Monday, March 25, 2013

Meditation from John 2:19-28


19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 
Here in verse 19, John moves to the testimony of John (the Baptist) as he connects it with 1:6. This is the first witness that John (the Baptist) would have towards Christ. D.A. Carson notes that the fact John did not deny shows a positive look towards Jesus as the Christ. The rest of the story unfolds as the priests and Levites question on who John is and why he is baptizing? John is showing us that John (the Baptist) is doing testifying towards Christ. He does not deny that the Christ is coming but that he is preparing them before he comes. Here is what we are called to do also. Christ will return and we should shout "[m]ake straight the way of the Lord" as John did. When Christ came after  John, he did not come to kill but bring peace. When Jesus returns, we will destroy the ungodly. The time is now to act. God will come like a thief in the night and we must be prepared for His coming. Like John, our testimony points to the one that is greater than us.

SO, what are you doing to spread the danger to come? Everyone that is without Christ will perish in hell. Yet God stands ready to save those that come to him in faith and repentance. So Christian, if you have failed to obey God now, (like I have) seek forgiveness and go out preach the gospel to a lost and dying world.