42. Having a Purpose

Isaiah 40:1-11, John 1:5-9, & 15-28, Mark 1:1-8, Matthew 3:1-12, Luke 3:1-20,

Key Verse: A voice of one calling: "in the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.  And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.  For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

Isaiah 40:3-5, Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4-6, & John 1:23

Just as a herald goes before his king proclaiming, "Make way!  Make way for the glorious king!  May he live forever." John the Baptist went before Jesus to prepare the way for Him, the coming Messiah. 

They were cousins on their mother's side.  Both men shared miraculous birth stories.  Jesus grew up in poverty.  John embraced poverty as an adult, after being raised in a refined, priestly household.  In truth, from a worldly perspective, it would have probably made more sense if John had been Messiah, not Jesus.  John certainly had more of the expected credentials. 

For John, it was all about the message.  He could have, so easily, embraced the fame that his ministry created.  He could have chosen to stay with the temple, hoping that, as a priest, he could serve God.  No, his job was to prepare the way for Messiah. 

His job was to tell the nation that they were sinners in need of repentance.  Yes, the people were oppressed.  Yes, the people were suffering under Roman tyranny, but that wasn't their only problem.  That wasn't their biggest problem either!  They had a heart issue that needed to be dealt with to enable them to hear the message that Messiah would bring for their salvation.  As a result, his message created many enemies, but he stayed true to his calling.  As a farmer prepares the soil before planting the seed, John prepared the people to hear the words of Jesus. 

What was John's message? John reminded the people that, even the oppressed are in need of repentance.  No one was too good or too poor to repent, for the kingdom of God was at hand. John did not soften his message for the rich, or the ruler.  In fact, he proclaimed their sin the most because they thought that they needed his message the least. 

John was never drawn off message.  Even King Herod was confronted concerning his sin, but truth is truth.  John spoke the truth and accepted the consequences.  John eventually lost his life for the sake of his mission, but he stayed true.  He prepared the way for Jesus. 

Hymn: "When John Baptized by Jordan's River"