At Christian Assembly during the Lent and Easter seasons, we are reading chronologically through the four Gospels with a desire to attain the LIFE that Jesus in John 10:10 promised to us: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. With everyday’s reading we will seek to see what the Word has to say about the FULLER LIFE we can have in Christ.
Daily Reading: Friday, March 7
John the Baptist Sent by God
John 1:6-8
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
Mark 1:1-8, Matthew 3:1-12, Luke 3:1-20, John 1:15-28
John Baptizes Jesus
Mark 1:9-11, Matthew 3:13-17, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34
Our reading today covers much of John the Baptist’s ministry as the forerunner of Christ. John is one of the most interesting characters of the New Testament, considering his eating habits (locust and wild honey), his dress (clothes of camel’s hair), and his home (the wilderness). But John was more than just a strange man with what we might consider strange habits. He was a remarkable preacher whose birth was miraculous and whose life and ministry was prophetically spoken of by the angel to Zachariah.
We read Wednesday what Gabriel spoke to Zachariah concerning his son’s life (Luke 1:14-17). We see the fulfillment – or at least the partial fulfillment – of some of those prophetic words in our reading today. Let’s take a look at the points of Gabriel’s words concerning John’s ministry.
1) He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. Luke 1:16
We see that very thing happening in Matthew 3:5-6, “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” Mark 1:4-5 says essentially the same thing.
2) And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:17
What is of interest to me is the phrase, “…in the spirit and power of Elijah…” These words and the ones to follow are a direct reference to the last words of the Old Testament – prophetic words in Malachi 4:5-6 concerning the return of Elijah before the day of the Lord. In Matthew 11 Jesus confirmed that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of these prophetic words of Malachi concerning the Elijah to come: “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come” (verse 14).
In other words, there is a condition to the prophecy being fulfilled…if the people were willing to accept it. The same could be said concerning Jesus’ words in John 10:10, our focus verse for these 40 days. Jesus came that we might have a FULLER LIFE, but it could be said that we play a part in ensuring that full life is realized. Many don’t believe this. They would rather think that the life God has for them is one that is easily attained. Yes, regarding our salvation, that is true; but the FULLER LIFE that God has for us is one that requires some effort on our part. Just as the prophetic words over John the Baptist could only come true if the people accepted him and his ministry, God’s plans for us can only come to a realization once we join the effort.
These first few blogs have focused not so much on the FULLER LIFE but on our responsibility in this FULLER LIFE. We will get more specific over the next few weeks as to what this life can mean for us. For now though, I conclude this first portion of our blogs with the words Jesus used in the Matthew 11 passage already referenced: “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (verse 15).
No comments:
Post a Comment