LW Baptist

By Rolland Coburn

Pastor

Luke’s Gospel begins with the births and upbringings of John the Baptizer and Jesus. John announced Jesus as Israel’s rescuer, the Messiah. Luke places John’s proclaimation in first century Israel around 26 A.D. He names well-known political leaders like Caesar, Pilate, Herod, and the Jewish high priests Annas and Caiaphas, along with six population centers such as the Jordan River valley (3:1-2).

Luke cites Old Testament prophecy foretelling the Messiah’s coming, transforming Israel’s land and people’s hearts. When God’s word came upon him, John went preaching in the river country. Isaiah the prophet wrote that there would be a voice (John’s) that will call out in the wilderness. It calls people to prepare their hearts for the Lord’s coming and be ready to see and receive God’s salvation; otherwise their hearts would reject and miss this great salvation (Luke 3:3-6).

John called sinners to repent for sinning against God. Repentant hearts move us to help those in need, be honest in business, take advantage of no one, and be content with what we have. This is the good fruit of having a new heart (7-14).

John focused on the coming savior, and saw himself in need of the Messiah’s work. John made no claim of exemption due to his priestly descent, his call as God’s prophet, nor his exemplary life. These qualities have no ability to attain salvation. Our strength, John says, is in Christ alone, the mighty one, whose sandal strap John says he is unworthy to even to touch.

The Messiah, who takes away the sin of the world (John 3:29), would save sinners by the Holy Spirit’s inward work and would judge his people. The harvest is the Messiah’s, the final judge, to gather the wheat into his barn and to burn the chaff with fire unquenchable (Luke 3:15-17).

As John’s words spread, not everyone accepted the message (18-20). His enemies tried to eliminate his influence. However his gospel was not silenced. Herod the ruler, convicted by John for taking his own brother’s wife Herodias, and for all the evil things Herod had done, added this to them all: he imprisioned John. Yet 25 years later, John’s followers in far-away Ephesus learn of John’s witness to Jesus the Messiah and become followers of themselves.

A hymn summarizes John’s mission and ours in a few lines: “Tell them of Jesus the Mighty to save/Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting/waiting the penitent child to receive/ Speak to them earnestly, speak to them gently/He will forgive if they only believe.”