John the Baptist Prepares the Way - John 3:1-6
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Reflection: After briefly hearing about Jesus' birth, and then subsequent flight with Joseph and Mary, and finally his return to Nazareth, we now fast forward to the inauguration of His public ministry. The only other event we have between his early childhood and this scene are when Jesus is found teaching in the temple to the amazement of the religious leaders. We know Jesus spent time probably with his dad doing every day work as a carpenter, and we can be sure there were other ways in which God prepared him for his upcoming life, death and resurrection. But these facts are a reminder to us to be patient with God and be on his timing not our own.
Again today we see the humble nature in which our Lord and Savior and future King of the world is introduced. And the man to do this is John the Baptist. We remember the scene in which when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, the the baby leapt in her womb for joy. Now this joy became an audible voice for all to hear when John the Baptizer announced, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" This is the one the prophet Isaiah had foretold as the voice crying out in the wilderness.
It is important for us to understand what this word repent, which is "metanoia" in the original language, means. It means to think again, or have a different mindset. Today the word has come to mean clean up your act! But originally the word meant to think again in light of the opportunity you have before you. That is why John says to think again! Why? Because God's kingdom was at hand in the person of Jesus. For centuries the Jews had waited for a Messiah to come and now God's kingdom was at hand, albeit in a different way than they imagined.
Matthew uses the term kingdom of heaven, as opposed to the term Mark and Luke use, "kingdom of God". Of course they are one and the same thing, and Matthew would hesitate using God's name as his audience was Jewish. But the main idea was that Jesus was inaugurating a new dispensation of God's grace and power, and it was at hand. Meaning it was right here and right now. It was the moment of opportunity, which should cause people to think again and get in alignment with everything Jesus would do or say, so they could become part of it.
Ironically that is exactly my intention in focusing exclusively on the four Gospels this year in the Daily Bread. My hope is that we might study Jesus' life and repent for the kingdom is at hand still. Meaning to align our lives with how Jesus would live it if he were us. I think that is what it means to be a disciple, or as Dallas Willard has taught extensively, being an "apprentice of Jesus". An apprentice spends time learning the trade then begins to do they things they were taught even if it is a bit shaky in the beginning.
My prayer is that in 2014 that I might be aware of the opportunities God puts in my path to advance His kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, with Jesus as my guide and the Holy Spirit empowering me to walk by faith and not by sight! As John the Baptist says Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!!!
3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Reflection: After briefly hearing about Jesus' birth, and then subsequent flight with Joseph and Mary, and finally his return to Nazareth, we now fast forward to the inauguration of His public ministry. The only other event we have between his early childhood and this scene are when Jesus is found teaching in the temple to the amazement of the religious leaders. We know Jesus spent time probably with his dad doing every day work as a carpenter, and we can be sure there were other ways in which God prepared him for his upcoming life, death and resurrection. But these facts are a reminder to us to be patient with God and be on his timing not our own.
Again today we see the humble nature in which our Lord and Savior and future King of the world is introduced. And the man to do this is John the Baptist. We remember the scene in which when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, the the baby leapt in her womb for joy. Now this joy became an audible voice for all to hear when John the Baptizer announced, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" This is the one the prophet Isaiah had foretold as the voice crying out in the wilderness.
It is important for us to understand what this word repent, which is "metanoia" in the original language, means. It means to think again, or have a different mindset. Today the word has come to mean clean up your act! But originally the word meant to think again in light of the opportunity you have before you. That is why John says to think again! Why? Because God's kingdom was at hand in the person of Jesus. For centuries the Jews had waited for a Messiah to come and now God's kingdom was at hand, albeit in a different way than they imagined.
Matthew uses the term kingdom of heaven, as opposed to the term Mark and Luke use, "kingdom of God". Of course they are one and the same thing, and Matthew would hesitate using God's name as his audience was Jewish. But the main idea was that Jesus was inaugurating a new dispensation of God's grace and power, and it was at hand. Meaning it was right here and right now. It was the moment of opportunity, which should cause people to think again and get in alignment with everything Jesus would do or say, so they could become part of it.
Ironically that is exactly my intention in focusing exclusively on the four Gospels this year in the Daily Bread. My hope is that we might study Jesus' life and repent for the kingdom is at hand still. Meaning to align our lives with how Jesus would live it if he were us. I think that is what it means to be a disciple, or as Dallas Willard has taught extensively, being an "apprentice of Jesus". An apprentice spends time learning the trade then begins to do they things they were taught even if it is a bit shaky in the beginning.
My prayer is that in 2014 that I might be aware of the opportunities God puts in my path to advance His kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, with Jesus as my guide and the Holy Spirit empowering me to walk by faith and not by sight! As John the Baptist says Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!!!
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