Hello Advent Family,

 

How can you not be intrigued by John the Baptist. He was a larger than life character, attacking the religious leaders and preaching a new way to repent and live. If you are a Seinfeld fan I picture Kramer as a modern day John the Baptist. He almost seems crazy but you can’t help but listen to what he is saying. Let’s look together today at when John is introduced to us in Matthew 3.

 

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. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

 

John’s role is to prepare the way for Jesus. As much as Jesus was an agent of change he also was probably a little easier for people to take than John. John was dressed different, ate weird things, and all in all was just different.  Some were drawn to him and others kept their distance. The most important thing was his message. Someone is coming. Someone who will change everything. He will reconcile you to God and make everything right. We need to all take a cue from John, not in how to dress or eat but in pointing others to Jesus. The one who can make everything right in our lives and the world.

 

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave