A Radical Change
As you study John the Baptist, you realize how radical the guy was.
He ate locusts and honey. Yes, he ate bugs. He dressed in camel's hair - not exactly a fashion statement of the day. He ministered out of town, not in the city where the most people were, and he antagonized the religious elite. He even called the religious leaders of his days a brood of vipers because they were poisoning the souls of the people.
This guy was a radical and rebel. He didn't do conventional things. In fact, he preached a controversial message.
He preached the Messiah was coming and that the Jewish people were not ready to meet him. That was the point of his baptism. He baptized people to symbolize they were "Coming back" to God so they'd be ready when Messiah entered the scene.
Baptism was usually reserved for Gentiles who wanted to convert to Judiasm. They would be baptized to show they wanted to worship Yahweh. So, with John baptizing Jews, he was making the statement that they were like Gentiles and needed to convert to worship Yahweh. In other words, they were not worshipping God and needed to repent. Why? Because Messiah was coming.
This flew in the face of the religious leaders of the time, and that's why he was so hated by them.
So we have this radical, controversial man preaching that you're not worshipping Yahweh right, that you're acting like Gentiles and need to repent. He's calling out the religious leaders. He wear unusual clothing. He eats bugs and wild honey. He's a rebel who flies in the face of the religious establishment.
Then Jesus walks on the scene in Matthew 3. Immediately, we see John's heart. He doesn't want to baptize Jesus because he is unworthy, and only relents when Jesus tells him it's all part of the plan. Then, this rebel, this radical, willing surrenders to Jesus and baptizes him. This man who spoke against the religious establishment willing obeys Jesus, the Messiah.
Later, in John 3, we see that John tells his disciples that Jesus must become greater while John becomes less. This radical and rebel gives up his influence so that Jesus can have more. And he didn't complain or fight or try to stay relevant. He simply obeyed.
What a lesson to learn. It's human nature to stand out. We want to be trend-setters, not behind the times. We want to be trailblazers, not stuck in the past. We want people to know who we are, not fade into obscurity. We want to matter, not become a footnote. We all want to be a rebel that stands up for injustice, not the guy who stands by and does nothing.
John was all of those things we want to be, yet an encounter with the Messiah leaves him humbled and obedient and giving his ministry over. That's what happens when you encounter Jesus. Nothing is ever the same.
How has Jesus changed you?
He ate locusts and honey. Yes, he ate bugs. He dressed in camel's hair - not exactly a fashion statement of the day. He ministered out of town, not in the city where the most people were, and he antagonized the religious elite. He even called the religious leaders of his days a brood of vipers because they were poisoning the souls of the people.
This guy was a radical and rebel. He didn't do conventional things. In fact, he preached a controversial message.
He preached the Messiah was coming and that the Jewish people were not ready to meet him. That was the point of his baptism. He baptized people to symbolize they were "Coming back" to God so they'd be ready when Messiah entered the scene.
Baptism was usually reserved for Gentiles who wanted to convert to Judiasm. They would be baptized to show they wanted to worship Yahweh. So, with John baptizing Jews, he was making the statement that they were like Gentiles and needed to convert to worship Yahweh. In other words, they were not worshipping God and needed to repent. Why? Because Messiah was coming.
This flew in the face of the religious leaders of the time, and that's why he was so hated by them.
So we have this radical, controversial man preaching that you're not worshipping Yahweh right, that you're acting like Gentiles and need to repent. He's calling out the religious leaders. He wear unusual clothing. He eats bugs and wild honey. He's a rebel who flies in the face of the religious establishment.
Then Jesus walks on the scene in Matthew 3. Immediately, we see John's heart. He doesn't want to baptize Jesus because he is unworthy, and only relents when Jesus tells him it's all part of the plan. Then, this rebel, this radical, willing surrenders to Jesus and baptizes him. This man who spoke against the religious establishment willing obeys Jesus, the Messiah.
Later, in John 3, we see that John tells his disciples that Jesus must become greater while John becomes less. This radical and rebel gives up his influence so that Jesus can have more. And he didn't complain or fight or try to stay relevant. He simply obeyed.
What a lesson to learn. It's human nature to stand out. We want to be trend-setters, not behind the times. We want to be trailblazers, not stuck in the past. We want people to know who we are, not fade into obscurity. We want to matter, not become a footnote. We all want to be a rebel that stands up for injustice, not the guy who stands by and does nothing.
John was all of those things we want to be, yet an encounter with the Messiah leaves him humbled and obedient and giving his ministry over. That's what happens when you encounter Jesus. Nothing is ever the same.
How has Jesus changed you?
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