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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” fellow travelers. As we prepare for the arrival of a new year, 2020, in just a few days, I thought it might be helpful if we looked at what took place AFTER that first Christmas.
You’ll see two very similar verses which speak of the growing up years of both Jesus and John the Baptist.
For John, Luke writes in Luke 1:80 “And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.”
For Jesus, Luke writes in Luke 2:52 “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Now let’s all think back to our adolescent and teen years, even our twenties… what could be said of us?
Do you see how the Holy Spirit of God was working in BOTH John & Jesus, developing their hearts and minds to be all God would need them to be IF they would accomplish the unique MISSION God had for each of them?
In a few words, I wonder how you would describe the mission God had for John the Baptist? And how do you describe the mission for which God sent Jesus to earth?
For John the Baptist, the Bible is silent from the day of his circumcision & naming on the 8th day after his birth, until Luke 3:1-6, when as a young man we meet him in the desert.
For Jesus, the Bible is silent from His 12th year old Temple event recorded in Luke 2:41-51, until He appears in the crowd gathered around John the Baptist one day by the Jordan river (John 1:29).
I wonder if it’s safe to say most everyone moved on in life and forgot about the Christmas story… except Zechariah and Elizabeth, as they lived everyday with the Christmas miracle their son John; and Joseph and Mary living everyday with miraculous young Jesus. Let’s see if we can piece together how John and Jesus both appeared again in the public eye and began to shape history.
Dr. Luke likes to give us details that position Biblical events in actual history. In Luke 3:1 you’ll find some key names you’ll probably recognize. “In the 15th year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar – when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod the tetrarch of Galilee…”. That gives us a fixed point in time. Tiberias was the Caesar who followed Augustus, the one famous for the Christmas census. Tiberias reigned in Rome from 14ad to 37ad. We recognize the name Pontius Pilate from the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, right? The Herod mentioned here is Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great who had killed the baby boys in Bethlehem and then died in 4bc. Herod Antipas succeeded his father, at least in ruling over Jerusalem and Judea, and is the one who arrested and beheaded John the Baptist, and also participated in the trials of Jesus.
Next Luke writes “…during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah in the desert.“ Jewish law was clear. The High Priest in Jerusalem came only from the direct line of Aaron, and once installed, was High Priest for his lifetime. That man’s name was Annas in this era. But Rome had gotten involved and appointed his son-in-law Caiaphas to ALSO serve as the High Priest, so there was confusion and a delicate balance of Jewish authority in Jerusalem, when John the Baptist and Jesus came onto the scene.
We presume John grew up with Zechariah and Elizabeth his very elderly, but godly parents. (Luke 1:11-20). It’s safe for us to assume John had daily school with his parents with special focus on study of the Old Testament, especially the Torah, and the Rabbinical writings. He would have memorized huge portions of God’s Word. At some point in his young adult life, John evidently left home and moved into the desert where God spoke to John, so Dr. Luke tells us.
You may have heard of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls and the Essenes, one of the groups of monastic students and scribes who lived in the Judean desert. If you tour Israel today, your guide will likely take you to the place the Dead Sea scrolls were found and show you ruins believed to be of the time of John the Baptist, where the Essenes and other groups lived. Many believe it was with these men John continued his study and had his private encounters with God. Perhaps John’s encounters was similar to Moses’ on Mount Sinai.
We have no record of what God spoke to John, but we do know his life found purpose, focus and strength in those encounters. Like both Paul and Moses, it may have been multiple, extended encounters over a long period of time, where the Holy Spirit revealed to John what He needed to know. Luke writes “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:3)
Matthew says it this way “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.” (Matt. 3:1-3) Do you see how Matthew wanted his readers to understand John the Baptist was the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies identifying him as the one who would come before and announce the Jewish Messiah?
Do you remember what the angel Gabriel had told Zechariah in their Temple encounter about this miraculous son John? “…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 from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah… to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:14-17) We saw a few days ago, how these verses linked so closely to Malachi 4:5,6, the closing verses of the Old Testament, written 400 years before. Now we see how Matthew and Luke describe John becoming the man Gabriel described.
Mark says it this way: “And so John came baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 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. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” (Mark 1:4-6) Matthew also gives us that unusual description of John’s clothing and diet. He was a radical man, that’s probably an understatement. Can you picture it in your minds eye? He was a passionate man, on a mission, and the Jews all around Jerusalem were awakened to a new, fresh, spiritual movement. God was at work, preparing a people for “Immanuel”!
So for today I’m asking us to read Matthew 3:1-6; Mark 1:1-8 and Luke 3:1-6 and see how God broke the silence of the 30 years after John’s 8th day circumcision and naming ceremony. Also, take note of what little we see regarding how God prepared John for his unique and unusual role in history!
May I close by asking you a question or two, my good friends?
> As you look back in your life, how do you see God has prepared you for the major events & opportunities of your life?
> We assume the major influencers in John’s life were Zechariah & Elizabeth… who have they been for you?
> Finally… do you see a pattern with God & Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Daniel and so many others, including John the Baptist? God initiates His reach to a person He wants to prepare for something special, and then invites them to join with Him in His larger purposes.
How has God done that with you my friends? With only a few days left in 2019, what is God doing to prepare each of us for what He has in His mind for 2020?? Are we each listening for God’s voice as He speaks to us?
Click to read today’s chapter: Luke 3; Matthew 3; Mark 1. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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