“So who is this that I keep hearing about?” ~Herod

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Herod, Jesus, John the Baptist, Matthew 9

Herod bore the title of tetrarch (“ruler of a quarter”) and is referred to as both “Herod the Tetrarch” and “King Herod”. Herod had a “Jesus problem”. Herod was confused. It showed.

Herod asked a reasonable question. Who is Jesus? He wanted to see Jesus in action. How do I answer the question of who Jesus is? Can I be clear about that?

Am I presenting Jesus in such a way that others want to know who Jesus is? Do they want to see Jesus in action?

Herod, the ruler, heard of these goings on and didn’t know what to think. There were people saying John had come back from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, still others that some prophet of long ago had shown up. Herod said, “But I killed John—took off his head. So who is this that I keep hearing about?” Curious, he looked for a chance to see him in action.

Source: Matthew 9:7-9

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“It’s not possible for a person to succeed—I’m talking about eternal success—without heaven’s help.” ~John the Baptizer

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Jesus, John 3, John the Baptist, Messiah, Repent, Sin, Success

I like to think I can do it all myself and that I don’t need any help.

I need to change my mind (repent) because that has me missing God’s goal for my life (sin).

I can’t succeed without the help of Jesus, the Messiah. That is reality and I need to get on board with that. It is all about Jesus and nothing about me. 

“John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of missing God’s goal for us.” ~Mark

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Jesus, John the Baptist, Life-change, Mark 1, Repent

“John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of missing God’s goal for us. People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their knowledge of missing God’s goal, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.” | Mark 1:4-6

John paved the way for Jesus. He set the stage. It is all about life-change. I need to change my mind (repent) about the kind of life I can live. That leads me to life. Now that is some good news.

I know I have missed the goal that God is mind for me. God wants to forgive me. So much so, God sent His Son Jesus to die for me.

“Jesus is going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives.” ~John the Baptizer

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Baptism, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John the Baptist, Kingdom, Luke 3, River

Clean Sweep

John the Baptizer was doing some amazing things. People were coming out to see him in droves.

John was clear and he was careful.

It wasn’t about him. It was about Jesus. He saw himself as the stagehand.

His message about Jesus was amazing:

• He would ignite the Kingdom life in us.
• He would bring a fire within us, the Holy Spirit.
• We would be changed from the inside out by Him.
• He would make a clean sweep in our lives.
• He puts everything in proper perspective.
• Everything in our life that is trash is burned in the fire of His Spirit.

But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” Luke 3:16-17

 

May I see who this drama is about. May I know I am the stagehand.

“Prepare God’s arrival! Everyone will be there to see the parade of God’s salvation.” ~John the Baptizer

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Jesus, John the Baptist, Luke 3, Salvation

Under the old plan, the road could get very bumpy. All curves and careful driving was the order of the day.

John came with a new message to get things ready for Jesus. No longer would there be any detours. The way would be straight and easy. It would never again be a problem to see God’s salvation parade.

The main message is that we would be forgiven for (Sin) missing God’s goal for our lives. That message had never been delivered before.

God would no longer judge us. He would forgive us. And Jesus would deliver it to us.

In the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius—it was while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod, ruler of Galilee; his brother Philip, ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, ruler of Abilene; during the Chief-Priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—John, Zachariah’s son, out in the desert at the time, received a message from God. He went all through the country around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of life-change leading to forgiveness of missing God’s goal, as described in the words of Isaiah the prophet: Thunder in the desert! “Prepare God’s arrival! Make the road smooth and straight! Every ditch will be filled in, Every bump smoothed out, The detours straightened out, All the ruts paved over. Everyone will be there to see The parade of God’s salvation.” Luke 3:1 -6

“Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?” ~John the Baptizer

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God's Goal, Jesus, John the Baptist, Matthew 11, Miracles

When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages. John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”

Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on. The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.

Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!

Source: Matthew 11 – The Message Bible

John the Baptizer

John was focused on being in prison and took his eyes off Jesus and what he was doing. John knew that Jesus was the Son of God. John was focused on what Jesus was not doing, i.e. not getting him out of jail. Jesus reminded him of what God was doing through him.

Am I focused on what Jesus is not doing or am I focused on what Jesus is doing? I have a choice. Jesus challenges me to change my mind and focus on what he is doing.

“Change your mind (repent). God’s kingdom is here.” ~John the Baptizer

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John the Baptist, Matthew 3, Mind Change, Repent

Changing our minds (Repent)

John, the Baptizer, came to pave the way for his cousin Jesus, the Messiah and our Master. John was very focused. He lived a simple life. He had an essential message.

John, like Jesus after him, challenges us to change our mind. In traditional translations the word used is repent. I think that has lost its meaning. Changing your mind is the literal meaning in the Greek word. I think that captures the challenge of John and Jesus.

John, couples the need to change our minds with the fact that God’s Kingdom is here. We don’t live in kingdom any longer. We are a republic with elected officials. Jesus has been crowned King by God, his Father. Jesus is in complete control. There is this world and God’s world. In God’s world, Jesus is completely and absolutely in charge of everything. What he wants, at any given moment, is all that matters. We need to change our mind about who is in control. It is not us. It is Jesus.

The way we are thinking misses God’s goal for our life. To understand God’s plan, we need to change the way we think.  Here are some key ideas:

1. God is in control.
2. Jesus is the Messiah and our Master.
3. God is God.
4. God is in a good mood and loves us as our Heavenly Father.
5. God can do anything he wants to without our permission.

While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptizer,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your mind (Repent). God’s kingdom is here.”

John and his message were authorized by Isaiah’s prophecy:

Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!

Matthew 3:1-3

“John’s words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them.” ~Luke

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Heart, Hope, John the Baptist, Luke 3, Strength

John the Baptist was an amazing man of God. His words gave strength to people. His words put heart in them.

Of course, John’s words also offended the powerful. But John was faithful to the Message. His focus was on delivering God’s message of hope. He did not focus on who he would offend in the process.

God’s goal for us is to put heart in others.

May I have his same faithfulness. May I speak words that give people strenght and heart.

There was a lot more of this—words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message! But Herod, the ruler, stung by John’s rebuke in the matter of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, capped his long string of evil deeds with this outrage: He put John in jail. Luke 3:18-20