He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
"A voice of one calling in the desert,
`Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 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."
12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"
He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay." Luke3:3-14
JohnB's message is both expected and unexpected.
On the one hand his coming had been prophesied by Isaiah and we know that he was to prepare the way for the Lord. After 400 silent years and in the midst of Roman oppression one would sincerely hope for a message of valleys filled in, mountains made low, rough ways made smooth and God's salvation revealed for all humankind.
What is unexpected is the strong moral ethical slant of John's preaching. He doesn't spiritualise the kingdom into pie-in-the-sky-one-day-when-you-die. For him the Kingdom is profoundly practical and ethical. He presents God's standard for life here on earth.
Even more unexpected is that his message is a no-nonsense confrontation that urges people to sort themselves out. And this is precisely where we struggle: JohnB sounds like he is asking people to resort to salvation-by-works: to "pull up their socks" and pull themselves up by their sandal-straps.
"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."
"Don't collect more tax than you should."
"Don't extort or accuse falsely. Be content with your pay."
If all JohnB did was to preach, then we could relegate his preaching to salvation-by-works. But along with his message, JohnB BAPTISED. This symbolic act spoke of cleansing, death to self and a new beginning. None of his hearers could claim to have done all JohnB called them to. So they were baptised as a recognition that they needed God to work in them.
Furthermore JohnB made it clear that while he baptised in water, Jesus would baptise in the Spirit.
When last have you been through JohnB's standards for life here on earth? Have you recently recognised that you can't do it by yourself and come to God in repentant trust for forgiveness and new life?
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
