John the Baptist
Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘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.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son grew up to be John the Baptist. He was Jesus’ cousin. His role was to prepare the way for Jesus, to alert everyone that the Messiah they had waited for for so long was finally arriving. Although this message was well received by some, others were caught off guard when John’s ministry came into conflict with their actions and words. John’s work foreshadowed Jesus’ work, speaking truth to power and acting in ways that challenged religious authority while welcoming outsiders and sinners.
John’s message was that people should come and repent - literally turn around. People needed to examine their lives, see the ways that they had fallen short of God’s will and choose to walk in a new direction. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, we also need to heed John’s message and we may find ourselves challenged in the face of his words. What might you need to turn away from in order to turn towards the way of Jesus? As you consider this question, remember that Jesus is ready to listen and receive you with open arms of forgiveness and grace.
Prayer:
Share with God anything that you need to confess. Ask God to help you turn back towards him and for guidance as you seek to follow the way of Jesus this Christmas and beyond.