I don’t know about you, but I am so grateful for people like John the Baptist. These are men who dare to venture into lands that are rarely ever traversed by others. We all have a natural propensity to stay in our comfort zones and minister only where we feel most comfortable but people like John are unique. They meet us where we need it the most. They come to our dark world and shine the light of God there. They touch us even when everyone else treats us as though we have leprosy. They find fulfillment not in where they are at but in what they are doing and therefore God can use them greatly. This is the type of man John the Baptist seemed to be.

When we think of John the Baptist we typically think of a man to whom multitudes came out to hear and be baptized by, but we should not overlook the words here which state, “In those days John the Baptist came.” In a very real sense John was a man who dared to go where no other ‘religious person’ would go. He met men and women where they were the most lonely and the most in need. He met them in their darkest moments and brought the hope of God into their lives for the first time. He walked down into the water to baptize those very people and then celebrated with them as they came out of the water. We all need that type of godly person in our lives don’t we? We need someone who will climb down with us into our world and then help us get out of it.

So what type of people did John minister to the most? Well, symbolically speaking, I would say that the next part of this verse answers that question. John the Baptist came to the desert (NIV) and to the wilderness (NRSV). He ministered to the person whose life was described as, “uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable.” He ministered to those areas of our lives which are best described as neglected and abandoned. And he spoke most powerfully to those whose lives were dry, barren and seen as a wasteland and unable to grow anything or produce life.

I am so glad that God sends people like John into my life. People who walk farther, stay longer and do more than most will ever desire too. But as a result of their love and the gospel they preach I can enter into those areas that I try to ignore and then find healing and inevitably find God there.

Lord, I pray that we all, who call ourselves your ministers, will go to the deserts and the wildernesses and preach your gospel with all our strength.

I find the first three words of this verse rather intriguing to ponder. It might seem appropriate for us to assess our current spiritual condition first by saying, “In those days…” Which would imply that despite our many churches and limitless books we have moved away from something that is so fundamental to what we are as Christians. We are bombarded by Christian television, Christian radio and have immediate access to countless ministries through the internet but far to few of these really preach repentance. We have moved beyond that it would seem. So far beyond it in fact that one might say that repentance is something that was preached ‘in those days’. Days gone bye many years ago.

Today we like to think that we can live without that kind of talk. We have received the promise of heaven but I wonder if we may have inwardly rejected the outstretched arms of our savior as it practically applies to us as disciples? It is taught more frequently now even within the church that the christian need not repent anymore. Several years ago that was exactly what I wanted to hear. I was sick of having to confess to God for that sin that I could never seem to overcome and the countless others.

Over the years though I have returned to Christ in this area not out of compulsion but out of need. Not in dread but seeking relief. Not through guilt but because God is faithful and good.

Nothing good comes of denying our sin. Nothing is profitable for the one who turns their attention from their sinfulness and cowardly looks the other way. King David tried to do this and he was miserable (Psalm 32 and 51).

I am grateful for those who have had the courage to correct me when I am wrong. For those who prod me back to Christ. Much like Nathan did for David and John the Baptist did for his generation. We would do well to realize that Nathan was sent by God and John was as well. So who is it that will proclaim repentance to this generation of people? If no one will, I can promise you it is not because God has somehow changed. The kingdom of heaven is at hand but only through repentance is that kingdom revealed to you and I.

I am looking forward to the coming weeks as we explore John the Baptist’s life and message. I hope you will enjoy it too. Chris

Let me give you a couple quick examples. Recently as I was driving in my truck I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a tow truck. Now I did not immediately become anxious and begin fretting because it meant that my vehicle was about to break down. I did not take it as some sort of bad omen that implied I would soon experience some costly breakdown that would wreck our budget.

On the other hand, if I am driving down the road and notice a cop car behind me I immediately go into panic mode. I began wondering which tail lights are not working. I wonder if my tags are current and panic when I realize that I am not quite sure where my insurance verification card is. I immediately begin swerving in my lane as I scramble to locate my glasses which I am supposed to be wearing. And Instinctively my foot slams on the brake before I have even looked to see if I was speeding. For those of you that know me well, you know that most ninety-year old grandma’s drive faster than I do. In that moment though I am sure that I have done something that would warrant that policeman to pull me over.

Then consider this scenario which has probably happened to you. Today my mom called me and said that I had inadvertently dialed her number earlier and she listened to me for quite a while as I was at work. As she began telling me how much she enjoyed the experience I began wondering what I might have said and about whom had I said it. She assured me that I said only good things but inwardly I felt lucky. Lucky that I had not been caught saying something that I did not intend for anyone to hear.

As we talked, I realized that in both of those examples I inwardly knew that I am a sinner. Not because I have broken a civil law and not because I said anything wrong but because my own heart convicted me on the inside (Romans 2:14-16). You might say, “I don’t like that and I can’t live like that.” No one likes this situation. No one wants to live with a heart that condemns them. But let’s be honest for a moment and at least admit that each one of our hearts condemns us. We know deep down inside we fall short, we think bad about our neighbor, we burn with anger and harbor un-forgiveness, we judge others, and often are selfish, just to name a few.

As a result, we do a couple things to ease our conscience. First, we either deny that we’ve sinned or we question whether or not it actually was a sin. Now this is not just what unbelievers do. I know lot’s of people who profess Christ who do this. I do it! It is a characteristic of all humanity to try to cover there shame and hide from their guilt.

So what do I do? Do I avoid God like I would a police officer? Do I try to avoid anything that may trigger my conscience in any way? This is after all a pretty easy thing to do it would seem. Romans chapter one says people suppress the truth with unrighteousness. But is it practical to do so? I mean after all, God is going to make us confront this issue over and over again. And let me suggest this, living a perfect and sinless life is not an option. Any honest person who has been a christian for any length of time will admit that just when we think we have overcome some sin we come to the harsh reality that we still fall in that area.

Every day as I get older I rejoice more and more in my savior Jesus Christ. I am more confident now, after thirty years of salvation, that I still sin and I am more confident now in the saving grace of my Lord. There will be that day when I will stand before God and He will be more gracious to me than I could ever imagine. For in that moment, He will look at me and say, “Son, I love you.” In that moment I will realize not only what it means to be loved despite the sins I battle every day but also the sinfulness within me that I was so unconscious of throughout my life. He saves me from it all.

Do you remember the story of Abraham when he asked to see the Lord’s glory? He wanted to see God’s face. Instead the Lord said that He would reveal to Abraham his goodness. God is a good God. As a sinner if I fail to see His goodness I will be miserable. I will not see God’s glory but fear Him continually. But once I see His goodness revealed in Jesus Christ I wait expectantly to see Him on that day and to serve Him now in this life. God has been good to us! His mercy is new every morning and His grace is more than sufficient. Run to the Lord today. Resist that urge to run away from Him and to avoid Him. He will prove Himself faithful to you.

I know this is getting long but allow me to write one more thing. When I see a cop and I scramble to find that verification card it reminds me to be grateful for the fact that the book of life is written and kept in heaven. If it were down here I would be tempted to erase others names and many times even my own. There would be times when I would surely loose it carelessly. Instead, the Father holds onto it for safe keeping. And those whose names have been entered through having believed in His Son’s payment are written in it with the most costly ink of all – His blood. They are not scratched off on a bad day and blotted out when we fall. Oh, I am so glad my good Heavenly Father has that book in a safe place.

In my dream, there was a crowded room full of furniture. As I was trying to get from one end of the room to the other I looked down and saw an odd sight. It was a frog. It was plump and cute and sat straight up on its hind feet. For lack of a better term it looked stately. Typically, things like that would not bother me but there was something odd about this frog.

I began to step over it when it tried to jump up towards me but was held back by a tether of some sort. It was a tether that was unlike a string which was tied around him. This tether actually was attached into him like an umbilical cord.

As my eyes followed the tether to the other end it went into a jelly like structure with a black scorpion inside. At first, I could not figure out who was attached to who. Was it the frog that held the scorpion or the scorpion that held the frog? The frog would try to jump free of the scorpion but he could not. He was trapped. Almost as if he was being held there to be consumed by this scorpion which was about to be birthed.

The odd thing about that dream is that the frog evoked more emotion from me than the sight of that scorpion. I knew that the scorpion was obviously something that was intimidating and I knew inwardly that it ought to be feared. The frog was cute but I feared it. The frog was desperate to be free yet I did not loose it. It was struggling and yet I did not attempt to deliver it from the cord. Instead, I simply walked around the other way.

I have written all of this to make a few points. All of us have a sin nature within us. We are tethered to what Paul called “this body of death”. (Romans 7:24) Paul cried out in that verse, “Who will set me free from the body of death?” He admitted there that he was much like that frog which was tethered to death. He was tethered to sin. And when sin is birthed and grows up it results in one thing only – death. (James 1:15)

I wonder why it is that I have lost so much of my respect and fear for sin? Perhaps it is because sin, at least the sin I have been made conscious of, starts out so small. Like the scorpion that was not born yet, we often feel the discomfort of the tether which limits our ability to venture far but do I really realize that at some point sin will consume me if left to its own process?

In my dream I did not try to free the frog. I debated whether it would kill him to do so. Like an umbilical cord for a child in his mothers womb, I wondered if the frog could survive separation. What a silly observation. Yes, it needed to be free. Similarly, I need to be free from sin but how? Let me quote Paul here in Romans 7:25, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Jesus has freed me from that tether. He has freed me from that thing that I even still to this day fail to fully comprehend its terror. I still deny the end to which it will bring me if left attached. He has freed me, and like Paul, I ought to use every ounce of my freedom to proclaim, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” I have been freed from death to serve God with my life. Much like that frog that kept trying to jump to me. He wanted a savior. That frog was not busy trying to simply hop free from the tether. He did not simply try to jump in any direction he could. The whole time he jumped towards me. In other words, like Paul, he was not seeking simply freedom from all things; but to be free from the tether to be with the Lord. He wanted to jump into the arms of a deliverer.

In the upcoming weeks we will begin exploring John the Baptist. He was sent by God to make ready a people who would turn to the Lord. And by doing so, they would find forgiveness from their sins and the ability to overcome their sins. Through John the Baptist we will be reminded that in turning towards God through repentance we come face to face with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sin is a big deal despite the way we treat it. In Luke 1:6 Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth were described as righteous and people who walked blameless before God. Do you think that God was satisfied with finding them among so many faithless people? He looked down at that same time and found Mary and Joseph whom He describes as righteous and those with whom God found favor. Did this encourage Him enough so that He would delay sending His Son into the world?

You see, here is perhaps a lie that we have bought into. When God looks down upon men he does not see some good and some bad. He does not see those who are light shining in the darkness and others who are completely lost. He sees things as they are – completely dark and utterly sinful. The apostle John puts it this way, “There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He (John) was not the light, but he came to testify about the Light.” He goes on to say, “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.” (John 1:6-9) In other words, even if the whole world were populated with men like John the Baptist or even Mary and Joseph’s, God would still look down and not see a light. He would see darkness. He would see lost people. He would see sin and pain. So despite a few people with whom he found favor He had to send His Son. He did not think for a moment that things, without Christ, could get better. A few righteous faithful people could not be the catalyst to draw mankind to Him. They needed a savior. They needed His Son. Until Jesus came into the world there would be no light at all. Nor has that light been found in anyone else since.

So what does all of this have to do with Matthew 2:13? This verse states, “Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to go to search for the Child to destroy Him.’”

Imagine with me for a moment the events recorded here. Herod by one order had every male child in Bethlehem and the surrounding vicinity killed. It was a Massacre that few of us can imagine. In fact, I want to emotionally disconnect from that part of the story. I want to ask how God could allow that to happen? But here is the deal. As big as this event was it was localized. It was focused. It was only a small portion of the sin that is in our world. It is a blimp on the radar. It is a mere tremor before an earthquake. It is a puff of smoke from an awakening volcano. And it is that little quake, that small plume of smoke, that little blimp which is enough to be placed on the headlines as if that is as big as sin gets.

This might have offended some of you for me to even suggest such a thing. But here is the truth, I did not suggest it. This is exactly what we read in the text. Observe the following verses with me,

“Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.” (Matthew 2:4) What if Herod had not narrowed down his target area to Bethlehem? He might have killed every child within the realm of his authority. In fact, just to be safe he did kill all kids in Bethlehem and the surrounding vicinity.

“Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.” (Matthew 2:7) Now imagine if Herod had not controlled his rage long enough to narrow down his search to only two year old and younger males. He could have easily raised that age a lot higher.

And despite the magnitude of this tragedy Herod did apparently have some cohesive structure to his madness. In Matthew 2:13 we are told that he searched for the child. It was an all out search for this child who was born King of the Jews. And Matthew 2:20 tells us that this endeavor was a lifelong pursuit of Herod’s that did not end once the massacre was over. And finally, Matthew 2:22 seems to infer that Herod had passed on this obsession to his son who now was ruling upon Herod’s death.

What if Herod had not premeditated his crime? What if he had removed all restraints and all restrictions from his commands? What if there was no
rhyme or reasoning put out by him concerning this sin? Can you imagine the horror?

Friends, we are no different than Herod. We hide our sin well. We believe the headlines that imply this is as bad as it can get. We have deceived ourselves. There is no light in this world apart from Christ. We need a savior and a deliverer. We need more than a good teacher like John the Baptist. We need more than a cleansing in water like he did symbolically through baptism. We need a baptism in the Spirit and one done with fire like Jesus promised.

Herod died and his son Archelaus began his reign. The Bible does not concern itself with promising Herod a second chance at that point. His time of grace was over. His moment of Mercy was gone. He heard the message. It was preached to him. He could have seen the Christ and chose not too. Now it is too late and judgement is at hand. Friends now is your day of mercy. Now is your moment of salvation from your sins. Won’t you turn to Christ today?

There are several things in this dream spoken to Joseph that stick out to me. First, and perhaps obvious enough, is that the angel of the Lord tells Joseph to take the Child and His mother. Wouldn’t that be obvious? Maybe so. But I also think it is a wonderful display of the character of God as well. Jesus had been born and God was not at all simply concerned about His welfare. He was concerned for Mary’s as well. It seems like that should go without saying but it is nonetheless significant as well. Mary was more than a tool used by God to bring Christ into the world. She was not dead weight or a burden to be carried. In fact, it was Mary who would be one of Jesus’ sole comforters at His feet while He was hanging on the cross.

Every one of us is that special to God. We are not a tool to be used and then discarded. We are not a slave to accomplish something and then sent off like Abraham’s slave, Hagar. We are so much more than that to Him.

Secondly, the angel tells them to go to Egypt. Why Egypt? Surly they could go to some distant town in Israel instead? Maybe Korazin where Jesus would later preach. Perhaps Gadara where He would one day heal men who were demon possessed?

By sending them to Egypt God would ultimately fulfill the scripture “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” But I also believe that there is more. More in the sense that when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem they registered for the census. When they did this I believe they ultimately signed onto being fugitives in the coming years. By doing so, they made everyone aware of their family and their new born child. Thus when Herod searched for the child he quite possibly had records of them and that they had not been found. This might also make sense of why Joseph was scared to return many years later even after Herod was dead. They had in a sense become fugitives on the run.

Has not this happened to us as well as believers in Christ? When we came to faith in Christ our names were recorded in Heaven for the devil to see. In Hebrews 12:22-23 we read, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven…” That word “enrolled” is the same greek word that Luke uses in his gospel when he speaks of them registering for the census.

I am sure that Joseph and Mary had no idea that when they said yes to God they would become fugitives on the run. Similarly, we too are on the run since coming to Christ. It is impossible for a Christian to remain long in the same life that they knew when they first came to faith. Before long we will have to get up ad flee. And here is something we ought not miss. We flee to protect Christ in us. We may want to remain where we are at but Christ cannot.

The last thing I notice in this verse is that Joseph was to remain there until he was told otherwise. It was not enough for him to hear the massacre was over and then return. Nor should we return to our “normal life” when we think we can handle it. We only go where we are told to go and we only return when we are told to return. Many Christians have probably fallen away as a result of moving back into hazardous territory too soon.

There may be those who say that they are no worse for having returned too soon. I would then ask them, “How is the Christ in you? How is that life that you were to protect at all costs?” You may live just fine but that really is not the issue at all. In the end Paul tells us to watch our life and our doctrine closely for by doing so we will save many. I fear we are all prone to return on our own and Christ is vulnerable and His doctrine is at risk.

We live in troubled times. But let’s be honest. We have always lived during troubled times whether we admit to it or not. Before the events of 9/11 we were troubled. Before the recession began there were plenty signs of trouble. Before I was a believer in Christ I had trouble and shockingly enough after I believed in Jesus I often find myself troubled.

When the magi arrived in Jerusalem they asked a simple question, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” And immediately the entire city was thrown into a sense of trouble. Imagine for a moment all of the conversations that go on in your local cities in an average day. And for the most part the message that they speak goes no further. This was not the case with the words of these wise men. Within a short time everyone in Jerusalem was troubled. The poor person seeking coins was troubled and the wealthy man who was usually distracted by business was now troubled. The man focused on just getting through the day now seemed troubled by this question. Usually nothing else he heard phased him. Before long this news reached the king. Immediately his heart was troubled too.

Trouble. So often I associate it with the devil but I am finding that it is often more associated with the movings of God within our lives. When the angel shows up to John the Baptist’s father in the temple he was immediately troubled (Luke 1:12). When Jesus showed up after He was resurrected His own disciples were troubled (Luke 24:38). When someone teaches false doctrine we should pray that our hearts are immediately troubled (Gal. 1:7; 5:10).

Would it surprise you that Jesus was often troubled while He was here? He was troubled by what He saw and heard when He looked at humanity (John 11:33). He was troubled by the coming hour of the crucifixion (John 12:27). He was troubled at the fact that one of His own disciples would betray Him (John 13:21).

Would it be silly to pray that my day would somehow be visited by trouble. I would like it if God would visit me and disturb this peace that I have falsely found comfort in (John 14:27). Oh, that He would disturb my finances a bit. Maybe today is the day I encounter a bit of trouble in the relationships that I have. Or maybe I will awaken to be somewhat unsettled and troubled somewhere deep within my heart so that I will seek to be comforted in Christ alone. Does anything I read in scriptures trouble me a bit? Or can I read the bible and then put it down and go on with my life unchanged?

For all the disdain I feel for Herod and his actions against Christ and all the children He killed in and around Bethlehem I must admit that at least he was troubled. Unlike him, I spend most of my day with a sign which reads, “Do Not Disturb” on the door of my heart. I formulate great doctrines to protect my comfort and shun that knock on the door of my heart that just by the very sound disturbs my soul.

Trouble, it is everywhere around us but it is also within us. If only it were outside the walls of this city and not any closer. If only it stayed outside the realm of my family but it is indeed closer still. If only it stayed outside my house but it is so much closer than that. It is in my heart.

What am I to do then? If trouble is often the result of God approaching me, what am I to do? Do I like Herod destroy Christ? Do I ignore the question like so many of the inhabitants of that city did? Or do I journey on to worship Christ like the wise men did? Jesus, in John 14:1 states, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” For the unbeliever their is no relief from trouble. To dodge it here in this life is to come face to face with the reality that in heaven no place was prepared for them. For the believer, however, there is both peace through faith here and the assurance of place that has been prepared in heaven for us.

At the angelic proclamation of Christ’s birth they cried out “Peace on earth!” Indeed, for the believer there is peace on earth on whom His favor rests. May his favor rest upon your troubled heart today through faith. It is fitting that only His rest can ease my troubles.