Elizabeth gave birth to her son, and her neighbours and relatives rejoiced with her. At the circumcision ceremony, it was assumed the child would be named Zechariah, after his father. However, Elizabeth insisted he be named John, and when questioned, Zechariah, who had been struck mute for doubting Gabriel's prophecy, wrote the name John on a clay tablet and Immediately, his voice returned, and he praised God. This moment marked the end of a long silence, both for Zechariah and for the people of Israel. Zecharia being struck mute for a season of time was symbolic of Israel, who had not heard a prophetic voice for 400 years since the prophecy of Malachi. Malachi's prophesy came from the last verse of the last chapter of the last book of the Old Testament, and the final words of Malachi declared that God would send the prophet Elijah before the coming of the Messiah and that he would turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts if the fathers to their children.

Zechariah, under the prophetic anointing of the Holy Spirit, prophesied over John, declaring, "You, my child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins" (Luke 1:76-77). John's life and ministry would pave the way for the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah. When John the Baptist began his ministry of preparing the way for Jesus many in Israel believed that he was Elijah whom Malachi had prophesied about, and even Jesus said that John had come in the spirit of Elijah - This is the one about whom it is written: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you. (Matthew 11)
During that 400 year spiritual silence from the time of Malachi God's people had been waiting for a clear word, a new revelation of his presence among them, Emmanuel. This silence reflected the darkness and disorder of a world longing for hope and direction. With John's ministry and Jesus' baptism, this silence was fully broken for all the world to hear God and have his presence amongst them.
And today, we find ourselves in a similar time of waiting through another season of relative silence from Heaven into a world that is rife with uncertainty, division, and spiritual disconnection. Many voices in this global culture clamour for attention yet rarely bring clarity or wisdom.
But in the midst of this, God is stirring the hearts of His people, to hear his voice and to awaken others and turn their hearts back to him. Just as John's mission was to prepare the way for Jesus, the Holy Spirit is working in us who believe to bring light and hope to the world.

This preparation doesn't rely on loud proclamations or dramatic gestures but on God's people hearing his voice and responding with consistent acts of love and faith as he moves through our everyday lives inspiring us to reflect God's mercy and truth in our everyday interactions.
Zechariah's regained voice reminds us that God's word always comes at the appointed time. As we await a fresh movement of the Spirit, we can take comfort in knowing that God is never silent without purpose. In these moments of waiting, God prepares us to receive and share a deeper level of being in his presence amongst us, Emmanuel. When His voice breaks through, it will be with clarity, cutting through the confusion of the world.

Malachi prophesied before the 400 years of silence that God would turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers to their children at the time of his first coming into the world - and in the days of his second coming into the world. Today this means that there will be a grace upon families that will become reunited in the love of God and one another, seen as simple yet powerful acts of kindness, and words of encouragement, and lives grounded in compassion that become beacons of hope. This is how the Holy Spirit works today, just as He did in the time of Mary, Joseph, and John the Baptist. Jesus chose ordinary people and God accomplished extraordinary things, drawing the world closer to His heart.

As Zechariah declared, "The tender mercy of our God, by which the Daystar shall visit us from on high, will give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, guiding our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:78-79). This promise remains true for us today. In the midst of the darkness of today's world of chaos, the light of God's love is beginning to shine. As we choose to live in that love and its light, we will witness the hand of God bringing order out of chaos and bringing unity, hope, and peace to people in our own personal world.