Sunday: Prepare the Way of the Lord
In Luke 3:1-38, John appears in his unique and crucial role in salvation history. Whatever else one could say about John’s preaching, he was not sugarcoating his words in order to please the crowd.
Read Luke 3:1-14. His words are filled with important truths, not just for those within earshot but for all of us. What points in particular can you take from what John is saying here?
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Repentance is not just a theoretical notion. It is a way of life. The word comes from the Greek metanoia, which means a change of mind, and this leads to a new life.
To baptize
means to dip or immerse fully in water. Immersion has a profound meaning. Even before the time of John, the Jews had attached meaning to baptism by immersion. It was a common practice when Gentile proselytes chose to join the Jewish faith.
In inviting Jews to be baptized, John the Baptist was setting forth a new principle: baptism is an occasion to publicly renounce one’s old sinful ways and to prepare oneself for the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist thus introduced a symbolic act of renunciation of sin and consecration to a new way of life as citizens of the Messianic kingdom, which was about to be inaugurated. John was quick to add that he was baptizing only with water, but the One who was to follow him will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire
(Luke 3:16, NKJV). Thus, a crucial point is made: baptism as an act of immersion in the water is only an outer symbol of an inward change-a change that would eventually be sealed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Read Romans 6:1-6. What spiritual lessons is the apostle Paul drawing out of the act of baptism? Note the comparison he makes between the act of immersion and getting out of the water with dying to sin and living for righteousness. How have you experienced the reality of this new life in Christ?
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Personally, I don't think Paul was establishing a theology of baptism but was instead closing a possible loophole people could use because of what he said in chapter 5. It is the same thing that he does after presenting faith as the way through which we obtain righteousness rather than the law by stating, "Do we then make void the law through faith?" (Rom. 3:31 NKJV).
In the first part of Romans 6 Paul makes sure that no one thinks that he is saying that it is ok to do whatever we want because of grace and like Rom 3:31 he uses a question to balance things up. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" (Rom. 6:1 NKJV). What he is essentially saying is that when we are baptized we marry another, Jesus Christ, and in doing so the old man of sin must go because we have crucified that old man in favor of the new. He is talking about death to sin, not the support of it.
Even with that because of the arguments Paul makes in presenting righteousness by faith James also had to come along and drive another spike through the heart of the notion that grace gives us freedom to sin.
The faithful bible students in the days of John after hearing what he said in (Luke 3: 4-6) would without a doubt remember that these words are quotes from Isaiah 40: 3, 4. But because they did not have the bibles in chapters and verses, they would have read the whole account and thus they would understand that "... the glory of God is about to be revealed" vs 5. A deep conviction of sin would now overwhelm the sinners and a great revival took place in the days of John the baptist because probation was about to close for Jewish nation. We as a people are coming upon the same ground in our history, PROBATION is about to close my friends,
Let us ask ourselves;
If my name is called today where will i stand?
Like the tax collectors and soldiers that came to John, we must come to the door of our hearts and let Jesus in (Revelation 3:20).
Don't be like those to whom John said "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Luke 3:7 (KJV).
Why is John the Baptist's style and message so different to Jesus' style and message?
They both said Repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
But John went on to detail what they had been doing wrong while
Jesus spent more time on describing the kingdom of heaven.
Our churches are in need of some more "What shall we do?" preaching. That's the question John's audience asked (Luke 3:10), so did Jesus'(John 6:28) and Peter's (Acts 2:37). If sinners no longer asks that question at the end of our sermons then we need to examine how our message has changed from the times of these men.
Live by Jesus's example. Talk by Jesus's example and His word will do the conficting and changing of hearts and minds. We must lift up Jesus so that people will see Jesus in you. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Is baptism dependent on the following factors:
1.Age
2.Time
Dear Ogutu,Age yes, time no.
By age I mean, you should be in position to decide for yourself whether you want to be baptised or not (so whatever age you get to this position, you should be baptised).
Time, anytime of the day, no restrictions.
Thank you.
It is because their missions were distinct from one another. John seems to have been digging deeper and going into their sins because he was the forunner of Christ. He was the one who was annointed to prepare the hearts for the greater "One who wil baptize with the Spirit." Jesus dealt with sinners as well, but in His explanation of the kingdom He was meant to feed the hearts that were willing to renounce sin. As the Redeemer He had to be the One who told of the glories awaiting us. So John was the chef...cooked all the food and looked for the best ingredients while Jesus was that excellent waiter...who served so excellently but would go the extra mile and describe the ingredients of the food if need be.