The preparation of Christmas
Bottomline: The prophets prepared the way for THE WAY.
The prophets prepared the way for THE WAY.
You are sound asleep and dreaming, when suddenly the door bursts open and a bright light shines full in your face. A voice, breaking in on your dream-world, shouts, ‘Wake up! Get up! You’ll be late!’ And without more ado, the speaker splashes your face with cold water to make the point. Time to stop dreaming and face the most important day of your life.
That’s what the opening of Mark’s gospel is like. It’s a great way to start, because what Mark is telling us is that that’s what John the Baptist was like to the Jewish people of his day. John’s ministry burst in upon the surprised Jewish world. Many had been looking for a sign from God, but they hadn’t expected it to look like this. Many had wanted a Messiah to lead them against the Romans, but they weren’t anticipating a prophet telling them to repent.
One of the great promises that Israel had cherished for centuries was that when YHWH finally made the Exodus story happen all over again, setting his people free once and for all, that would be the time when he would come to live personally with his people. He would be with them; he would be their God, and they would be his people. How would he do this? In the original Exodus story God’s presence lived with Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire. This time it was to be similar but different. God’s Spirit would live with people, in people, becoming the air they breathe, the fire in their hearts. This is the promise they had lived on. John says it’s now going to come true. But are they ready for it?
Jews knew baptism; but the amazing thing about John’s baptism was that he, a Jew, was asking Jews to submit to that which only a Gentile was supposed to need.