16. John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus
– Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18
Matthew 3:1-3 “John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ This is the one who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”
Isaiah 40: 3-5 “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plane. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
In Luke’s gospel, we learned that John was born filled with the Holy Spirit and raised in the desert. When he grew older, he began preaching in the desert to tell others about the coming Messiah. Isaiah was a great prophet in the Old Testament. He speaks about captives returning to Jerusalem after Babylon is conquered. He also speaks about Jesus in great detail. He tells about his suffering and how God’s people will be completely restored. Isaiah made all of these prophesies 700 years before Jesus was born. As Isaiah prophesized, John came out of the desert to prepare the path for Jesus. So, what does John preach to prepare the people? John tells the people to repent. Repentance is more than forgiveness. It is acknowledging your sins and then turning 180 degrees from them. It is changing your ways so that you do not walk down a path of destruction. It is a way to make you closer to God and his calling for your life. The first step is to admit to God how you have fallen short. Then, God will help and guide you to his path of righteousness. God wants to help you. He doesn’t want you to “try to clean yourself”. Come to him as you are now. The only way to bring Jesus into your heart and circumstance is by acknowledging your faults and asking for his help. John knew that he had to prepare the people for Jesus by helping the people understand that they need Jesus.
Matthew 3:9-10 “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. 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 fire.”
John was addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees. Pharisees were legalistic and hypocritical. They separated themselves from anything that was non-Jewish and put high importance on the letter of the law while ignoring its intent. Sadducees only believed a segment of the Old Testament (Genesis to Deuteronomy) yet they used religion to advance their political status. Both groups used their status as being children of Abraham as their reason for being saved. In the same way, we call ourselves Christians and think that we are saved. Pharisees, Sadducees, and modern day people all believe that a title will get them to heaven. Some people think that they are a Christian simply because their parents are Christian. Some people think that if they go to church on Christmas and Easter, then they are a Christian. Some people think that if they go to church every week, then they are a Christian. But, none of these things ensure you have a place in heaven. The only way to know for certain is if you accept God into your heart. Ask for God’s forgiveness and accept Jesus’ death as a payment for your sins. Then, to live out your life as a Christian is to be little Christs. Use your repentance as a way to form a relationship with God and live out your life the way God instructs in the Bible. As John says, a title means nothing. It’s your heart and actions that matter.
A modern day translation of John’s message would be:
Calling yourself a Christian means nothing. A rock can call itself a Christian. That’s only a title. What is in your heart is what matters.
Next, John compares a barren tree to those who call themselves Christians and do nothing. He warns of the tree being thrown into a fire. In this sense, John is warning us about the reality of hell. Do more than just call yourself a Christian. Make your title real by following Christ.
Matthew 3:12 “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.”
A winnowing fork is used by a farmer to throw wheat into the air. When the wheat is thrown, the wheat is separated from the outer shell, also known as, the chaff. The chaff is worthless to the farmer. It is then burned. This image is parallel to God’s judgement. He will separate those who believe in him from those who rebuked him. Those who chose him will be saved and placed in heaven. However, those who rebuke God will be separated, judged, and placed in hell. John brought hope to God’s believers and fear to those who curse him.
Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Mark opens his Gospel by getting right to the point. Immediately, he tells that Jesus is the Son of God plan and simple. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest. He was not one of the twelve disciples but he probably knew Jesus personally. He also accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey. Mark’s Gospel is fast-paced and to the point.
Mark 1:2-3 “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way’ – ‘a voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”
Malaki 3:1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.”
Mark combines Malaki’s and Isaiah’s prophecies to describe John’s actions. Malaki was the last prophet in the Old Testament and he made his prophecy 400 years before Jesus.
Luke 3:10-14 “What should we do then?’ the crowd asked. John answered, ‘The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.’ Tax collectors also came to be baptized. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?’ ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them. Then the soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’ He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.”
John explains to the people how someone who follows Christ would live. He explains a few aspects of an upright life. First, John tells the people to give to others when you have more than you need. Think of everything that you have as a gift from God. Steward what he has given to you well. If you have extra money, then give some to someone who does not have much. If you have an extra jacket, give it to someone who is cold and does not have one. Look for people who may be in need and give to them what you have in excess. Do not store things up for yourself. God promises to provide for you. There is no reason to have an overabundance of anything. Next, John teaches us to not cheat anyone. Lastly, John teaches us to be content with what we have and to treat others fairly.John outlines a few ways of how we can live lives glorifying to God but there are many other things that we can do too. Use Christ’s life and teachings as an example. Seek out God’s truths in the Bible and ask him to show you ways that you can improve yourself.
The passages in the Gospel greatly overlap. The overlap helps build the credibility of the stories because each writer wrote the same quotes. Yet, they each show a different perspective. One gospel is not greater than another. Each helps us understand Christ in a deeper way. This one passage about John preparing the way for Jesus helps us understand the overlap of the Gospels.
