John 1:19-28 “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose (untie).” These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”
Have you ever wished that God would simply speak to you, making His way so plain that you couldn’t possibly mistake it for anything else? Well, in this part of the Book of John, some Jewish religious leaders are about to get that wish fulfilled, whether they like it or not. Unfortunately, many of them will not like it because God is using a guy who fails to meet their approval.
Just look at John the Baptist, out there in the wilderness. Matthew describes John this way in Matthew 3:1-12: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For 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.’”
Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Jewish religious leaders assume that if God is sending a prophet, certainly He should inform THEM ahead of everybody else. After all, THEY have been observing the entire Law, not like this rabble who are flocking out there to hear John. Zachariah’s son is out there in the desert preaching to anyone coming to him. But really, how can this man possibly be the prophet foretold of by Isaiah? Just look at the guy! Wild hair, an unkempt beard, and simple ragged clothing. John is out there living on carob pods (from locust trees-not locusts as in insects) and honey. To this day, carob in Israel is known as “Saint John’s bread.”)
The Pharisees and Sadducees go out to watch John, but they aren’t about to join the uncouth mob flocking to repent and be baptized. Why should important religious leaders repent-they have nothing for which to be remorseful…or do they?
So common people make it to Bethabara where John is baptizing in the Jordan River and repent and come up out of the water rejoicing. All the time, the supercilious religious leaders are standing back observing and sneering. Little do these men realize what they are seeing; their prejudices have blinded them and deafened them so that they cannot possibly hear what God is saying.
Nothing feels quite as good as smugly looking down on others. Reading this story, we are tempted to fall into the same trap as the Pharisees and Sadducees. But do we do any better in our own lives? Are we really open to God’s leading, or are we so certain that we know the fashion in which God will speak to us that if God uses a different method or an odd messenger, we spurn God’s message? May God help us and keep us humble, so that no matter how He chooses to speak to us, we will remain open to His Word. May this new year be the year when you hear God speak to you as never before! But remember, hearing without obedience is worthless, so be prepared to obey God’s leading as well.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, open our ears, our minds, and our hearts, so that we will constantly listen for Your still small voice and obey. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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