John the Baptist (2)

John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-17

Let’s take a look at one of the well-known Bible charters, John the Baptist. How important was John the Baptist? Apart from Jesus Christ, John the Baptist is probably the most theologically significant figure in the Gospels. What do we know about John? We know a good bit about who John was. He was born to Elisabeth and Zechariah the priest. We know that Mary and Elisabeth were cousins. What we may not know is that Jesus and John were born about six months apart. John and Jesus were related by blood. They were cousins. We know that his birth was marked by angelic proclamation and divine intervention. John’s public ministry ended nearly four hundred years of prophetic silence. John was that voice crying in the wilderness preparing the way for the coming Messiah. John was a transitional figure bridging the Old and New Testament. John was an odd fellow as he chose to live in the wilderness clothed in camel hair, eating locust and wild honey. Not many people around back then who willingly chose to live this way. John didn’t go out looking for people to come and hear him they came to him. He wasn’t known for being a crowd pleaser. He would rather die a martyr’s deaths that compromise his convictions. John didn’t hesitate to call out the sins and short comings of the religious leaders of the day. John was a fiery prophet proclaiming the message of God.

John started his ministry about six months before Jesus. Yes it was about six months same as the time between their births. John’s mission was to prepare the hearts of the people for Jesus ministry. He was to plant a seed and get them thinking about the true importance of repentance. The Jews at this time were waiting on a savior who would come down and defeat the Romans who held them captivate. They were looking for a political savior and not a spiritual savior. He was to preach that salvation was not earthly deliverance from political oppression, but deliverance from the penalty and power of sin through repentance (Mark 1:4). This was not a popular message in John’s day, nor is it popular today. Many Israelites had come to believe that they had a special place in God’s heart simply because they were born Israelites. Therefore, it mattered very little to them whether or not they were truly worshiping God in their hearts. The Israelites believed that, even though they had repeatedly disobeyed God, worshiped other gods, and had become cold in their hearts toward the one true God, they were still under His protection. They believed that they could live as they pleased and still please God. As a result, they had grown cold to the things that mattered to God, such as sin and living a holy life. To many times people of today fall into this same way of thinking that God doesn’t matter we have one life and we must live it to the fullest. This friend is the biggest lie Satan has ever told in the worldly context. We can live a life fully in a spiritual since. We do not have to be unhappy to be spiritually filled. Christians are some of the happiest people I know. They are excited about different things. Things, that doesn’t require a person to wake in the morning nursing a headache and a ton of regret. How do you wake each day? Happy, content, filled with a joy that’s hard to contain? Looking forward to attacking another day and soaking up every second of every minute? John looked forward to his day. He had another mission from God. Reach my people. God must have told him that each day. John lived in a ruff country side by his choice. The hill between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea in the Judean Dessert was where John called home. This area has more recently become famous for discoveries such as the Dead Sea scrolls.

As I was reading the scriptures I asked myself how John came to know that his calling was truly God inspired. The answer to my question came from John’s own saying to the Pharisees and Sadducees. He referred to the book of Isaiah in chapter 40:3 where Isaiah stated the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the dessert a highway for our God.

What was the significance of baptism during this time period? Why in such ruff country as the Judean dessert. My first clue was found in Leviticus 14:8. I understand that in the total context Moses was talking about preventing the spread of Leprosy. I also think that John living alone in the dessert region and filling the call of God was also studying the word. As with many other cases God reveals insight in dreams and one or both may have led John to wash people as a sign of a spiritual cleansing. That is something lay on my heart and I didn’t chase it any further. If I had I may still be searching.

In verse 7 John notices who is watching like vultures or vipers waiting to strike and devoir. Do you know any folks like this in today’s society? They are waiting, people who live sinful lives waiting on something to be said so they can walk away, turn it off or lash back at. Many people who are evil people in their own right. Waiting to call you a Holy Roller, Bible Thumper, Hypocrite, Judgmental, you know all those names that hope will shame you and cause you to leave or stop professing the Lord to them. Bless their little hearts it want work. Even after I leave one is coming after me who will judge and condemn into fire all the lost sinful people who refused to hear and repent. Even all those Sunday go to meeting folks who dressed up and went to Gods house every Sunday and did nothing to help build the Kingdom. Who refused to offer comfort to the needy, hope for the despaired, companion ship to the lonely, food to the hungry and mercy to other people. Ole what a day that with be when our Lord we finally see. What do we say to Jesus when we are standing in front of Him and he says why should I allow you into my house? Remember that servant of mine I sent to teach and offer hope to you? Remember what you did when you became angry at him/her? What you said? What you did? Remember that little church I sent you to? The one you allowed Satan to pull you out of? Yes that one. Now why was it I should allow you to pass through these gates? There may not be much I know about this life or the things of the Bible but one thing I do know in my heart is that in the day of all those people who mocked Noah, who called him names. The minute it started to rain they became worried. The minute the door closed on the ark they knew it was too late. As the water became deeper and deeper covering over all the mountain tops they lost all hope of being spared death. Then they knew that had made the worst mistake of their lives. When they stood before God they knew hell waited for them. What’s waiting for you? What will your destiny be? Let’s close right here. We know John baptized Jesus. That was a sign He was pleased with John’s ministry and that it was coming to an end. John lived the simple, tuff earthly life. John endured many hardships that prepared him for his calling. Now it was getting close to his reward. Next week I will pick up in chapter 4.