His first appearance was as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’” (Matt. 3:3). The Jewish world could not ignore him, and all the people of that first-century world had to decide if he should be ignored. He did no miracles to attract them (John 10:41), yet he could not be ignored. He did not fit into their culture—his clothes were made of camel’s hair and his diet consisted of eating locusts and wild honey. You know his name because John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of Jesus.
It had been almost five centuries since there had been a prophet to speak for God to His chosen people. Then it happened. There was this prophet who dressed like Elijah, whose message stirred the nation. In the last book of the Old Testament, God told the Jews that someday that someone would come and have this impact before the coming of the Messiah (Mal. 3:1).
Jesus said about John that of all the people ever born, none of them surpassed John in God’s measure of greatness (Matt. 11:11)—not even Abraham, David, Elijah, Daniel, Noah or even Enoch who walked so closely with God. He was known by all the religious leaders of the first century and even preached to royalty. It should not surprise us to read that the Scriptures said, “All counted John to have been a prophet indeed” (Mark 11:32).
However, some rejected the truth and tried to keep John from having such an impact. Jesus described these religious leaders’ reaction as John was making the nation live closer to God. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’” (Matt. 11:18). Men in darkness hate the light of the righteous who are among them and when they cannot answer the message, they attack the messenger. John was accused of being possessed by a demon!
I remember years ago when a young Christian in New Zealand said to one of the missionaries who had taught him, “There is no way anyone can deal with the truth you have shown me. So, my advice to you is to keep your car washed.” The truth of the message from heaven cuts men to the heart and those who loved truth on Pentecost responded by asking to learn more, for they had been cut to the heart (Acts 2:37). Not long afterward, other men were cut to the heart and stoned Stephen (Acts 7:54).
Aren’t you glad that God looks at us differently? Aren’t you glad that the only judgment that really matters is God’s and not those men that pass on us?
