Worship Call 0606 the Interrigation of John the Baptist
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Friends, does it seem the tests are getting harder?
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
I don't know about you, but it seems that the tests we're going through are getting harder and harder. Do you remember when you took tests in high school? At the time they may have seemed hard. But imagine if you had to take an elementary school test when you were in high school. You'd probably think – oh this is so simple.
So if it seems that the testing of your faith is more intense – it simply means that you're graduating to new levels of faith! Our faith is being tested, and as we pass each "faith" test, we're finding different means of being tested. I suppose in a few years, we'll look back and think to ourselves – wow that was a hard test, but now it doesn't look so difficult!
Friends, if you're going through a tough time right now, be encouraged because it simply means that God is graduating you to new levels of faith! The harder the tests, the greater the difficulty – the greater the reward, an increased blessing awaits you! Stay focused, stay alert and remember that God is trying to stretch your faith so that you can accomplish even more for His Kingdom!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Dallas, Texas
And I will add
1 Peter 1:6–8 (NASB95) — 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
And this is another fine day in the Lord. another day of fighting the good fight onward to victory.
Jesus finishes his first intensive trials launching him into ministry. We come into the next phase of Jesus Ministry which is the calling out of the 12 disciples.
Our venture in the gospels takes us now, back to John the Baptist. Over a period of time this one in the wilderness, this voice had been getting much attention. Rumors were circulating. there would be the anticipation of the coming Messiah preceded by Elijah and the Prophet that is to come. The rumors were circulating. people were traveling out of Jerusalem to go see John.
Some out of curiosity. Some excited about the prospect that He might be one of the above mentioned. but for whatever reason the message was stirring the hearts of those who heard the message. Stirring them to repentance.
Luke 3:1–18 (NASB95) — 1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. 5 ‘Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth; 6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’ ” 7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 9 “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” 11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” 15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 “His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.
People’s hearts were being changed. they were turning from their religion of the Pharisees and responding to the truth of God’s word.
The message stirred the hearts of the people to repentance.
not only the turning away from their sins but a change of mind about how they viewed the world around them and their way of life. A change of priorities. Even today with the world quickly degenerating and people are worried and upset and change of mind is a change of perspective.
Knowing that that the return of the king is imminent, that is that He can come for His church at any time, some will move the headlines off of the front of our thinking and center our thoughts on this coming kingdom.
John 1:19 (NASB95) — 19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
The use of Jews here along with Priests and Levites from Jerusalem is more of a derogatory sense. These were hostile agents sent to investigate who and what this John was. The talk was all around. Where people were to take pilgrimages to the temple three times a year for the occasion of worship, people were taking another pilgrimage. They were leaving the city to seek out this John and to hear his message. The Leadership in Jerusalem wanted some answers. Such a movement would underscore their own authority.
Their direct Question was
“Who are you?”
John was bold in his speech. Under the authority and empowerment of God the Holy Spirit John brought people to the reality of the coming Christ and Kingdom. And then under the power of their own pompous Arrogance the Religious leaders demanded an explanation of the who and of what right and authority does John have to speak in such away as to develop and obvious following and the right to baptize.
who was John?
John 1:7–8 (NASB95) — 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
Rumors as rumors circulate among the people of who this John was.
Luke 3:15–16 (NASB95) — 15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
There was the circumstances surrounding his birth, being the Son of Zacharias and Elizabeth who were long beyond child bearing years, but like Abraham and Sarah, Elizabeth gave birth to a son. And while the old Priest would be mute for months during the pregnancy, he began to speak and prophesied on the day of John’s circumcision.
Would people remember these events?
the timing of the Messiah was close per Daniel’s prophecies. In Daniel 9 the angel Gabriel lays out the time table for the coming of the Messiah
Daniel 9:24–25 (NASB95) — 24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.
the Weeks mentioned in Daniel are not weeks of 7 days but weeks of 7 years which would bring the timing close for the coming of the Son of Man, the Messiah, the Son of David.
These people were living in the second temple period and from the decree to rebuild until this day, the time was near that people were in anticipation of God’s anointed. that in many of their minds that this one would over throw Rome to set up His earthly kingdom. But such a message was assumed by the people rather than taught by John. John’s message was
“Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.”
Probably not a message that the people were hearing from the religious leaders who were in status quo religion apart from reality. their’s were to simple keep profiting from the business of religion. but this John in the time, was doing what the religious leaders were not, teaching and giving the truth and announcing the Messiah and the Kingdom.
John 1:20 (NASB95) — 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
John hushed that rumor up immediately with a direct declaration.
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 5547 Χριστός
5547 Χριστός [Christos /khris·tos/] adj. From 5548; TDNT 9:493; TDNTA 1322; GK 5986; 569 occurrences; AV translates as “Christ” 569 times. 1 Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God. 2 anointed. Additional Information: Christ = “anointed”.
In the Hebrew it is
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 5547 Χριστός
5547 Χριστός [Christos /khris·tos/] adj. From 5548; TDNT 9:493; TDNTA 1322; GK 5986; 569 occurrences; AV translates as “Christ” 569 times. 1 Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God. 2 anointed. Additional Information: Christ = “anointed”.
As man seeks to politically maneuver for places of authority such as Herod who sought for political appointment to rule over the Jews, the one that is to come is anointed by God. He will be the anointed rightful king that will come to rule.
Psalm 2:6–8 (NASB95) — 6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
John confesses that he is not that Guy.
There was some reason why soldiers were in the area as well.
Luke 3:14 (NASB95) — 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”
who were these soldiers?
Were they those who were accompanied the religious leaders in order to arrest John if in fact he said one thing that they could accuse Him of inciting a rebellion?
No doubt the this brood of vipers were uncomfortable with this John and wanted him shut up.
John 1:21 (NASB95) — 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
Malachi 4:5–6 (NASB95) — 5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”
Jesus would say about John
Matthew 11:14 (NASB95) — 14 “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.
Not a shorter answer
“I am not.”
Are you “THE” prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15 (NASB95) — 15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.
The leaders new their bible. Unfortunately their religion blinded them.
John even with a shorter answer simply says
“NO”
The Jews from Jerusalem wanted John to indict himself in that they could arrest him and put him on trial for blaspheme.
Deuteronomy 13:5 (NASB95) — 5 “But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
John 1:22–23 (NASB95) — 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
John is the fuse that will light the bomb. He is a he herald that is announcing the one that is to come. The message may be a good news message to those who are repentant, but to those who are set in there ways and lofty in their positions it will be a warning that their days will be numbered.
In the day, runners would go forward from town to town and the King and his caravan approached, that the people of the village would make ready for the King. they have working parties to ensure the road was clear of debris for an easy passage. No one wanted to leave and impression that this village was hostile toward the King.
John was a messenger. He knew what his calling was and that was to bring focus not upon himself but on the one that was to come.
How many of us pastors seek anything more than shining light upon God, God’s plan God’s word? While we dream of what we call successful ministries whose churches are busting out at the seams?
John 1:24–25 (NASB95) — 24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
John denies being the Christ, Elijah or the Prophet but then points to the one that is to come.
John 1:26–27 (NASB95) — 26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”