Matthew
3:1-12 NIV
3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the
wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he
who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in
the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for
him.’”
4 John’s clothes were
made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food
was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out
to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing
their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees
and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of
vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce
fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not
think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell
you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The
ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce
good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for
repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in
his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the
barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Pebbles – Alive!
The
baptism by John was not for the unclean only as would be the previous custom in
the Jewish tradition. The baptism by John was for ALL people.
The practice
of washing in Exodus mentions…
Exodus
30:20 NIV
20 Whenever they enter the
tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not
die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food
offering to the Lord…
Exodus
40:12 NIV
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons
to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.
Leviticus
8:6 NIV
6 Then Moses brought Aaron
and his sons forward and washed them with water.
You can easily see that
the washings mentioned here are for the priests. Yes, it was ceremonial, but it
wasn’t the same as what John the Baptist was doing. What John was doing was kinda
like it but for ALL people.
I like the way John the
Baptist preaches the message of God and the Gospel. He is bold, crude, yet humble.
After the prophet
Malachi, came John the Baptist. John came out boldly telling the people to
repent. To change their minds, or better than that, to have their minds
changed. John wanted ALL the people to look at their way of life and think it
over. Look at your own sin, and return to God and to God’s mercy and
forgiveness. To get ready for Jesus by looking in the mirror and seeing your
sinfulness and confessing that sin before God and one another.
Think about John for a
moment. John was only 6 months older than Jesus. He came baptizing. Well
baptism was a Jewish rite to admit proselytes. But like I said before, John’s
baptism was just enough different from what the Jews knew that it caused some
curiosity to develop. What was this?
John came out preaching
or proclaiming. John came out crying out loud and in the open, publicly. John
was a “country” man, so the wilderness was like we would think of being out in
the country where John was raised. John was at home in the wilderness.
We too, become accustomed
to our own wilderness. We may not like it, but we get used to it, and sometimes
get too comfortable with it and make it home.
So, what can we take
from this?
It’s okay to preach from
where you are… anywhere you are and proclaim God’s gift of Jesus, loudly and
boldly to any and ALL who may be curious enough to listen.
Now let’s go back to
this “wilderness” stuff.
The wilderness pops up
all over the Old Testament and the New Testament. So, the thought of the
wilderness would come to mind in the Jews of John’s Day as a place to leave and
move on from, to, God’s promises of a land of bread, milk, honey, wine and good
living in the presence of God and His people.
In the wilderness Jesus
was tempted. But He came out of it. Kind of went back into the wilderness when
He was tortured and crucified and killed on a cross. But He came out of it at
His resurrection.
And John preached in
the wilderness. People willingly came into the wilderness out of curiosity to
hear John preach. The people went into the wilderness and confessed their sins
and were cleaned by John as a preparation for the coming of Jesus into their
lives.
The Israelites wandered
in the wilderness right here where John was preaching. The wilderness is a
necessary place for all of us. In the wilderness is where God gives us the
gifts we so desperately need, as God draws us “out” of the wilderness to a new
life with God. Play that thought out in your mind and in your spirit and give
God thanks!
In the wilderness, John
calls for us to repent, to make a change of mind. To turn to God as God turns
you to Him.
Paul reminds us this
way…
2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to
salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
John is
clear here. The Kingdom of God IS NOW! Now is the time for the Spiritual
Eternal Kingdom of God.
Listen to
these Words from the Old Testament book of Daniel…
Daniel 7:13-14 NIV
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and
there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of
heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He
was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of
every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that
will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
John is
clearly telling ALL the people that Jesus IS here! The Messiah has arrived!
When we
think of this message from John we are called to repent. To feel awful and
sorry for our sins against God and one another. We are called to examine our
lives with the full force of the Ten Commandments in mind. We ALL have broken
not one, but all of the Ten Commandments in the depth of what their meaning
really exhibits in our lives. It’s necessary. Not as a guilt trip to self, but
to point out our need for a Savior. And that Savior IS here and now!
Yet,
likewise, when we see the message of Jesus, life, suffering, death,
crucifixion, resurrection and ascension back into heaven; as God draws us into
faith and belief in His love, forgiveness, and grace; we can’t help but to respond
gladly and joyfully to all God has given to us, through no effort of our own
works.
In this
wilderness of John, he IS the guy “Pointing to Jesus!”
Listen
to this account from Isaiah…
Isaiah
40:3-9 NIV
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and
hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it
together.
For the mouth of the Lord has
spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I
cry?”
“All people are like
grass,
and all their faithfulness
is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of
the Lord blows on
them.
Surely the people are
grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our
God endures forever.”
9 You who bring good
news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a
shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
John
deliberately dressed like Elijah… sort of… think of sack cloth and repentance before
God. An Old Testament custom so that you could feel how uncomfortable your sin
was to not only yourself but to God. Something the people around you could see,
knowing that you were either mourning or sorry for your sin.
And,
John ate locust and honey among other stuff. The food of the poor. John was a
living example of those Jesus came to save. The poor, the sinful, the outcast,
the migrant, the sick, and on and on.
The
people that came out into the wilderness to listen to John and be baptized were
under Roman rule. The people really, really, wanted someone to save them from
their oppression and suffering. So, the people went to John to hear him preach.
But
think about it. As the people went OUT to John to hear him preach;
a little later, we would see Jesus going TO the people to preach,
teach, and live out His saving actions, right before their eyes. In both
approaches, God comes to us. One is like the LAW, and the other approach, like
with Jesus, is the GOSPEL of forgiveness and salvation.
With
John, we, even today are awakened to our need to repent.
Now to
those who believe they are different, maybe better, maybe self-righteous by practice
or works…
John
calls them out as “vipers.” The most poisonous of snakes, the vipers. Those who
believe they are made right in the eyes of God by works. I think deep down
these people really know of the need to repent before God.
But if
you have the opinion that your own righteousness places you in God’s favor, you
have just dug a deep chasm between yourself and God. Salvation is not about
what YOU DO, it’s about what God DOES for you.
So, we
are called to make a change that bears fruit for neighbor. Really God makes the
change in us as He turns us from repentance to life in Him. Fruit is a result
of God’s work in you, NOT your own doing. Fruit on a tree is not something the
tree does, it’s what the life in the tree causes to come to life and freely
give.
Many claim
and inheritance to the saving acts of God. Pooh! As John relates in this
passage, when we claim this as in “We have Abraham.” Pooh! Pooh! Jesus can
bring up even the pebbles by the Jordan river to be raised to be Children of
God!
A
descendancy does NOT make you righteous. Only Jesus can make you righteous… and
that by what He did, NOT what you do. So, even Christians today, should know,
that too.
The message
from God is, don’t delay! Repent NOW! OR--- You won’t even have a chance to
bear fruit. Get on it, folks!
But “Wait!
There’s More!”
Here the
more is Jesus and the Holy Spirit!
Repentance?
Just
wait, Jesus IS going to fan the winds of the wheat and the chaff. Jesus is
going to fan the flames of the Holy Spirit. Now, there is a great separation of
good grain from that useless chaff. The time IS here NOW. Like then as well as
today. The time IS NOW. The winnowing fan will purge the floor and the ONE Church
IS formed. The ONE Church, unlike many of the churches today, but ONE full of
true believers.
Pebbles…
get ready. We have true believers gathered together as Children of God.
Hear and
receive the gift of God’s forgiveness and love in Jesus.
This IS
God’s Kingdom of Believers. Be baptized --- Bear fruit --- Believe it!
Come,
Lord Jesus, come… today… tomorrow… and forever --- Amen
I
enjoyed this YouTube Music Video this week… It reminds me of how each and every
believer should Preach the Gospel in Word or Action… It’s a little forceful and funky but right to
the point, just like John the Baptist…
“John
the Baptist”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1viykNBQLKY&list=RD1viykNBQLKY&start_radio=1
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