John the Baptist
Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-8, Luke 3:1-20, John 1:19-34
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me” (Malachi 3:1), “A voice of one calling; ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3).
John the Baptist was born into the priestly order, of a people who were under the rule of a foreign nation. The Hebrew people were longing for a savior, a sign from God, telling them that they would be free of Roman rule. Then a sign came. It was the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist, which was the first time anyone had heard from God in over four hundred years. One of the figures that had been prophesied had come to be.
John the Baptist was considered by Jesus to be the greatest born among men (Matthew 11:11). His mission was to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. Not by gathering an army or producing a great fanfare, but by calling out from the wilderness for the people of God to repent. The people he was sent to were stuck in following the law of Moses. So much so, that they even created their own laws on how to follow the previous ones. The Hebrew people were more focused on how they appeared to God. However, John the Baptist wasn’t interested in good looks or deeds, but rather with the brokenness within the human heart. His response to that brokenness was to baptize people, showing the significance of repentance, to walk away from the old and to be washed clean by God’s grace.
John the Baptist marks the beginning of the end of the old covenant. One of repeated sacrifices and atonement for sin. A covenant that shows us that we are broken people, who need more than just laws and good deeds to gain acceptance before God. He called for repentance and baptized people with water, as a precursor to being baptized by the Holy Spirit and salvation through Jesus (Luke 3:16-17). The message that John preached was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Matthew 3:2), so that a world longing for a savior (Romans 8:19) might be prepared for the words, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
As you begin your day, ask yourself if there are any unspoken sins taking hold of your life. If there are, bring them before God and repent of them. Ask God for a renewed heart and mind, as well as showing you where you need to repent of sin. Then take this prayer into conversation with a trusted brother or sister in Christ, and ask for accountability in continued repentance of sin.
Furthermore, just like John the Baptist, we are called to share the good news of salvation through Jesus to those around us. Remember that we are seed sowing fools, taking the seed of the word of God, and spreading it to the world. This week identify those in your sphere of influence who need to hear the Gospel, and invite them into spiritual and Gospel conversation.
