Tag: John the Baptist

A Recognition

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

John 1:1-13 (NIV)

All of us enjoy when our work is acknowledged and we receive kudos because of that work. Receiving a pat on the back encourages us to continue in our efforts. If we are the supervisor or manager of people or volunteers, taking the time to stop and express our recognition of extra effort by one for whom we are responsible is vital. A person who feels unnoticed and underappreciated will only do the minimum amount of work which is required. There is no motivation to go beyond if the efforts are not acknowledged.

The Gospel of Mark opens with the introduction of John, the Baptist. John tells of one who is coming and this one will be greater than John. Jesus then arrives and seeks baptism just as so many others have. In the midst of this baptismal rite, Jesus sees the heavens appear to open, an image of a dove descend upon him, and then hears a voice. The voice affirms Jesus as the Son followed by an acknowledgment that Jesus has pleased God. This occurs before Jesus has even begun the work of his ministry. Jesus has received a pat on the back before entering the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for a large number of days. It appears that God knew how important it would be for Jesus to hear recognition prior to undertaking a very difficult challenge.

Imagine hearing the words recorded here from a heavenly voice, from God. Realizing how motivating recognition from a human is to us, receiving similar kudos from our Creator would have to build us up in tremendous ways. The truth is that we already have received such recognition. Scripture tells us that God knew us before we were even born. God has already affirmed us as God’s daughter or son. God’s demonstration of love and grace has already told us we please God solely by being who we are. So we respond and are motivated to daily make the effort to be who God already sees us to be.

The Announcement

Comfort, comfort my people,
    says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
    that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.

3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All people are like grass,
    and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
    Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.”

9 You who bring good news to Zion,
    go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
    lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
    say to the towns of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
    and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:1-11 (NIV)

Whenever someone of great importance arrives for an appearance or a speech, someone usually makes an announcement over the public address system as an introduction of the individual. When the Queen of England is arriving, there is either a trumpet fanfare or verbal announcement or both. Prior to the entrance of the President of the United States to a joint session of Congress, the Sergeant of Arms of the House says, “Ms. (Mr.) Speaker, the president of the United States.” Similar customs are followed in many nations throughout the world. If you have ever had the privilege of witnessing such an event, you know how everything seems to come to a halt when such an announcement is made.

The words we find in Isaiah this day has a similar, life-halting impact. We read here of God choosing to comfort the people and making an important announcement. God has chosen a heralder to prepare the people for the arrival of the Lord. While people and their works fade away, the promise of God endures forever. The announcement tells the people that the coming Lord will rule with power and gently lead the people. We understand this in light of the arrival of John, the baptizer, who introduces Jesus at the start of Jesus’s ministry.

For us who live on the other side of the fulfillment of what we see in Isaiah’s words, we know of the power and gentleness of the Lord. We see these things in the Gospel story of Jesus’s life and ministry. Yet this announcement still has purpose today. Upon hearing of the Lord’s arrival, we make the decision whether to welcome him into our lives or not. Do we allow the Lord to gently lead us? Are we welcoming the power of the Lord to enter our lives? If we have welcomed the Lord after hearing the announcement, then we become the heralders of the Lord for others.

The announcement has been made. God’s promise has been fulfilled. The Lord has arrived. Have you welcomed the Lord into your life? Are you now the one sharing the announcement of the Lord’s arrival with others?

Impossible to Possible

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Luke 1:5-25 (NIV)

Science is a wonderful gift which the Lord has given to us. There are some who try to pit science against faith. I do not understand this assumed conflict. Since all things come from God, science has its origin in God. God gave us the abilities to think, explore, discover and rationalize.There is no reason that the Lord would give these abilities to us and then expect us not to use them. Faith tells us that God created and interacts daily with all of creation, science attempts to tell us how. However, science does not  limit God’s ability to act in any manner. The passage for today brings before us what Zechariah’s knowledge tells him ispossible and what the Lord actually does. 

Zechariah was serving as a priest before God. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were older and childless. While he was alone in the temple burning incense, the angel Gabriel came to him and said Elizabeth would bear a son, John. He told Zechariah that John would be filled with the Spirit and would lead people back to God while making them ready for the Lord. Zechariah questioned this because they were both old. Because of his doubt, Gabriel said Zechariah would not be able to speak until the child was born. When Zechariah returned home, his wife became pregnant.

We can be like Zechariah in some situations. With our advancements in biology and medicine, as well as other scientific discoveries, we can claim something is impossible. God is not bound by our discoveries or the rules we claim exist in creation. There are times when the Lord acts in ways which we cannot explain now, or maybe ever. John had a very specific purpose and God chose to utilize two of the Lord’s servants to place this service into motion. The important message which Zechariah and Elizabeth provide us is that those things which we determine as impossible are possible with the Lord in fulfillment of a purpose. Also, the story reminds us that we still do not possess all knowledge.

The Need for Preparation

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mark 1:1-8 (NIV)

Road construction is something which most of us attempt to avoid as much as possible. It is part of a modern dilemma. Drivers wish to have smooth roads upon which to drive. We also desire enough roads appropriately placed to allow us to avoid congestion and easily access whatever destination is our target. Because of these wishes and desires, road construction is necessary. Part of this work requires preparation. If it is a new portion of road, the ground must be cleared and prepared before the chosen material can be laid. Repairs and resurfacing of roads for smooth and safe travel requires preparation as well. At times broken portions must be removed and/or holes filled as to be ready for other work. Road construction is preparing the way for safe, efficient, and smooth travel.

The opening verses of the Gospel of Mark speaks of preparing the way. Here Mark tells of John, the Baptist, preparing the way for Jesus’s ministry.  John had an unconventional way of living.  John shares with the people the importance of repentance so they can receive the forgiveness which the Lord comes to offer. He also indicated that the one who will be coming has a power and authority greater than his which sets up a transition. The people who come to John are being prepared for the ministry of Jesus which will bring new perspectives and a new way of living.

Like the roads and the people coming to John, the Baptist, we at times need to have our hearts, minds, and lives prepared. Jesus offers to us a way of viewing life and living which is unlike the views of the world around us. Just as John lived in unconventional ways, Jesus asks us to adopt unconventional perspectives and actions. Love is to replace hate, judgment, and revenge. Our neighbors are not our enemies but our sisters and brothers in the Lord. Instead of doing whatever necessary to be greatest we are to be servants to one another.

What have you done to prepare yourself for Jesus’s way of life? What other preparations may be necessary?

Leadership Transitions

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”

John 3:22-30 (NIV)

One of the hallmarks of the way in which our nation is governed is the peaceful transition of power following an election. This is a closely followed tradition at every level of government from the President of the United States to the members of our local school boards. This type of transition sets our nation apart from many other countries. Nations which have adopted a variety of forms of democracy have emulated this quality of the United States. Even in very contentious elections, this hallmark has always been honored. The transition of power is a well-orchestrated process. How smoothly this occurs is based on the character of the individual in leadership prior to the election.

The passage from John’s gospel is about a transition of power. Prior to John baptizing Jesus, John had been the heralder of the Messiah and the one chosen to prepare the people for the coming of God’s kingdom. John was a leader who drew many people to himself. Once Jesus had been baptized by John and had begun his ministry, the process of transition was placed in motion.

Today’s passage brings Jesus in close physical proximity to John. Both men were continuing to teach and baptize the people who came to them. Because they were in the same area, a person came to John to point out that more people were going to Jesus than John. This is when we get to see the nature of the leadership of John. He reminds them that he had already said he was not the Messiah but instead he was to point others to the Messiah. Then John indicated that it is proper for the transition to take place. Jesus is to be the one who gathers more people to him while John’s influence is to diminish.

Transitions can be easy or very difficult. When the transition involves power and influence, the nature of the transition is amplified among humans. John, the Baptist, provides an excellent role model for leaders. Instead of fighting to retain power, control, and influence, a strong leader acknowledges the need for transition. The leader gracefully lessens the role which they now play and welcomes the new leader. This is the model which has been followed in our country since George Washington. This is the model of a servant leader. May we always see this model followed by all our leaders this day and forever more in our nation.