Part 3: John, The Messenger And The Voice Of God
Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-5; Luke 3:3-14
Introduction
John’s preaching had affected the whole nation of Judea, and they came by in great numbers to hear him. Its effect was like that of Jonah in Nineveh, Martin Luther in Europe, and John Wesley in England. People recognized John as a prophet. God gave him the title “prophet of the Highest” (Luke 1:76). People flocked from Jerusalem and all Judea to hear him, many walking great distances, even though he performed no miracles. Those who believed him were baptized, confessing their sins (Luke 3:7). John’s mission was to prepare the people for the coming of the King, just as the prophets Isaiah and Malachi had predicted (Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1). He prepared the people by preaching the need for true repentance.
Why People Came To Hear John
What motivated the people to come to John? Some came because they believed he was the predicted messenger who, like Elijah the prophet, would call the people to repentance (Mal. 3:1; 4:5-6). When John appeared, dressed like Elijah, preaching like Elijah, and calling people to repent, many thought he was Elijah (Mark 6:15; John 1:23). Perhaps, they thought, his predictions were true about the coming kingdom of heaven. John certainly had nothing personally to gain by preaching like that. He didn’t even take collections! Others believed his claim that he was the one predicted by Isaiah when he said, “I am ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:23; cf. Isa. 40:3). But perhaps the greatest reason why people came was that John appealed to their sense of guilt. He revealed their sin and the danger of God’s judgment. He called for their repentance, confession of sin, and baptism as a sign of repentance. He promised God’s forgiveness through the coming Messiah. People’s consciences were touched, and they came.
John’s Preaching In The Wilderness
“The Kingdom Of Heaven Is At Hand” (Matt. 3:2)
The Kingdom Promised
The core message of John was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The “kingdom of heaven” is a term that generally describes the rule of God on the earth. As the coming kingdom spoken of by the prophets, it refers to the re-establishment of the kingdom of Israel on earth when Messiah rules as king. God made a covenant with King David saying, “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam. 7:16, NASB). The dynasty of David lasted until the Babylonians took King Jehoiachin captive; but the kingly line survived fourteen more generations to Joseph the husband of Mary. As the legal son of Joseph, Jesus was the legal heir to the throne of David. Mary too descended from the family of David, so her son, Jesus, was in the physical line of David as well. When John said “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” he was indicating that David’s dynasty was ready to be re-established.
The Kingdom Rejected
This coming messianic kingdom was the focus of many prophecies in the Old Testament (Ps. 2:6; 32:1; 89:4; Jer. 33:15; Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 9:10; 14:9 etc.). Looking forward to it became the national hope of Israel, especially because they hated the harsh rule of the Romans. They wanted their own king and kingdom. John told them that the kingdom was to be based on righteousness and only the righteous could enter it. His task was to prepare the people by calling for their repentance from sin. Many individuals responded in faith, were baptized, and welcomed Christ as their king. But as a nation they rejected him and would not deal with their sin. “He came unto His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Their leaders cried out, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). When it came to a choice between Christ and Caesar, the people declared, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).
The Kingdom Established In The Future
Even when they rejected him, however, Jesus did not abandon his purpose or his right to be king. As the Bible is true, he will yet establish his worldwide kingdom. He will rule from the throne of David when he comes again to the world. At that future time “He will purify the sons of Levi” before he appears in power and great glory (Mal. 3:3; Matt. 25:31). His disciples understood the King was still to come when, after the resurrection, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).
Several years later, church leaders were discussing the fact that Gentiles were getting saved. James quoted the Lord’s words to the prophet Amos: “I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle [the dynasty] of David which has fallen down…, I will set it up, so that the rest of mankind [the Gentiles] may seek the Lord.” (Acts 15:16-17; cf. Amos 9:11-12). Paul kept preaching the message of the kingdom all his life (Acts 28:31). The coming kingdom is still in view in the final words of Scripture. The exalted Lord Jesus declared, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David…. Surely I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:16, 20). Thus the kingdom of heaven, with a physical king ruling from the throne of David in Jerusalem, was offered and rejected at Christ’s first coming. But he will come again and establish it for the benefit of the whole world.
The Call To Repentance
The Meaning Of Repentance
In the ministry of John the word “repentance” or its cognates appears repeatedly. [2] John was raising the Israelites’ awareness of their sin and its serious consequences in the light of Messiah’s coming. Those who chose to welcome the Messiah needed to face their sins in the light of God’s holiness. But many of the people, and especially the ruling Pharisees, were not willing to deal with their sin. We can hardly imagine the proud Pharisees and priests publicly confessing their sins and letting John baptize them in front of all the people. John insisted on a public confession of sins to declare their intent to welcome the coming King.
Repentance was a fundamental truth in the teaching of John, Jesus, and the apostles. In modern English the word “repent” means to be sorry for your sin. But the Greek word used in the New Testament meant more than just being sorry for your sin. It meant to change the course of your life, to turn around and go the other way. It meant to determine that the life you have been living is morally offensive to God; it is sin. And having determined that, you turn around and go in the direction of that which will please the coming King. That is true repentance.
The Baptism Of Repentance (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:2)
John’s baptism is called “a baptism of repentance” to distinguish it from Christian believers’ baptism (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24; 19:4). In other places it is called “the baptism of John” to identify its significance as something unique to John, the man sent from God who would introduce Jesus (Luke 7:29; 20:4; Acts 1:22; 10:37; 18:25; 19:3).
When people came to John at the River Jordan, they confessed their sins, they renounced their sins, and then were baptized. Their baptism was a public declaration that they had renounced their old sinful lifestyle and committed themselves to the coming Messiah who would give them forgiveness. John’s baptism was preparatory, like an engagement before marriage. They were committed and looked forward to fuller understanding. They would go another step when they saw and heard Jesus. And when he died on the cross and rose from the tomb, their faith would turn to sight.
For people in John’s day, baptism had no precedent in the Old Testament times, although there had been suggestions in circumcision and the rites of purification. What we do read in Scripture is that God sent John “to baptize in water” (John 1:33). Those who responded to John’s message confessed their sins and were plunged into the water. That act of going down into the water symbolized the end of the old life. Coming out of the water symbolized the beginning of their new life. The forgiveness of sins was not in the physical act of baptism; rather, their baptism anticipated the coming of Messiah who could forgive sins on the basis of his death on the cross.
Repentance In The New Testament
Repentance is a truth rarely mentioned in pulpits today, but its truth is found throughout the New Testament. It was not only a prominent theme in John’s ministry; Christ also emphasized it. His message was, “Repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). He instructed his disciples to preach “that men should repent” (Mark 6:12). He preached not only that they should repent (Matt. 11:21; 12:41), but that unless they repented they would perish (Luke 13:3, 5). Peter preached repentance on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). A few days later he preached it to the Jews in the temple (Acts 3:19). Twenty years later he was still preaching repentance. “The Lord…is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Paul preached it to the Gentile philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:30-31) and to the pagan people in Ephesus (Acts 20:21).
The Prophesy Of Isaiah (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:3-6; John 1:23; Cf. Isa. 40:1-5).
John Was A Voice
All four evangelists link John with Isaiah’s prophecy about the “voice…in the wilderness” (Isa. 40:3). He did not come from a prominent family or study under the great teachers of the day. He was just a “voice” in the wilderness delivering the message God gave him. He linked himself with Isaiah’s prophecy of the “voice” when he said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’” (John 1:23). John did not obtain credentials from the priests at the temple, nor did he get permission from the political leaders in Herod’s family. As the “voice,” he simply wanted the people to hear God speaking to them through his preaching. He told them that the promised King was coming and his kingdom was at hand. Consequently, he said, “Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight” (Luke 3:4).
The Image Of Road Building
John’s message from Isaiah’s prophecy uses the imagery of road building to tell the people how to prepare the way of the Lord. The “road” on which Messiah would come must be level, straight, and smooth. Cuts needed to be made through the hills. The ravines and washouts needed to be filled up. The surface of it needed to be smoothed out because the King was coming. The road that John was referring to was the road that leads into the lives and hearts of the people. Their lives had places where there were wash outs, where floods of godlessness, disobedience, and neglect of God’s ways had come in. They needed repairing before Christ came. The road was blocked with “mountains” of human pride and wickedness. The “mountains” needed to be cleared away. The road into some hearts had “rough places” with potholes and unevenness—like anger, resentment, jealousy, covetousness, and the debris of worldly living. Parts of it were “crooked” from devious excuses and character flaws. If Messiah was to come into their lives, they had much work to do.
The Application Of John’s Message: Fix The Potholes
In 2004 I stood with several of our family for five or six hours in Dubuque’s Grand River Center in order to see and hear President George W. Bush, who was running for his second term as President of the U.S. When at last he arrived by bus from the airport, his first comment was, “I have some advice for the mayor: fix the potholes on your streets.” Dubuque wasn’t ready for the President. But we too may examine the spiritual condition of the road into our hearts for the arrival of the Lord Jesus. We may ask ourselves how ready we are for his coming. Are there mountains and hills of pride and self-confidence that should be brought low? Are there washouts of compromise in what we read and view on the screen? Are there potholes caused by bad relationships? The Bible speaks of being ashamed before him at his coming. Perhaps the voice of conscience reflected in the Scripture is saying to you, “Repent, change your ways, fix the road, and prepare for the coming King.” So we can apply the message of John in our personal lives right now. Are we ready to receive our King?
“All Flesh Shall See The Salvation Of God” (Luke 3:6).
John finished his quote from Isaiah 40 with the words, “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6). The Old Testament reads, “The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isa. 40:5). John used the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament which was translated around the third century bc. To John the coming salvation that Jesus would bring was the way the glory of God would be revealed. The Jews did not expect that Messiah would reveal his glory in the salvation of sinners. They thought that Messiah was coming to set up his kingdom and drive out the Romans. They thought that as God’s chosen people they would be privileged and exalted above all the peoples of the world. But the inspired prophet had said that “all flesh,” both Jew and Gentile, would see the glory of Messiah and the salvation of God.
When John announced that salvation would come to “all flesh,” it was a shock to the Jewish leaders. Even after the resurrection, it took a special vision from heaven to convince Peter that it was true (Acts 11:18). How wonderful that the salvation of God is available to everyone equally. This does not mean that there is no special role for God’s chosen people. There most definitely is, as he promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. “God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew” (Rom. 11:2 ff). But beyond the Jews he has always loved the whole world, and he sent his Son as Savior so that all who believe in him could have everlasting life (John 3:16).
Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech on August 28, 1963, in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. In it he borrowed the imagery for his dream of social equality from Isaiah, when he quoted Isaiah chapter 40. “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, yes, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, and the rough places will be made plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together.” King was thinking of social equality, but how much greater was the vision expressed by Isaiah and preached by John that all flesh should see the salvation of God!
The Response To John’s Preaching
The Crowds At The Jordan (Matt. 3:7; Mark 1:5; Luke 3:7)
Great crowds went to the banks of the Jordan to hear John and to be baptized by him. Mark’s gospel says, “all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him” (Mark 1:5). He warned them of coming judgment and told them what God said to do about it. As a prophet he was not afraid to confront the religious leaders who were hostile to him. Matthew tells us that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him (Matt. 3:7). The Pharisees were the conservatives and the Sadducees were the liberals and skeptics. The two groups shared no love for each other except when they had a common enemy like John. It wasn’t long before they tried to figure out a way to stop his influence. They were proud, wealthy, and corrupt. They enjoyed their prestige with the people and with the civil leaders. At first, they were charmed by John’s message and popularity, “willing for a time to rejoice in his light” (John 5:35). But when they heard John talk about repentance from sins and public baptism, they turned against him. They knew that John’s preaching about Messiah would upset their world. Their smiles turned to frowns and then scowls as they stood in the back of the crowd.
The Rebuke Of The Pharisees And Sadducees
Brood Of Vipers (Matt. 3:7; Luke 3:7)
John saw right through those Pharisees who rejected his message, and he challenged them openly: he called them a “brood of vipers” (poisonous snakes). You have just come to see how you could turn this ministry to your advantage.
Do you think you can escape the wrath to come? You are just as crooked and hypocritical as ever. I have come to announce the coming of Messiah, and he will be like a refiner’s fire. He will purify the sons of Levi with the fire of judgment. “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come” (Matt. 3:7)? John used the imagery from his own life in the wilderness. Brush fires in the wilderness spread quickly along the ground. He would have seen a nest of snakes slither out of their hole and try to get away from the fire. What John was saying to the Pharisees was that God’s wrath was advancing like fire. And they, the religious leaders of Israel, were snakes trying to slither away and escape God’s judgment.
The Call For Fruit In Keeping With Repentance (Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8)
John looked them straight in the eye and challenged them to bring forth fruits worthy of, or in keeping with, repentance (Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8). The Pharisees were singled out because they were the leaders and examples. The “fruit of repentance” is godliness. But instead of godliness their proud hearts were marked by compromise of the truth and obsession with power. If they were bearing fruit in keeping with repentance, they would humble themselves before God and begin serving their fellow man rather than exploiting him. They would renounce their old self-centered lives and seek to please God. Notice the important principle in looking for “fruits worthy of repentance.” These fruits are not good works to try and earn the favor of God. They are the fruit that follows repentance and faith in Messiah. The fruits prove that the tree of salvation is genuine. And for us today, let us ask ourselves whether we are displaying the genuine fruits of our salvation.
Father Abraham Won’t Help (Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8)
John went on to say to them, “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’” (Luke 3:8). Do not think that because you can trace your lineage back to Abraham that that will save you. There is no such thing as ethnic privilege before God. The Jewish rabbis made much of the so-called merits of “Father Abraham.” They thought that merit from Abraham’s greatness would bring God’s blessing on his descendents. When the land received good rains for their crops or they traveled safely on a journey, they thought it was the benefit of being related to Abraham. John said to them that simply being Abraham’s descendent was not enough to save their souls. John went on to say, “Do not imagine that without the Jews God would have no people to bless.” He almost shouted, “I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones” (Luke 3:8). Their ancestor Abraham had nothing to do with their personal relationship to God. Abraham was justified by faith, but his faith did not get credited to them or anyone else. For us also, our lineage, church association, or religious ceremonies cannot save us. Salvation comes only through personal faith in Christ.
The Ax And The Fruitless Tree (Matt. 3:10-11; Luke 3:9)
John then warned the Pharisees, “Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees” (Matt 3:10; cf. Luke 3:9). The ax is the judgment of God. The tree is the person who has borne no fruit in keeping with repentance because he or she has never repented from their sin and established a relationship with Christ. The sharpened ax with a gleaming blade lies beside the fruitless tree. Soon the divine Woodsman will pick up that ax and bring it crashing down. After that the tree will be burned in the fire of the judgment of God! The writer of Hebrews warns us, “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). Think of it! Fire in the wilderness overtaking those viper-Pharisees. Fire to burn the fruitless tree. The world today makes cartoons of an old man with a sandwich board: “Prepare to meet thy God.” But that was the message of John.
The Response Of The Crowds
What Then Must We Do?—Fruit Worthy Of Repentance (Luke 3:10-14)
The religious leaders were opposed to John, but the common people counted him to be a prophet from God (Luke 7:29-30). They responded to his invitation to come and be baptized as repentant sinners (Matt. 21:26). They came from all walks of life—farmers, fishermen, garment workers, tax collectors, and potters. Some came with their families and walked as many as fifty miles from Galilee and twenty miles from Jerusalem. They were earnestly seeking a place in the kingdom of heaven. They asked John, “Teacher, what shall we do?” (Luke 3:12; cf. 3:10, 14).
Luke chose three sample groups that asked John the question, “What shall we do?” First to the common people he said: “He who has two tunics [undershirts], let him give to him who has none,” and if you have food to share with your neighbor, share it (Luke 3:11). Second, a group of tax collectors asked what they should do. He told them to stop demanding from the people more than was right (Luke 3:12-13). Finally, when the soldiers asked what they should do, he told them not to extort money from innocent people and to be content with their wages (Luke 3:14).
To all three groups John focused on loving their neighbors, particularly in relation to material things. John knew that how we acquire and distribute money is a good indicator of how much we truly love others. A giving, generous spirit is one of those fruits that are a mark of repentance. If God drew a picture of a fruit tree to represent your love for others, what would the tree look like? Would it look like the tree planted by the water in Psalm 1?
- Is God pleased with all the ways by which we acquire money?
- Do we share our homes, clothing, and food joyfully with others?
- Do we give regularly and sacrificially to the Lord and his work?
Zaccheus was a tax collector who lived in Jericho near the place where John was preaching. He may well have heard John urge the people to repent and to bear the fruit of repentance. We know that by the time he met Jesus he had already repented and had generously repaid all those whom he had cheated. Perhaps John had baptized him. However it happened, his life had been changed. Then he heard that Jesus was the Messiah and longed to see him. The opportunity came shortly before the crucifixion when Jesus was passing through Jericho. Being short, Zaccheus stationed himself in a tree by the road. When Jesus came near, he saw Zaccheus and said, “Come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5).
Zaccheus was delighted and received him joyfully. He told the Lord that since he repented, he gave half his goods to the poor and had restored four times as much as he had overcharged the people. Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:9-10). Three common threads link the stories of John the Baptist and Zaccheus. Both refer to (1) the sons of Abraham, (2) the salvation of God, and (3) tax collectors whose lives were transformed (Luke 3:6-12; 19:1-10). Today God touches the lives of those who trust in his Son. He saves them by his grace and then he transforms their lives to reflect their new life in Christ.
Conclusion
As we too look forward to the coming King and his kingdom, we must prepare the way for his coming. When we turn to our Savior and King in faith and repentance, we are to demonstrate our new relationship to him by sharing what we have with others, ceasing to enrich ourselves at the cost of others, and being content with what God provides.
Notes
- Ken Fleming is faculty emeritus at Emmaus Bible College. For twenty-five years he was a missionary in South Africa among the Zulu people. From 1977 to 2002 he was head of the Missions department at Emmaus. He continues an active ministry of preaching and writing.
- Matt 3:2, 8, 11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3, 8.
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