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3:1-12
John the baptizer
Some 28 or 29 years passed. During this time Jesus was preparing himself
for his ministry. He worked mainly as a labourer, spending his days in useful
toil, praying, reading and learning. He was the perfect neighbour to his
community, setting an example of love, care, sympathy, forgiveness and
consideration. Without working a single miracle, he lived the Christian life,
doing good at every opportunity and winning the admiration and respect of most
of the towns-people.
In those days, while Jesus was living in Nazareth, a man called John
began a ministry of preaching and baptising in the district of Judea. John was
thirty years old, and the product of many years of prayer, Bible-study and
soul-searching. Yet his message was simple :
"Repent!" shouted John, "Turn from the things you know to
be wrong! God is willing to establish His kingdom right here, and right now, if
you will just change your ways!"
John was such an important person in God's plan that he gets a mention in
the Old Testament. Isaiah (40:3) described John as : "A voice shouting in
the desert! What is it saying? Get ready for Jehovah! He is coming! Remove every
obstacle from His royal road!"
When people saw John, they thought they were looking at Elijah, the great
prophet of old, (2Kings 1:8) because John was dressed the same way - he wore a
coarse, camel-hair garment with a leather belt. And, like Elijah he was as tough
as an old stick and as rough as an outdoors man. John also spurned any luxury in
his diet, being content to live on locusts (grasshoppers) and wild honey. When
people saw his self-denial and zeal, it came as a stinging rebuke to their own
worldliness and love of comfort.
John was so impressive in his commitment to God that people came from
miles around to hear him. They came from Jerusalem, all the districts of Judea,
and from towns either side of the Jordan. Many of these people were genuinely
interested in starting a new life, and they willingly submitted to baptism. But
others were merely intrigued by the novelty of the message - it was something
new to listen to, like a passing novelty, or an entertainment.
But John wasn't interested in amusing the crowds. He wanted them to do
something about their sinful lives, which is why, when he saw the rather
dignified, over-dressed men from the synagogues and the Temple - the Pharisees
and Sadducees - that he let loose with an angry tirade against them.
"Look at these . . . poisonous snakes!" John shouted, pointing
an accusing finger at the priests, "They
stand there, all dressed in their religious clothes, watching people being
baptised . . . come to watch the sinners repent have you?
Has it ever occurred to you that you might need to be baptised as well!
Listen, you brood of cobras, there is a Day of Judgement coming, and God hates
snakes!"
"You like to think that because you are dressed in those 'holy'
clothes, and because you work in God's house, that you are getting along fine
with God? No way! While you are busy playing 'church', your lives are a
contradiction of what you say!"
"And some of you think that being related to Abraham, and being
circumcised, and quoting family trees, and all that holy junk is your ticket to
heaven? Wrong again! God can fill heaven up by turning stones into children if
he wants more of them. He can make millions of stone-children - if He wants - so
why should He want you?"
"You have been warned! There is an axe coming, flying from heaven
with a wide, sharp blade. It is heading for the roots of your priest-craft! If
you don't change your ways, the axe will cut all your roots off and you will be
thrown into the fire!"
"I am here to baptize sinners who know they are bad. These people,
yes the ones who stand around you - the ones who wear dirty old clothes and
broken sandals - the people you despise, and who you call 'unwashed' . . . they
at least know they need a new life. But not you!
"Let me warn you . . . I am just a servant of God, but I have a
message from Him : repent and be baptized! That is your only hope! Pretty soon
Someone is coming who will make my ministry look like a child's drawing! That
Someone will not use water to baptize with, or mere words, as I do, but will use
the power of God! When that Person arrives, there will be mighty power coming
down from heaven! It will fill and burn the hearts of all who repent!"
"This Person will be like someone sorting out wheat from chaff.
First He will blow the chaff away, and keep only the wheat, and then He will
collect all the wheat into one place, and burn the chaff. This is what His
baptism will be like! So which do you want to be - repentant sinners, gathered
into God's kingdom, or proud, rebellious, and religious, fit only for the
fire?"
3:13-17
Jesus comes for baptism
John kept preaching the same warnings for a while, until one day a
certain man from Galilee walked the sixty miles across rough country and arrived
with the crowds. It was Jesus, and he stood by the side of the Jordan stream,
waiting for his turn to step into the water.
When John saw Jesus, something amazing happened! John had a heavenly
vision, in which he saw what looked like a dove, descending from the sky, and
coming down towards Jesus. (John 1:32,33). John realised that this man standing
before him was no ordinary man. This was the Son of God!
John hesitated. He was excited and frightened. As Jesus waded through the
water towards him, John tried to avoid the moment.
"Please don't ask me to baptise you!" said John, "It
should be the other way round! You should baptise me!"
But Jesus came right up to him and stopped.
It was a difficult decision for John. He knew that this Man was not a
sinner, so there was no need for this Man to be baptized. He had nothing to
repent of. But Jesus was determined to do everything the Father required, even
if it meant opposing a well-meaning champion of the faith.
"Allow me to be baptized" Jesus said, "Because for me it
is the right thing to do at this time."
In this way Jesus identified with godly sinners, by setting them an
example, and also foretold his coming death, burial and resurrection.
John gave in and did as he was asked, but he wondered deeply about the
implications.
Jesus went down under the cold, clear waters of the Jordan, then he came
up again, and as the water splashed down off his body, he too saw the Holy
Spirit, descending out of the sky. It glided gracefully down from the blue and
settled gently on his head.
Suddenly a voice spoke from the sky.
"This is My Son! I love him with all my heart, and I am pleased with
him!"