THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
(Part 2)
Matt. 3:1-17
Morning Meditation 9/10/16
Verse 3 says, “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
This in Matthews comment. He says John the Baptist was the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke and then quotes what Isaiah said. Matthew is saying that John came according to a plan. It is God’s plan. This world in not an accident. It is not the result of a random explosion in the unknown past. God is the Creator of all things. He is our Creator. He is not only the Creator, but also, the Re-Creator. God has a plan to redeem man. Matthew is saying that John is a part of that unfolding plan. He is the fulfillment of what Isaiah was inspired to predict. He is “The voice of one crying in the wilderness.” Did John understand this? Yes, he did. He said in John 1:23: “Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” John knew who he was. Jesus knew who John was and the ministry he came to fulfill. John was willing to be a voice. He did not resent where he lived, or, living without marriage and family. He saw his place in life in the light of eternity and could accept the limitations that this calling had on his earthly life.
John is a “voice.” He is not a king, he is just a simple voice. There is no pride of position or pride of prophetic office. He makes no claim to greatness. He is a simple voice. His message is what is important. It is one of repentance and faith in the Messiah. He is a voice of one “crying.” The word “crying” translates “boao” and means “to raise a cry, of joy, of pain etc.” John’s emotions were involved in his ministry. He was a patriotic Jew. He desired Israel’s return to God. He knew that there would be no return without true repentance. He saw the dangers they did not see. This is the office of the prophet. This is the reason they were called “Seers.” This is brought out by Samuel: “(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) —1 Sam. 9:9. The man of God sees things others do not see, and therefore, warns the people to whom he ministers and calls them back to the right paths. The words “in the wilderness” identify the place from which John ministered. The word “wilderness” translates “eremos” and means a “solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited place.” Here John could meditate without the noise of the multitude. Solitude is necessary to the man who walks with God. He must spend time alone with God. One of Satan’s great traps against the man of God in our day is the unscriptural expectations of the people. The people expect the preacher to be a counselor, lawyer, certified public accountant, and one who can preach the truth without offense. The people fix his schedule so that he has a very little time for solitude. And you can tell it when he gets up to preach. John the Baptist lived where there were no phones, not nice offices and no demands made on his ministry. He was free to hear from God and obey Him. He came out of the wilderness and his voice had a clear ring to it. He said, “I have hear from God and He says . . .” And when you heard John, you got the idea he knew what he was talking about.
The plan of John’s ministry is brought out in the words, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” The words “prepare ye” translates “hetoimazo” and means “ to make ready.” This word was used to describe the “oriental custom of sending on before kings on their journeys persons to level the roads and make them passable.” In this case, it is used “to prepare the minds of men to give the Messiah a fit reception and secure his blessings.” — Quotes from Strong’s Greek Dictionary in Online Bible. God sent John (John 1:6) to get people ready for the Messiah and His message. The thing that made John important was his message. The humility of John is amazing. The fact is Jesus said in Matthew 11:11: “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” This is the true estimate of John’s greatness. Only Jesus could say something like this. He is the ONLY one qualified to make this kind of a judgment, and the reason is that Jesus knew all about John including his inner thoughts and motivations.
We think we know great men when we see them. We are living in a day when many want some person they can look up to. How about Jesus? No, “we want someone we can see.” This is the reason men fall when their hero falls. If we have Jesus as our hero this won’t happen. Peter said, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). Peter taught converts to love someone that couldn’t be seen with the natural eye. Do you know why Christians do not look forward to dying? Because most of our interests are in this world. Our work, our hero’s, our hobbies, our enjoyment, etc. We have never learned to live in the reality of two worlds at the same time. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2). It might be a good idea to find us a wilderness place and reopen our Bibles and ask God to correct our mis-interpretations of Scripture.
What if we did this and the Lord told us that He is sick of the doctor’s degrees, the big buildings, the polished sermons, the strings the deacons and committees have on the pulpit, the misplaced priorities, the flagrant disregard of the marriage vows on the part of Christians, and on and on we could go. If the Lord spoke to us about these things, would it make any difference? Would it change our lives? Are we willing to face reality in our lives and obey God no matter what the cost. You say, “Yes, I am willing to do anything the Lord says.” Ok, to make sure we understand one another, let me put it this way. Are you willing to live in a non functional marriage the rest of your earthly life in obedience to God’s Word concerning divorce? This is where the rubber meets the road. If you are in what you consider a bad marriage, and the pain is unbearable, and you find a solitary place and seek God’s face for grace to live with it instead of getting out of it, you understand what I am saying. If you are a missionary and you are serving on a field where the people hate God and don’t want you there, and your family is suffering and sacrificing and you are sorely tempted to find a nice comfortable pastorate in the good old U.S..A., but you choose to stay in the suffering of self denial and mistreatment, you understand what I am saying. I am not finger pointing. I’m talking about US not YOU.
John’s base of operation was in the wilderness. You say, “John just liked the wilderness. That was HIS THING.” I don’t think so. John wasn’t crazy. He was a man of like passions as us. No man would like “Locust” in preference to “banana pudding” and going to “Western Sizzlin Steak House!” Not and be in his right mind. You say, “Wait a minute. Are you saying that we have to be crazy to serve the Lord?” To be frank with you, that is exactly what the world thinks we are!
I guess we better ask ourselves, “Who is it important to us to be important to?” John was hated by the leaders of the nation and his martyrdom caused no insurrection or civil war on the part of the people. I think they must have said, “Herod shouldn’t have done that. But it wouldn’t have happened if John had been a little more tolerant. It is sad to have a great man like John and see him sacrifice himself because he wouldn’t compromise a little. Isn’t it better to have a living half-obedient prophet than one who is dead and his voice completely silenced?” I want to ask you a question. Would you rather be named Elijah or Obadiah? Those are issues and question that have to be dealt with if we intend to do what God says without compromise. We are not to base our obedience on the apparent outcome. That’s not our business. God has a plan, and when we obey Him, His results will be forthcoming. And that will be the basis of the Christian’s judgement at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Are we willing to fulfill God’s plan and not ours?
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
