Good afternoon and welcome to the Panhandle, I'm glad you dropped by. Bundle up though it's a bit cool here this afternoon, around 30° with a bit of wind. Like a local radio personality said recently, “Our weather always comes in two parts, the temperature and the wind speed.”
Well only two more days until we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. I'm told that this is uniquely American holiday and that may be so, but giving thanks to the Lord is not confined to an area or a specific time. Thanksgiving Day is more like a reminder to stop and see what God has done for us and thank Him.
There really isn't an easy way to transition to our study today so let's just dive in. John the Baptist took his place on stage just before Jesus’ birth. John was born six months before Jesus. He was a kinsman of Jesus––a cousin, perhaps––or an uncle (Luke 1:36). But John and Jesus were close in age, and would be close friends as grown men. I think that they grew up together––and played together as children.
John’s parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were elderly––too old to have a baby. But the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, announcing that Elizabeth would soon have a baby (Luke 1:13, 19). Did you catch the name of the angel? It was the angel Gabriel, appearing to Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, (Luke 1:5ff) just as Gabriel would later appear to Mary (Luke 1:26ff)––in both cases announcing the birth of a special baby. Elizabeth first, then Mary. John first, then Jesus.
The old woman, Elizabeth, did get pregnant (Luke 1:57ff)––just like Sarah of old (Genesis 21). Six months later, when Elizabeth was getting uncomfortably pregnant, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that she was next (Luke 1:26ff). Elizabeth first, then Mary. John first, then Jesus.
There were problems with both pregnancies, of course. Elizabeth was too old to have a baby––and Mary was too young. Mary didn’t even have a husband. She was a virgin. How could she have a baby? So both Elizabeth and Mary would require a miracle to get pregnant. But they did get pregnant––both of them. First Elizabeth, then Mary.
So we’re starting to see a pattern––first Elizabeth, then Mary––first John, then Jesus. John started his life one step ahead of Jesus––and he lived his life one step ahead of Jesus––and John died one step ahead of Jesus (Matthew 14:1-12).
We don’t know much about John’s childhood––or Jesus’ childhood. Except for the story of Jesus visiting the temple as a boy (Luke 2:41-51), we know nothing. The next that we hear about either John or Jesus is when John emerges as God’s messenger––preparing the way of the Lord––making (Jesus’) paths straight (Mark 1:2-3). That was “the beginning of the Good News of Christ Jesus, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).
So it was John first––preparing the way for Christ Jesus. Once John had set the stage, Christ Jesus would begin His ministry. First John, then Jesus.
John began preaching “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). Elijah preached “Repent”. John preached, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” Christ Jesus followed shortly afterwards, preaching, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Did you get that? Elijah preached “Repent!” Now John preached repentance––then Christ Jesus preached repentance–– Elijah of old, now John first, then Christ Jesus.
But even though John the Baptist was first in sequence, he was never first in importance. John said of Christ Jesus, "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matthew 3:11), and "He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30).
When we read about John and Christ Jesus, one of the things that you should notice is the way that both men were doing what God had called them to do––they were operating according to plan––God’s plan. Another thing is the fact that God’s purpose was salvation. Both John and Christ Jesus preached repentance. The Greek word is metanoia (meta-no-eh'-o), which has to do with turning your life around and going in a new direction.
Matt 3:1-3
3:1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
"A voice of one calling in the desert,
`Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.'"
Now let me introduce you to a man name John.
1. A Man Name John (vs. 1)
Only Matthew and Luke begin their Gospels with the birth of Christ Jesus, but all four Gospels introduce Christ Jesus’ ministry with an account of John the Baptist (Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:1-22; John 1:6-9). Luke emphasizes John’s importance by devoting most of his first chapter to John’s birth and the relationship between the families of John and Christ Jesus. Later, Christ Jesus would say of John, “Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer” (Matthew 11:11).
The prophet Malachi, who lived four hundred years earlier and was Israel’s last prophet (until John the Baptist appeared on the scene), prophesied of John’s appearance. He said, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of Armies” (Malachi 3:1).
He also said, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).
Matthew in his Gospel shows Christ Jesus identifying John as Elijah—the fulfillment of these prophecies. "And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.” (Matthew 11:14).
And His disciples asked Him,"Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:10-13).
So we see John preaching in the wilderness of Judea, an area that was a desert. It was a tough place to live and basically nobody wanted to live there. And yet John call this desert home. If you think about it, it only makes since that John would live in that wilderness. Matthew said that John was the voice crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord.
Now about 700 hundred years earlier, the prophet Isaiah had said this of the forerunner of Christ Jesus: "A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert" (Isaiah 40:3). John the Baptist came to “prepare the way of the Lord...” Christ Jesus came to prepare the way to God the Father for you.
For four hundred years, heaven had been silent. But not any more. Here was John the Baptizer big as day. A lone but powerful figure and a very popular man. He looked a lot like Elijah with his rough, camel-hair garment and leather belt. John was the first prophet to speak in four centuries, and his voice and message was loud and clear.
2. REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND (vs. 2)
What was John's message? First, repent. John's message was very pointed in calling all to repentance. Repentance is more than turning away from sin—it is also a turning to a fruitful life (vs. 10) ”a fundamental turnaround involving mind and action and including overtones of grief, which results in ‘fruit in keeping with repentance'” (D.A. Carson, 99).
“To repent is not to feel bad but to think differently and therefore to act differently.” (John Howard Yoder, quoted in Hauerwas, 46)
You don't hear many messages about repentance today. The whole message of repentance seems so old school - so hellfire and brimstone. You hear that God loves you, which is true. But you also need to hear that God expects you to follow Him - to live a life that pleases Him. You need to hear a message that says, “If you're heading down the wrong path, you need to turn around!”
Not everyone is as fortunate as Alfred Nobel who in 1888 read his own obituary in a French newspaper. One of his brothers had died, but a careless reporter had used a statement prepared for the wrong man. Alfred, principal inventor of dynamite, was disappointed with the published account. He was described as a "merchant of death" who had made a fortune from explosives and human exploitation. This haunting image caused him to reevaluate his life and revamp his will. Consequently, his money has made possible the famous Nobel Peace Prizes. - 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching. Alfred Nobel turned his life around.
Are you ready to turn your life around? Call on Christ Jesus and He will help you.
3. Repent Or Else (vs. 2)
Again “Repent" is rarely the message a person want to hear because it means they're heading in the wrong direction. But if you were heading in the wrong direction, wouldn't that be exactly the message you needed to hear? Have you ever been going in the wrong direction and needed to repent - to turn over a new leaf, or to radically change your ways? I dare say we all have.
The truth is everyone started out going in the wrong direction: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). There's an uncomfortable biblical truth that we must understand: God is a God who sorts. Have you ever cook a pot of beans before? You all know that before you can cook a big pot of beans you have to sort them - you have to separate the beans from the stones. You don't just pour the contents of the bag into the pot and boil; sometimes little rocks and clumps of dirt are bagged and you have to eliminate those before you cook.
I'm afraid I have a hard truth for you this morning: God is a God who sorts - only He does it with human lives. God is looking for whatever He can keep, build on, use, and bless in your life. He has gone to great lengths to have a relationship with you. He will cleanse of your sins, and become an intimate part of your life if you will let Him.
Sadly there are some people whose lives God can't work with. When God is looking to pour out His Holy Spirit on people, their lives are not included. They're discarded. Spiritually speaking. Why? Because they have hearts of stone. “DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,” (Hebrews 3:8). Like the Children of Israel there are those who have rejected Christ Jesus and His message of repentance one too many times. I am sorry if this understanding of God upsets you. I know that to many people it seems cold and uncaring, not something a loving God would do. I have even had people say to me, “Where are you getting this? My Bible doesn't say that.” Yes, God is love; but He is also holy and just.
Maybe your upset because you believe what I just said, and you aren't sure which way your life will be sorted by God. Or, maybe you're concerned about the people you love. And I get that, I do. I have family that I pray for daily. And yet, as unsettling as this is; it's clearly taught in Scripture. Consider the words of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:10: "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
You need to hear this, this morning – God sorts human lives. Repentance involves turning around—a new direction—a change of heart—a new commitment. John calls for all to repent, because only when you face sin squarely and renounce it can you be freed from it.
Today, we are tempted to call sin by other names and to blame other people for our problems rather than accepting responsibility for our sins. Such an attitude denies the reality of sin, and thus offers no escape from it. Are you ready to take responsibility for your sinful life this morning and repent? Don't let your heart become like stone, cold and hard. Instead ask Christ Jesus to come into your heart and feel a warmth and joy that only He can give you.
Thanks for dropping by, and I pray that the Lord's blessings on you and yours,
Biblesurfer
Sources used Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. Stuart K. Weber
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