Tag: John the Baptist

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Tricky end-times questions.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Then they asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?” Jesus responded, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with utter contempt? But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted. Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The disciples had experienced a massive amount of change in their pre-conditioned beliefs propagated among the religious leaders of the day. It is interesting that when we don’t know something about God, we look to religious leaders for answers, but it turns out they often get it wrong! Knowing the scriptures in the past and interpreting for the present is already hard. Then add the ability to guess at its future fulfillment? That’s nearly impossible!

I find it interesting that the disciples, common working class guys, are now interested in eschatology – the end of things. They are so curious that they are listening to the lectures and debates of the Pharisees and Sadducees – which made up the Sanhedrin, the religious council of 70 men in New Testament days.

After the experience of Peter, James and John, it prompts the guys to ask Jesus some pretty heady spiritual questions. They ask, why do the “teachers” insist that Elijah must come before the Messiah! This is a great question because Peter had already declared his belief that Jesus is the Messiah! So, if the religious leaders are correct, when did Elijah come (other than three of them seeing him earlier on the mountain with Jesus and Moses)?

This discussion could have become very complicated with Jesus trying to explain the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophetic word in Malachi 4:5-6. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” It made it even more difficult because John the Baptist came behaving a lot like the Old Testament prophet, to the point where people asked him, “Are you Elijah?” To which John said, “No, I am not,” John 1:21.

Jesus, more than once, referred to John the Baptist, as the one who fulfilled the Spirit of Elijah, paving and preparing the way for the Messiah, Matthew 11:9-14. It is believed that Jesus confirmed the Spirit, the same kind of passion as Elijah, showed up in John’s behavior and ministry. Yet, the physical return of the ancient prophet, Elijah was still yet to come. This technical and timely discussion was important to prove that God keeps His promises, and that Jesus, and only Jesus, would fulfill 100% of the prophecies, the future-telling of the Messiah.

Jesus being THE Messiah is an undeniable truth. I understand that as we experience our own cycles of tremendous change and signs of the end times, we can get very anxious and naturally curious. However, we must be careful in listening to “religious experts,” who have only proven to be consistently wrong throughout history. Some even declare they are prophets of God and have heard “words” from the Lord.

It is critical that we continue to focus on the Word of God, and our mission of both being a disciple and making disciples. There have been many signs in our past and there have been plenty of misguided promises and projections. The truth is, even when we see the signs, we still do not know exactly when the Day of the Lord, nor the parousia, the “catching away”will happen. But, guaranteed- it will. Because everything God promised and Jesus confirmed will happen. We can trust in Jesus and take comfort in our future.

Prayer

​Dad,
I’m tracking with the disciples. I am just a common, come from chaos, kind of man. I love to think I understand complex theological issues and have thoughts on theories, but when it comes down to it – I’m simple! I depend on folks much smarter to help navigate all the scriptures in the past to bring understanding in my own life. And, just as important, what I then do with that knowledge! What I do know is that I trust you and I trust that what you will do in our future. Amen.

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The Haunting of Truth.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles.” Others said, “He’s the prophet Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.” When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead. ‭‭Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Just the mere mention of the miracles that Jesus had performed spooked the Roman officials. Herod was a 1st-century ruler (tetrarch) of Galilee and Perea. His father, Herod the Great, was responsible for ordering the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem. Herod Antipas had tremendous political, economical and social power in his day. As a Roman ruler he did whatever pleased him, like divorcing his first wife Phasa’el, and marrying Herodias, who had formerly been married to his half-brother Herod II.

Surprisingly Herod and John the Baptist had an interesting relationship. Mark comments that Herod “respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him” (6‬:‭20‬). It was in these conversations that John must have confronted Herod about his decision to marry.

We often talk about religion mixing with politics and how we should not judge non-believers in their choices, but John the Baptist did not subscribe to that AT ALL. John had extraordinary access to a top Roman official and Herod respected the relationship. John was very outspoken about the marriage and everyone knew he pointed the finger at Herod regularly pointing out his sin saying, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife (6‬:‭18‬).”

But who was offended by this “truth spoken to power?” It wasn’t Herod. It was Herod’s new, also newly empowered wife! Herod had to be tricked into killing John. Herodias was the offended one and she couldn’t stand someone being critical of the king! She wielded her own power, convincing Herod to take action, “For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias” (6‬:‭17‬). Eventually scheming and manipulating a plan to have his head on a platter!

Herod saw something similarly convicting in the news of Jesus. Herod believed that the same spirit of John the Baptist came to haunt him through this rabbi, Jesus! Does God haunt our wickedness with truth? God was after Herod, just like He pursues every other broken human being! When Jesus was arrested in the garden, twelve hours before his death, he was sent to Pilate. Remember Pilate wanted nothing to do with Jesus, knowing that he was innocent. So Pilate handed him over to Herod Antipas. But what did Herod do… he sent Jesus back to Pilate’s court. Herod was not going to put another truth whisperer to death!

God doesn’t just work on and in the least of these, He also comes to the powerful and the proud, haunting them with truth. No one escapes the love and truth of God’s pursuit. It’s the human heart that turns, ignores or denies God.

Prayer

​Dad,
I am grateful that you pursue us. You are not hidden from those who seek. You are not hidden from those who want truth, justice and peace. You come after all of us and I am so glad you came after me! I pray you help us wield the power of Your truth, not as a weapon of judgment, but as an instrument of mercy. Amen.

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A Straightforward, earnest and honest question

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” Luke‬ ‭7:18-19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A Straightforward, earnest and honest question, John asks if Jesus is really “the one.”

Remember, Matthew, Mark and John record that John the Baptist himself had baptized Jesus and it was quite the miraculous moment. Interestingly enough, Luke had mentioned Jesus’ baptism but leaves out John’s role and the supernatural occurrence, almost as if it were a footnote. Luke shocks us by being the only one with this gritty question.

Are you bothered by John’s question? Did you sort through the facts that Jesus and John had some mystical, supernatural connections in their blood relationship? Jesus and John’s mothers had shared secrets about the possible true identities of their little boys – one being the forerunner of the messiah, the other the messiah himself. Yet, John still asks the question, albeit through a couple of his own followers. It’s okay to ask questions! It’s good to ask really hard questions.

Jesus answered in his own mystical messiah way. And, if you read the answer, Jesus is straight up asking John right back, “isn’t it obvious?” We understand that neither John, a blood relative of Jesus, or Luke, a follower and author gets around a required personal faith. They both have to come to a “I believe” and “I commit” kind of faith. After John’s guys leave, Jesus goes into this amazingly emotional and honoring tribute to John. On one hand he says John is the most awesome forerunner anyone could ask for, but in the Kingdom of God, almost anyone can be greater than even John. I think we forget the human journey that each and every person written about in the New Testament had their own journey, their own struggle to get to the fact that Jesus is the messiah. And even then, everyone of them could not believe what the messiah’s real job was in the end.

PRAYER:

Dad,
I don’t have doubts, but I still have a lot of questions. I just want people to feel safe enough, in the church, to ask the hard questions without fear of being labeled a rebel, or someone unsure of their faith. If John the Baptist can actually ask Jesus if he was the ONE, I think it’s safe to say that we should not only entertain questions, but also be willing to admit, some things we just don’t know. We can’t keep removing the mystery of our faith! Please help us be patient and even witty with folks who have deep questions about you.

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When our body remembers and reminds us

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.” Luke‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Luke starts this chapter with a quick list of authorities of who these leaders were and where they were serving. Then he gets to two of the high priests. These are two guys serving in a very long legacy line with very specific jobs working for God. However, Luke SKIPS over the Roman officials and his own priests and introduces John, a son of a priest himself. Luke wants us to know, this is the person God chose to talk to – “a message from God to John.”

What was the message? Repent of sin and SHOW life change by behavior change! Start with a symbolized object lesson of dunking, dying and resurrecting all clean and fresh. Then the crowd asks a brilliant question, “what should we do?” NOT, what should we believe. John’s mini-sermon is a wide-view lens of the entire Old Testament Prophets messages of “true repentance.” Here they are: take care of the poor, quit cheating people and stop being so greedy! Can this list of behaviors define righteousness? No, not entirely. Can this list guide our behaviors to better reflect God? Absolutely! Caring for outcasts, being fair in transactions and live within your means so you can be generous and not try to con your way through life – these are pretty good places to start.

Apparently sin makes us snobs, cheats and cheap! Who would have thought? The people that came because they were just curious but critical were offended. The people who came and were convicted went into the water to start their journey back to God.

Baptism isn’t magical, it’s a transformational marker. It’s a moment where our physical body remembers going under the cold water and our soul remembers the momentary feeling of embarrassment, the submission to another’s will, loss of control and rising to newness. It’s like remembering your first kiss – a powerful connection of emotions and feelings that lodge in your whole being, not just your brain.

The first step, John says, “in showing” repentance and turning to God. Physical actions, physical signs, memories and onlookers, these are important to behavioral change. Luke writes later about another such physical sign when it comes to being filled with the Spirit. It could be witnessed. These are moments that are captured, tracked and remembered. What behavior has changed in me that proves to me (and others) that I have not only been obedient, I’ve also been consistent in moving towards God and away from my sin, myself in the past?

PRAYER:

Dad,
I clearly remember the physical locations and purposeful decisions in my life where you challenged me and I responded with a YES. And with those memories, my body helps remind me that those moments weren’t a dream or a thought, they were real and powerful. I still remember being baptized in water with a bunch of people watching. I still remember being baptized in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and having a new hunger for the Word of God, a keen sense of hearing your voice and a new boldness to become who who called me to be. I have no doubts that my ideals of change only become reality in my behaviors of change! Thank you.