1.
The Ministry of John the Baptist (3:1-12)
2. The Baptism of Jesus Christ (3:13-17)
2
key lessons we should learn from John the Baptist’s life
(i) His focused and faithful commitment to God
(ii) His humility
1.
The Ministry of
John the Baptist (3:1-12)
(a)
John the Baptist, forerunner of the Lord
·
Introduction
From Luke 1, we
know John came from a preistly lineage; both his father and mother were from
the descendants of priests, actually both traced back from the desdecndants of
Aaron, the first high priest, from the tribe of Levi. We also know that many
would rejoice at his birth and he would be great before the Lord and would be
filled wih the HS even from his mother’s womb.
·
John prepared the way of the Lord
How did John prepare himself before he preached
and prepared the way of the Lord?
The parents
would have told John about the message of the angel on his ministry
John was to live
as a Nazerite, as one separated unto the Lord for his unique ministry assigned
by God to him. John the baptist fulfilled not only the message by angel Gabriel
but also prophecies given by Isaiah as one who cried out in wilderness
preparing the way of the Lord.
V4 told us also
John lived a simple and humble life. His clothing was of rough material
normally worn by poor people and not of fine clothing worn by the rich. His
food was also of the very simplest only taken by the poorest prople in those
days. Elijah, one of the great prophets of OT also had the similar clothing.
Since
the days of Malachi, there was a long silence of about 400 years during which
no prophecy was given to the Jews or Israelites. John's birth and ministry was
prophesied to his father Zechariah.
400 years is a long time for the Israelites who
were now without any prophet who used to speak to them from the Lord God.
John’s emergence or appearance seemed to be one both of a great joy to them
because now after such a long time they began to hear one who spoke to them
from the Lord.
(b) The message of John
Repent (3:2). The Lord Jesus when He began to
preach also said the same thing. Repentance was preahced by the disciples and
apostles in the NT time.
His message and
ministry was mainly to get people to repent and truly begin to live righteously
and prepare to believe and follow the one who was to come after him, the Lamb
of God and the Messiah. John of course taught his disciples many things from
the word of God.
Repentance is
one of the most important doctrines and teachings that have been misundertood
and not fully lived out in the lives of many so called believers.
Many who profess
to believe in Christ have yet to truly live a repented life that bears fruit of
repentance thinking that by just a one off confession of sins and asking for
forgiveness will be sufficient.
John warned of
the coming of the judgment on all who do not repent and live a life righteous
before the Lord.
His message was
really a strong and fiery one to the people who for so long have been living
under no prophet and priest who were truly pointing and bringing the peole back
to their Lord God who had called them as a separate people unto Himself.
Now for > 400
years they have not heard from God through His sent prophet. The priests including
the high preiest and so called their spiritual leaders not only did not lead
the people to live for God but were themselves corrupted such that many were
living under great oppression and total darkness.
John therefore
taught the people to live a life that bear fruit in fitting with repentance
meaning they must show changes in their lives by changing their mind, their
action and ultimately growing in true righteousness before the Lord and men.
There must be a change in their character inwardly. He rebuked many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him demanding thay they bear the fruit of
repentance.
It shows us that
John the baptist did not dilute the message of God but was bold to speak
nothing but the undiluted truth. He was a man who fear not men but God and only
wanted to obey and please God
John was even
not afraid of telling King Herod Antipas of his sin by marrying his brothe’s
wife Herodias and because of that John was put in prison by intigation from the
wife who was very furious with John.
How successful was John’s public ministry? How did the
people respond to John’s preaching and ministry?
V.5 Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and
all the region about the Jordan (Mk.1:5)
John the Baptist had truly a great crowd of followers
v. 5 tells us
that his ministry was very popular and well received by the people generally
because it says all Jerusalem and Judea went to him. It was stated crowds went
to him to be baptised including tax collectors and soldiers (Luke 1). Even many
of the Pharisees and Sadducees also went to him.
Many thought
John was the Elijah or even more the Messiah!
So John had to
clarify that he was neither Elijah nor the Messiah but one who cried out in the
wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. (As prophesied by Isaiah)
In fact John’s
ministry was very popular that many from outside of Jerusalem and Judea were
also taught of it probably by John’s disciples from these other places outside
Israel.
E.g. Apollos, a native of Alexandria in Acts
18:24-26
12 disciples at
Ephesus recorded in Acts 19 where we read that Paul met about twelve disciples
who were actually only baptised in John’s baptism.
2.
Jesus’s baptism
(v13-17)
John gave the
highest honor to the Lord who was to come after him saying that even he was not
worthy to untie his sandal which was the job of the lowest of slaves.
John was
revealed by the Lord God who was the Messiah and knew definitely Jesus was the
one when the HS descended on Him after He was baptised. Jn. 1:29-33.
Many prophets
were only given prophecies of the Lord's coming but none before John had been
given the priviledge to prepare the way of the Lord. John had indeed a very privileged ministry
because to him was revealed who the Messiah and he was able to see with his
eyes the Lord and savior! 1 Pet.1:10-12.
Once He knew who
the Messiah was, John prepared to get his disciples and followers to follow
Jesus. John was not after his own name or ministry on earth because he had
committed to be focus and faithful in his commitment to the Lord even unto the
death.
In John 3:26-30,
when the disciples of John told him that more and more people were now going to
Jesus for baptism which meant there was now a competitor to John’s ministry.
John’s answer clearly showed that he was indeed a very focused and faithful man
in his commitment to God. He was never distratced but was humble and willing to
be out of the scene to build the kingdom of his Lord. He said, “He must
increase, I must decrease.”
Application
1.
Be focus and faithful in your Commitment to God
(Heb.12:1-2)
Our primary and ultimate commitment should be to our Lord.
2. Humble yourself before God and men (1 Pet.
5:5-6, James 4:6, 10)
Humbling ourselves is
the surest way to be given and showered with God’s grace
Am I growing more and
more like the LORD Jesus in humility?
Christ must increase
and I must decrease in my life, every aspect of my life.
What actions do I
intend to take to grow in humility?
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