ADVENT III
December 12, 2021
“A Prophet for the Times”
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” (Matthew 3:1-3)
How often do we think of John the Baptist as one who fulfills an ancient prophecy? Probably not very often, as we might be distracted by what could charitably be described as his uniqueness or eccentricity. The Sunday School stories I recall spoke of John’s solitary wilderness experience, that he wore animal skins and ate locusts and wild honey. That sounded pretty strange, but this isn’t where we stop learning about John. Reading a little further in this chapter of Matthew, we’re told of many people in the region of the Jordan River came and listened, responded to what he said, and were baptized. John’s message was so compelling that apparently his unusual appearance and radical speech didn’t turn his listeners away.
The Gospel of Luke provides us with a longer, more detailed account of John’s ministry than the other Gospels, and also acknowledges him as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (40:3-5). In these accounts, not only do we learn of how people were drawn to John, but also how he emphasized that he was only a messenger, one preparing the way for the promised Savior. He was emphatic, intense, and certainly didn’t beat around the bush as he admonished the people. Speaking out so openly about the coming of a powerful Savior to the Hebrew people was more than bold and dramatic — it was risky and dangerous. The Roman Empire had a firm grip on the entire area we know as the Holy Land, and King Herod ruled with an iron fist. John criticized Herod’s evil ways, and for that, he was imprisoned and later brutally executed.
Throughout the Gospel accounts of John’s ministry of preparation and foretelling, we have a sense that he wants those who hear him to think through what he says, to interpret references to ancient prophecies and apply them to the present. However, in spite of many people asking him who he was, he made it crystal clear that he was not the Messiah, but the one sent to make God’s people ready for the coming of the Savior.
These Advent weeks provide us with opportunities to prepare our hearts and minds for the arrival of God’s own Son, the Savior of all humanity. We learn that when the time was finally right, God didn’t send a dignified, wise prophet to tell of the Messiah’s coming. He sent a rugged, rough, recklessly outspoken young man who brought the good news in his own unique way. And although those hearing the ancient prophecies may have hoped and dreamed for a powerful, conquering king to arrive with a huge army, God doesn’t provide any such savior. Rather, a baby is born in a stable to a poor young couple, in a humble little town. And then the heavens opened, the angels sang, and the world was changed.
Grateful for the message and the messengers,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers