Matthew 3:1-6 (NIV)
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he 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.'”
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. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
It had been around 30 years since the baby had been born in Bethlehem. Ever since then, heaven itself had been holding its collective breath in anticipation. Jesus had grown into a strong man in Nazareth. He was by trade a carpenter, like His earthly father, and amazing for His piety, His devotion to God, and His knowledge of the Scriptures.
In those 30 years as God’s perfect timing drew near, it was almost like a bowstring being drawn tight, ready to launch Jesus on His mission. If a person knew what to look for, they could almost see the tumblers starting to fall into place.
And then came John. John came out of the Judean wilderness with a message that caught everyone’s attention: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Through the prophet Malachi, God had predicted that God would send a messenger to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah, and why that advance preparation was so vital.
- Malachi 3:1-4 (NIV): “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.”
- Malachi 4:5-6 (NIV): “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
The messenger would come in the spirit and power of Elijah, boldly speaking God’s truth to shake His people out of their complacency, to point out the sins that they had to repent of, and to warn them of the impending approach of the Messiah Himself.
To Jesus, the news of John’s appearing was like a starter’s pistol going off. It was His cue to set aside His life in Nazareth, and head south to launch His ministry. To the people, John’s message was a wake-up call. Many had been living their lives, only giving God a token nod once a week at the Synagogue service. But John’s news was that the time had come. The kingdom of God was upon them, and would appear soon. And that news filled them with both hope and dread.
Father, we forget that Jesus’ coming was anticipated with more than joy at the fulfilled promise of the Messiah. There was also an underlying holy fear, based on the knowledge that when the Messiah appeared, there would be, in a sense, a judgment. His very presence would judge the hearts and minds of the people, and the purification that He brought would be by fire. Those promises drove the people to make themselves ready for this unprecedented manifestation of God. Father, help us who are called by Your name to be ready for a fresh coming of Jesus into our hearts. Show us clearly where we need to repent, where we seriously need our hearts to be purified by the fire of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.