Wednesday, December 10
Scripture: Matthew 3:1-12
[1] In those days, John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His
message was, [2] “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.[a]” [3]
The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!
Clear the road for him!’”[b]
[4] John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his
waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. [5] People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea
and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. [6] And when they confessed their
sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
[7] But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize,[c] he
denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming
wrath? [8] Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. [9]
Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means
nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. [10] Even now
the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does
not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
[11] “I baptize with[d] water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming
who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his
sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.[e] [12] He is ready to separate the
chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering
the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
Some thoughts
Today, the message of the prophet, John the Baptist, emerges. Prophecy is a consistent and recurring theme in the Old Testament. You’ll notice throughout the Scriptures that God gives hints; He points to what is coming to those who are paying attention. In the past, He sent prophets repeatedly to challenge the Israelites to repent of their sins. You will notice that those prophets, to a person, paid dearly for proclaiming God’s truth. The gospel confronts the heart then and now.
As in the past, the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, confronts the heart of humankind today with a message of forgiveness and salvation. The message is true, accurate, and valid whether one believes it or not; it is truth from God. The gospel message proclaims you were not created to be the center of your universe. You were made for a higher purpose: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
After the prophet Malachi, there was nothing…only silence from God for four hundred years. Then, suddenly, John the forerunner and final Old Testament prophet, the “Elijah” prophesied by Malachi, burst onto the scene. And this John the Baptizer was not subtle. He did not take sensitivity training! Some people’s feelings were hurt by what he said, and they were deeply offended. Imagine that! His message was direct; God’s kingdom was coming. Repent of your sins. The fact that you are a Jew does not give you special privileges with God. That message alone was shocking to the first-century Jews. Apparently, the kingdom of God was for everyone! Surely not!
How does this truth relate to us today? Sometimes we may be inclined to think that because we are a Christian, we get a pass with God. God is our friend and gives us breaks. Our sins are minor and don’t make that much difference. John reminded the Pharisees, and us, who have perhaps become “too familiar with God,” that God has great power, even the power to turn rocks into His children! When he says “children of Abraham,” he means faithful children of His covenant. To further remind the Pharisees and Sadducees of the nature of God, who they claim to know and speak for, John speaks of fire – the fire of judgment, the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the fires of hell! Repentance is a grave necessity, a repetitious business.
Advent is historically a penitential season. Hence, the blue or purple paraments. John the Baptist reminds us all again to turn our hearts in humility to God, who is coming again for the final harvest. Let us not become so familiar with God that we become business as usual in our Christian life, becoming comfortable in our own sin. We are in the process of becoming God’s handiwork. Repentance of our sin is one of His essential tools as He shapes us. Jesus even included it in the prayer He taught His disciples. Martin Luther’s first of the Ninety-Five Theses read, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,” He willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Remember, a cross looms over the manger. That picture proclaims the significance of John’s message. A society in need of repentance begins with individuals repenting. Let it begin with me.
Prayer:
Blessed Lord Jesus, give me that purity of conscience, which I can receive only from Thee, which alone can respond to Thy inspirations. For my conscience is tainted with my rebellious heart. My ears are dull, so that I cannot hear Thy voice. I must confess dearest Lord, that there are times I do not want to hear Thy voice. My eyes are dim, so that I cannot see Thy tokens of affection and kindness. Thou alone canst quicken my hearing, and lift the shadowed veil surrounding my sight, and cleanse and renew my heart. (John Henry Newman, Prayers Ancient and Modern, 80, adapted)