Matthew 3:1-6 Mark 1:2-6 Luke 3:3-6
When a world leader takes office there is usually an
elaborate inauguration planned and a ceremony as that person assumes the power
of that nation. Jesus is the King of the
universe and was about to be presented in Israel where, as a man, He was the
rightful king. John was given the task
of preparing His inaugural parade so to speak.
However, as is almost always the case in the workings of God, this
presentation of the King of kings is far different than anyone would have
suspected. John’s message and the manner
in which he presented his message is not what most men, or any man for that
matter, would have expected. What John
preached, why John preached and how John preached was precisely as God intended
but far different from what people expected.
In our walk with God we must be very careful about our expectations and
imaginations. We should never be
surprised when God acts in ways that are very different from what we imagine or
expect.
JOHN PREACHED REPENTANCE OF SIN: John’s message was a call to
repentance and confession of sin. He
confronted the people with their idolatry, immorality, greed and lack of
integrity amongst many other sins that were surely prevalent in John’s day as
they are in ours. He called the people to
be baptized as a demonstration of their repentance. Multitudes came from Jerusalem and the region
of Judea to confess their sins and find forgiveness. John made it clear that he was preparing the
way for Messiah and those who believed him and were ready to turn from their
sins came forward to be baptized.
Baptism is a means of identification with the message that was being
proclaimed. Today we are baptized as a
means of identifying ourselves with the death, burial and resurrection of
Christ. Baptism does not save us but it
demonstrates to others that we have place our faith in Christ’s death and resurrection
as our only hope for salvation from the penalty and power of sin. In baptism we proclaim our faith in Christ
and desire to be identified with Him in a new life with a new nature that turns
from sin to embrace the cross of Christ.
The reason that Jesus came into this world was to save men from their
sins. Repentance and faith are gifts
from God that grant us forgiveness and freedom from the penalty and power of
sin. The proper preparation for the
coming of Jesus into the world was and continues to be repentance of sin. Those who truly believe will desire to turn
from their sin and trust in the power of the Lord to accomplish that
desire. As we prepare for the second coming
of Christ we should examine our hearts for sins from which we should repent.
JOHN PREPARED THE WAY FOR JESUS: John’s message was a means
of preparing the way for the Lord. John’s
preaching had been prophesied in Scripture and he made sure that everyone knew
that he was the fulfillment of the prophecy that a forerunner would come to
prepare the path of Messiah. He quotes
from Isaiah and applies the prophecy to himself. He was in the wilderness as the cried out for
the people to repent. He had come to
make a straight or direct path for Jesus to be presented as King. As a result of John’s preaching and the
coming of Messiah a great series of contrasts would take place. Valleys would be lifted up and mountains
would be brought down. This is most
likely referring to the way that Jesus would exalt the humble and tear down the
proud. The crooked would be made straight
and the rough would be made smooth. This
most likely represents the repentance and conversion of the publicans, sinners
and even Gentiles as a result of the ministries of John and Jesus. This transformation of heart is why Jesus
came to the world. His purpose was and
continues to be that all flesh will see the salvation He came to offer. Salvation is the only hope for the lost and
is only available through Jesus Christ.
We, like John, must dedicate ourselves to preparing the way for the
salvation that Jesus offers to be seen in all nations, languages, tribes and
peoples. This is what God commissioned us
to do and He has promised to accomplish exactly that. One day there will be representatives of “all
flesh” rejoicing and worshiping in the presence of God because they have seen
Salvation through Jesus.
JOHN PRESENTED HIMSELF WITH HUMILITY: Many people listened
to John’s message and were baptized in the wilderness as a result of his
preaching. However, the vast majority of
the people who believed John’s preaching were the poor and sinful people of
that day. The religious elite did not
think that they had any need of repentance and they certainly were not going to
listen to the preaching of John. John
claimed to be the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the prophet that would
prepare the way for Messiah; but he did not meet with their approval or
expectations. They expected that prophet
to speak in the temple or the synagogues; not in the wilderness. They
expected that he would look the part of an important government dignitary;
instead he came wearing camel’s hair and eating bugs and honey. There was no way that the religious leaders
of John’s day would consider him to be the fulfillment of prophecy. They would end up making the same mistake
about Jesus. We have the same tendency
to judge the types of people that we think God will use to accomplish His
mission. We look for the well-spoken,
well-connected, well-off and well-respected people to be the instruments God
will choose to do His work. That is
rarely the case. God’s most productive
ministers are usually from humble backgrounds, have limited resources and do
not impress us as having great talents. God
loves to use improbable candidates to accomplish His will. When we step out into ministry we must not
expect that people will readily accept us or our message. We can count on being misunderstood and
mistreated. Humility is one of the most
important prerequisites for knowing and serving the Lord.
APPLICATION: Examine our hearts to see the areas of sin from
which we need to repent and confess to the Lord. Dedicate our lives to promote the advancement
of the life changing message of the cross of Christ to every nation. Serve the Lord in humility and don’t be
concerned or discouraged by our weaknesses or lack of recognition. Don’t miss out on the impact of godly
teachers because they don’t meet our expectations.
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