Scripture
16And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Lk. 1:16-17
Observation
400 years of silence were broken in this surprising conversation between the Jewish priest Zechariah and the Angel Gabriel. The last words of the prophet Malachi (Malachi 4:5–6) were about to be fulfilled in this miracle child Zechariah would soon be raising! His son would be named John and his assignment would be to prepare the way of the Messiah by turning hearts to God before He came. His ministry would be patterned after the prophet Elijah. Elijah was a man who called Israel to a radical repentance (1 Kings 18:20–40). Jesus later said this preparation of a generation was fulfilled in John (Matthew 11:14 and 17:12). Zechariah and Elizabeth had long since given up on having a child and had been praying all of their lives for the Messiah. Now, they found out their miracle child would turn a generation of kids to recognize The Messiah when He arrived on the scene. Fast forward to the day when John declared with everything he had in front of everyone he knew- “Behold the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world.” (Jn. 1:29) John had done his job in his generation. Will we?
Application
I believe it’s going to take every other generation working together to prepare the way for Gen Z to see Jesus. Notice in the prophecy of Malachi, its the father’s heart that turns first toward his kids? Like John the Baptist we are called to lead the way by preparing the way through repentance. We lead the way by example and repent for the places where we have given up on God doing anything for our kids or our kids ever coming back to God. It’s hard to know how to build that bridge back to our kids when so many don’t seem remotely interested in having a relationship with us or God. It’s not just your kids either. According to a recent Barna research project: “When asked about life goals, only 7 percent of Gen Z respondents indicate that they want to prioritize being in a lasting community, making this the least selected goal in the list. About one-quarter aims to stay near their family (27%), get married (29%) or have children (26%). These relational aspirations are not nearly as frequently selected as things like being happy (65%), being financially stable (53%), having good physical health (48%), having good mental and emotional health (49%) and loving and being confident in themselves (46%). These self-optimizing goals seem fitting to the generation coming of age during an era that has also seen the mainstreaming of destigmatized therapy, self-care methods and personal affirmations.” Yet, obviously we know the path to happiness is a fools errand. It's only when we pursue holiness in Christ we can find a lasting joy. If our happiness is dependent upon stable circumstances that is a rare and fleeting goal indeed. Its get’s even more discouraging when we see how this post-Christian culture has clearly rubbed off on our kids with their lack of moral absolutes and fluid views on almost everything. Barna states, “Nearly three in five Gen Z (57%) agree there are facts we can know about scientific questions, but not religious or moral questions. Gen Z are much more willing to believe what is morally right or wrong depends on what an individual believes (60%).” Before you throw up your hands and declare, “there’s no way they will turn their hearts toward me let alone Christ” be encouraged. Many in Gen Z are very spiritual and this is a clear path back to Christ! “Regardless of their religious beliefs, Gen Z today are participating in various faith practices and may be open to exploring spiritual traditions to some degree, even if they don’t necessarily identify with a particular religion. Illustrating this theme, the prayer lives of Gen Z stand out. Among all Gen Z, nearly two in three (64%) report having prayed to God within the last seven days.” So, if they are willing to talk to God even if they aren’t sure which God they are talking to then we can give our lives like John the Baptist to point to the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world. If God hasn’t given up on our kids we shouldn’t either.
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for this heart Gen Z has to talk to You. I pray that every single young man and woman who cries out to You would encounter You as never before! Forgive me for the cynicism that has invaded my heart regarding the next generation. Gen Z in early adulthood (18–24) are nearly twice as likely as Gen Z teens (ages 13–17) to say they have felt held back from being able to authentically express who they are. They feel held back because they haven’t met the One who holds them! You know who they are! I pray that You would help me to call out their God-given identity no matter how confused they are about why they are here!
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