John the Baptist.    Luke 3

 

If you study your Bible you will find there is a gap of four hundred years between the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, and the first book of the New Testament Matthew.  There was no one outstanding figure, no one to prophesy to the people.

Then all of a sudden there comes on the scene a man called John the Baptist.  He was referred to in the Scriptures as one chosen to prepare the way for the Lord, and in Luke we read that he was chosen before his birth.  He proved to be a very special person.

Jesus made special mention of him, describing him as a burning and shining light with no other man comparable to him.  He lived out in the wilderness close to wild beasts alongside the river Jordan, wearing clothes of camel hair tied with a leather belt.  He ate honey and locusts.

John was a fearless preacher, who attacked the religious leaders of his day, calling them a brood of vipers, he even attacked the king for immoral living, which caused him to be arrested and subsequently beheaded, yet crowds of people flocked to hear him preaching his call for them to repent of their sins.

Those who listened to him, wondered who he was as he spoke so authoritatively.  They thought he might be one of the great prophets returned.  But he was a humble man, who never sought public acclaim, and was never willing to compromise or seek greatness.  He referred to himself, as one not even fit to untie the sandals of the One was to come.

In every Bible story, there is inevitably a lesson for us today.  John was a holy man who tried to live a worthy and good life, and as Christians that should be our aim.

 There is a lesson for preachers, in that there was a man who was prepared to speak the truth and was not afraid to be criticised, and he didn’t seek to modify his message to please those around him.  How many would be prepared to speak forthrightly in our Cathedrals, indeed how many would be allowed to. 

John said what he believed God wanted him to say, what people needed to hear rather than consider what they wanted to hear.  People went to hear him, because whether they agreed with him or not there was substance in what he said, and that is a difference in many Churches to day.

I listen to sermons today, and sometimes I pray that no stranger was in Church that day or they would be put off for life.  We must not be afraid of upsetting people, but as long as a preacher is not offensive, for which there would be no justification, it should be remembered that a sermon should stimulate thinking, and most reasonable people would welcome that however much they disagreed with content.

As John was near the end of his life he was kept in a dungeon at a place in the North East corner of the Dead Sea, an extremely hot and oppressive spot.  He had criticised Herod for his immoral lifestyle, and this was the punishment.

He was a sad and disillusioned man, for his ministry was over and he feels alienated as people appeared to have forgotten him, especially when Jesus was the focus of attention and he himself faced death.

John had always spoken strongly and faithfully about Jesus, and he felt Jesus was doing nothing to help him, and wonderd if in fact Jesus was the promised Messiah.  Doubt had entered his mind, which probably affects most people at times, for one senior cleric once stated, that if you never had any doubts you had never done any serious thinking.

In order to clear his mind, John asked his disciples to see Jesus and ask Him if he really was the One they were expecting.  Jesus told those disciples to go and tell John of what Jesus had actually done, in answering prayer and that things happen in God’s own time. 

However hard to accept, God has His own plans and Jesus will return one day to pronounce judgement.

We know, ultimately John offended the king's wife, and when she got the opportunity took revenge.  Her daughter danced erotically before the king, and was promised anything she asked for, and at her mother's insistence asked for the head of John the Baptist.  The king regretful, but unwilling to be humiliated agreed.

Jesus knew people could fall away, and give in when things appeared to be going wrong for them. It still happens, and we can be very cruel within the Church sometimes by careless talk, but on other occasions deliberately. I had a lady in my Church who worked very hard for the Church, and demonstrated her faith in a very practical way. She trained to be a Reader, was PCC Secretary, and if anyone fell ill was the first to offer practical assistance to help them through their illness. What you might say ‘an ideal Christian’.

Sadly, a new Vicar had a wife who was so intensely jealous that some other woman could be more popular than her, that she made life intolerable for her, causing my friend to leave the Church and fall away for a time. There can be no justification for animosity within a Church.

If you have felt disappointed, or feel no one cares for you remember this passage, knowing there will be judgment one day, and all who do goodness will be welcomed into God’s Kingdom.
There comes times of suffering and weakness in all our lives. We may suffer loss, or have some seemingly impossible matter to deal with. It is so easy to give in, but if you do give in, it can be so hard to get back.
There are so many ill minded people who long to destroy our faith, some within positions of influence in society, and too many politicians who want to take Christianity out of the public domain; their words may appear attractive when you are downcast. If you have trusted God and for some reason nothing has happened, your faith will be under severe attack.

John acts as a warning to us, but he came out of his difficulty. You too can. Think of that great hymn by Ray Palmer, ‘my faith looks up to thee.’ Above all, never let doubt lead you to a spiritual desert. It is sad when someone loses their faith, and like many Ministers I have seen it too often. You may think it can’t happen to you, but it can.

May you be inspired and your faith be made strong by the story of this unique and Godly man, whom Jesus described John as  ‘ there being non born of woman who is greater’.

May God’s Holy Name be praised and God for ever be glorified.