John 3 – The Word of God Came to John – Charicteristics of the Word of the Lord

“The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jorday, proclaiming a baptism of repentance and the forgiveness of sins.”  Luke 3:2-3

 

I believe whole heatedly in the scriptures.  I believe that they are the inspired (God-breathed) inerrant (infallible) word of the Lord.  I operate from that position so as a result, when I read the scriptures I automatically accept them as true.  I do not spend large amounts of time questioning the statements that are made but I do spend most my time seeking to understand each verse in light of its context and with the overall testimony of scripture in the both the Old and New Testaments.  I then try to conform my life and my thinking to its teaching.  Today as I read this particular passage of scripture several things have given me great comfort and peace regarding what does and does not happen when God speaks.  My preconceived notions of what ought to happen could easily lead me to have a very serious crisis of faith if allowed to go unchecked.  For I often grieve at the state of the visible church.  There are so many views, so many opinions, so many conflicting doctrines; and yet, there is so little clarity, so little capable teaching.  And worse still for me is that we lay-people have ceased to strive to know and understand doctrine.  We have accepted that the bible is too confusing, too mysterious and too shadowy to truly bring us all to one truth.  And in such a state we abandon core doctrines and unite more with the worlds philosophies than with Christ.

Here in this verse we are told that the word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness and that John then went throughout the whole region of the Jordon preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The very next words of this text are sobering and are worthy of our attention.  It states, “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet” (3:4).  Note that God speaks to John but that it conforms too and even fulfills the words that God has previously spoken through Isaiah to the people.  By this precedent alone, surly we can eliminate many of the voices that we hear today.  Men and woman who speak a message devoid of the whole council and testimony of God.  Many men claim to speak for God yet do much harm to the doctrines attested to by the scriptures.  Many today have cleverly re-written so many of the words of God.  Sin is redefined or ignored altogether.  Justification and the atonement are under attack in our churches today.  The doctrine of hell and eternal punishment is disbelieved.  The inspiration and sufficiency of scripture is spoken ill of from many of our pulpits today.  We are bombarded every day from within the church to doubt the clear testimony of God as creator, law-giver, redeemer and soon returning judge.  All of these things, however, are testified of throughout scripture in both the old and new testaments. 

As we continue to read through the text we find that Luke gives us the most information about who John the Baptist spoke too.  Some descriptions are specific and some are rather general.  We are told twice that he spoke to crowds and twice that he addressed the people.  More specifically we are told that he addressed tax collectors, soldiers and even reproved Herod the tetrarch.  In short, this message from the Lord was to be spoken to everyone.  To servants and political leaders, to soldiers and housewives, to the rich and the exploited, to the Jew and the Gentile, to male and female.  And no matter who he addressed the message never changed to fit the Roman culture or the modern Jewish mindset but instead testified with scripture that men need to repent before God.  And let me again clarify, all men needed to repent.  All men have sinned and are in danger of facing judgement apart from Christ.  

This leads me to one of the most comforting passages in this text.  Not because it reflects a good tendency in us but because it testifies to so much of what I see today.  Where we find ourselves is not so unusual or so different from where mankind has always been.  We read, “As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ…” (3:15)  Today we see so much expectation in some circles.  And yet, sadly enough this expectation is not accompanied with a true understanding of who Christ is and what Christ has done.  It seems that it is far better to allow the latter to inform and infuse the former and not vice-versa.  It is almost scary how enthused we can become over things.  Some things good and some things not so good.  Some things based upon truth but honestly much of it is not based upon the truth of scripture.  And for many enthusiasm is the mark of true Christianity and yet if asked what does Christ teach there would be deafening silence.  If asked who the person of Christ is there would be no response.  If asked what are the core tenants of our faith if silence were not heard you would hear a mixture of truth and our modern worldview.   

Here John addresses all men and women with the very words of God and many of them were obedient to repent and to be baptized; and yet, the crowds and the people are still so vulnerable at this point.  Like John, a man sent from God will not point men and women to himself but will point them to Christ and to the whole testimony of the scriptures.  Sadly, few do this with regularity today.  And even more sad is that we have concluded that truth is relative and not revealed and that doctrine is decisive and not unifying.  We’ve abandoned the testimony of past church teachings and in many ways allowed there to be a disconnect between what we teach and what the Bible as a whole teaches. 

One might automatically assume that if God has spoken it would not be this way.  If He has revealed something why would there be such confusion and doubt?  If I were John I might be a bit confused.  But John pointed to Christ by saying, “His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (3:17)  Only as we pursue Christ do we find separation and clarity.  Ultimately this will occur of all places on a threshing floor.  This is where truth is set free from falsehood and where the righteous are separated from the unrighteous.  At that time we will be united with Christ and see the One to who John the Baptist and all faithful ministers have spoken of.  Until that day we have been given His Holy Spirit.  And He will lead us into all truth and open the scriptures up to us. 

When asked the source of your enthusiasm I hope and pray that you will testify of Christ and His character.  I trust you will defend the doctrines of grace and point others to Christ and to His scriptures.  Amen