Matthew 3: 1 “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Up until the age of 30, Jesus seems to have lived the quiet life of a village teknikon, a builder, carpenter, stone mason. And then, suddenly, everything changed. It began with Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist, who had been filled with the Holy Spirit when Mary visited his mother Elizabeth. When John reached manhood, he evidently retired to the wilderness of Judea, a 20 – mile stretch of rocky desert between Jerusalem and the Jordan River. John lived very simply on a diet of wild honey and carob, the pods from a type of locust tree, not on insects. Even today in Israel, carob pods are referred to as “St. John’s Bread.” John wore the clothing of the very poor – garments woven from camel’s hair. And since John was only a few months older than Jesus, John also must have been about 30. Evidently, John was an observant Jew and given to prayer and meditation. Two quiet men living quiet lives in obscure places. And then the Word of the Lord came, and neither of them would ever be the same again.
Suddenly, John turns up, preaching in the Judean wilderness. In the beginning, John’s only audience must have been a few shepherds with their sheep and their goats. Perhaps some travelers came by and stopped to listen as well. But somehow, the word got out and people began to flock to the banks of the Jordan River to hear John’s message and to be baptized. Back in Nazareth, Jesus heard of John’s ministry and recognized God’s signal and God’s perfect timing. Why did John begin preaching when he did and what made Jesus come to him at that particular time? For the answer, read Acts 2:1 “And when the day of Pentecost had fully come….” The Bible speaks of the “fullness of time” in many places, and for John and Jesus, the fullness of time had come. John was the chosen messenger to announce the coming of the Messiah, and Jesus was that Messiah. And now was the time for both of their ministries.
Growing up on a Midwestern farm, I learned early on that everything had its season. Spring brought new growth. Summer brought lush produce. Fall was harvest time. And winter was the season of rest and of preparation for spring. Each season had its own duties, none of which could be skipped if farming was to go on successfully. Throughout the world, farmers must observe times and seasons. But these days, so many people live existences that are divorced from nature that it is easy to forget that there are still such things as natural rhythms that must and should be observed.
Here in Ghana, lorries and buses have slogans painted on them. One of the most common slogans is the phrase “God’s time is the best.” And that phrase turns up on Facebook memes regularly as well. But it is true that God’s timing IS perfect. And if we do not stop and listen to God, we will either run ahead of Him or lag behind. How did John know that it was time to begin preaching? It’s possible that one day, John was sitting on the bank of the Jordan River when a shepherd brought his flock down to drink. And suddenly John found himself telling the shepherd what God had been showing him: the Messiah was coming soon and people needed to prepare their hearts. And as the word spread, John’s audience grew. And Jesus, knowing that he was to be the Messiah, was well aware of the prophecies about a messenger who would begin proclaiming his coming. And so, when Jesus heard the news about John, he knew that it was time to leave Nazareth and go down to the Jordan.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, help us to get quiet enough that we can hear your Holy Spirit. Help us to realize that your timing is perfect and that we should listen for your still small voice so that your timing will be ours as well. Thank you that you love each one of us and want to guide us. In the matchless name of Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment