John the Baptist

Baptism: Water, Spirit, and Fire

Matt Otto D-Groups , , , , ,

Everything about John the Baptist is captivating! First, John was born in a most unusual and miraculous way, fulfilling prophecies dating back 700 and 430 years before his birth (see Is 40:1-5 and Mal 3:1; 4:5). Also, his times were filled with turmoil and tumult, led by volatile and villainous people hungering for political and religious power. Furthermore, his appearance was overtly prophetic. With long, matted hair and an unkept beard, he dressed in garments made of camel hair, and sustained himself on a diet consisting of locusts and honey. Even his message was different. It was singular, direct, and repetitive. According to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it was simply, “Repent!” (Lk 3:3; Mk 1:4; Matt 3:2).

Which leads to the most captivating aspect of this larger-than-life biblical personality: his purpose. One of the most profound things about John’s ministry was that it pointed to something greater than himself and his ministry. He was the forerunner, whose role was to prepare the way for the arrival of royalty. This royal figure – the Christ or Messiah (Anointed One) – was of such significance that John was to level and straighten the paths for this King’s arrival. Through John’s ministry, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low” for the entrance of this singular King and His glorious kingdom (Lk 3:4-6).

In Luke 3:15-17, John the Baptist describes his ministry in the following fashion:

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 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.”

It is clear that John utilized the practice of water baptism in preparation for Jesus’s ministry. Similarly, it is important to note that there is a difference between John’s ministry and Jesus’s ministry. This is evident in John’s deferential description, placing him at the feet of Jesus, not even worthy to untie his sandals. What incredible self-awareness, humility, and reverence of the Messiah from a man who Jesus says “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matt 11:11). So, what is the difference between John’s baptism and Jesus’s baptism? What is the difference between the baptisms of water, Holy Spirit, and fire?

Not unlike water baptism today, John immersed those who came to him in the waters of the Jordan River as a symbol of their spiritual posture. To put it another way, John’s baptism was an external sign of a person’s internal repentance. It, therefore, was intertwined with his preparatory purpose: turning the hearts of people back to God for the arrival of the King. John heralded the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 3:2). Put bluntly, John was shouting, “King Jesus and His kingdom are here! So, it’s time to get your heart and life turned around, because He is judge, jury, and executioner!” John expected Jesus to come with great might, power, and justice. He, like many, envisioned the Christ as a victorious military leader, who would separate the wheat from the chaff by crushing the Roman occupation and overthrowing religious corruption.

Yet the hearts of people did not change and eventually rejected the King. The kingdom did not come in the form of a military conquest and ritualistic cleansing as John and others expected (see Lk 7:18-23). Instead, the kingdom came in an unlikely way, with the King’s victory won by means of His sacrificial death, burial, and triumphant resurrection. However, even before these glorious events, Jesus had promised that He – God – would remain with us always by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Jn 14:25-29).

Unlike water baptism, the Spirit’s baptism isn’t simply a symbol of a spiritual reality, it is a spiritual reality! Salvation comes through giving up on your own goodness, works, knowledge, and wisdom and trusting in the finished, perfect work of Christ (Eph 2:8-9). All those who receive salvation or new life in Jesus are baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit takes residence in us, He begins His transformational work. Like fire, He begins to melt our very core. Like a refiner, He heats us up until He is able to skim off our impurities. More and more, our life begins to mirror back Jesus’s reflection. And as the Holy Spirit continues to melt our hearts, skims away the dross, allows us to cool, and repeats the process, the more we begin to look like the Lord Jesus (Gal 5:22-25). The Holy Spirit enables us to do what we could never do on our own by convicting (Jn 16:8), regenerating (Jn 3:5-6), assuring (Rom 8:16), enlightening (Jn 16:13), transforming (2 Cor 3:18), bearing fruit (Gal 5:22-23), gifting (1 Cor 12:7), and empowering (Acts 1:8).

Galatians 5:22-25 (ESV) – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

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Children Change Your Life

Matt Otto D-Groups , , , ,

God always gives good gifts.

In God’s sovereign and providential plan every moment, event, and circumstance – regardless of how it makes us feel – is for our good and for His glory. God is never frivolous or nonchalant with His actions. His ways are steadfast and His intentions are clear. He wants you to know Him and treasure Him, so you might worship Him.

The births of John the Baptist and Jesus are extraordinary – miracles that invite an elderly barren woman and a young virgin girl to be part of God’s plan. He meets them in their disappointment and innocence, interrupts their lives, and goes so far as to name their boys before they are born (Lk 1:5-2:7). The two “baby blessings” will ultimately make God’s glorious name known among the nations. While they bring physical life into the homes of Elizabeth and Mary, they will eventually bring spiritual life to mankind (Lk 1:76-79).

It is breathtaking how much wonder these two boys bring to all who are privileged to witness their births. The text is flooded with expressions of praise and joy! The parents, the neighbors, the shepherds, and many others marvel at God’s grace and mercy as they hear and see about God’s plan for John and Jesus.

Which brings us back to my opening statement: “God always gives good gifts” and children are one of the greatest of these. You don’t need to be a parent to appreciate this and to value them accordingly. Why? Because children come in both physical and spiritual form. The first is obvious to parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and so on, because they were happy participants in the pregnancy announcement, the gender reveal, the snapshots of the newborn, and the celebration of many exciting “firsts”. The latter pertains to those who are a part of the family of God – the church. Followers of Jesus are children of God “born not of natural descent, … but born of God” (Jn 1:12-13). It is a thrill to be involved in the spiritual rebirth, spiritual growth, and spiritual journey of the sons and daughters of God – our brothers and sisters in Christ! Furthermore, it is a tremendous responsibility to be taken seriously (Matt 18:6). You and I have the privilege to love God’s children, encourage and edify them patiently, and model Jesus clearly. Just as parents are stewards of the hearts of their own children, so we are shepherds of the souls of children at our church. Regardless of age, they are God’s children, bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20)!

Your actions and words matter eternally. By God’s grace, they have the potential to spur children on to deeper faith, greater love, and more faithful service. It was Charles H. Spurgeon who quipped about the impact we have on the children in our care:

You may speak but a word to a child, and in that child there may be slumbering a noble heart which shall stir the Christian Church in years to come.

Rejoice in having the remarkable opportunity to participate in God’s life changing Gospel plan! Your participation will flood you with great joy… It may even change your life!

Psalm 127:3-5 (NIV) – “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.”

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Trust God’s Promises

Matt Otto D-Groups , , , ,

Announcements can be good or bad, captivating or dull, expected or surprising, routine or life-changing. We are usually notified of news pertaining to local and world events in real time. The announcements contain information that is aimed at the general public. Sometimes, however, we are singular recipients of spectacular news that is obviously above what we deserve. We are shocked to be the first to know of a first kiss, an engagement, a pregnancy, a birth.

In the opening chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we find two grand announcements delivered by an angelic messenger (Lk 1:5-56). The angel Gabriel proclaims the soon-to-come births of two enigmatic characters the Old Testament has been promising for centuries. These two individuals have simply been referred to as the forerunner and the Messiah. And while the hope of their arrival has long been anticipated by God’s people, the recipients of its fulfillment – an old priest and a young girl – were anything but extraordinary. The old priest, Zechariah, and his wife Elizabeth, were barren and past child-bearing years, while the young girl, Mary, was “a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph” (Lk 1:27). They couldn’t have been more different. Zechariah was a respected, dutiful temple priest, while Mary was an obscure girl from a mocked town (Jn 1:46). Furthermore, in a twist of irony, the dedicated priest was struck dumb for his feeble faith, while the young girl received gracious praise for her submissive trust.

So, why would both Zechariah and Mary have been privileged to receive these glorious announcements? Why would these ordinary and obscure, accomplished and inexperienced, doubting and trusting, old man and young woman, be chosen by God to become parents of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ respectively? What qualifies them to be part of God’s plan? Nothing. You heard right. No-thing! God blessed Zechariah and Mary by His gracious love. He does the same for us.

God blesses and uses us according to His good purposes. We need not fear (Lk 1:13, 30), because the Lord is at our side. His promises are true and certain. Even when our life has been marked by disappointment and our faith is wavering, our prayers have been heard and recorded (Lk 1:13). Be encouraged! God’s grace has never been reserved for the unbreakable, the perfect, and the strong. It is precisely our frailty, finiteness, and weakness that require us to trust God and make us usable in His mighty hands. We must always remember, it is about God and not about us.

2 Corinthians 4:5–7 (ESV) – “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

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We’ll Leave the Light On!

Matt Otto D-Groups , ,

One of my favorite commercials used to be the Motel6 advertisements on the radio. As to why, is hard to say. Maybe it was the relatable reflections combined with their musical simplicity. Maybe it was the witty lines, delivered by the friendly voice of Tom Bodett tinged with the sound of southern hospitality. Who knows. Regardless, almost every one of the adverts ended with the memorable tag-line “We’ll leave the light on for you.” There is something incredibly reassuring to know that no matter the time or circumstances, the light is on!

In the Bible, the memorable voice was that of John the Baptist, who proclaimed the arrival of the long-awaited Light. When the priests and Levites asked him about his identity and purpose, John responded with the following words: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (Jn 1:23). Interesting response, right? It is more than a humble confession, but a shifting of focus from the herald to the King of Glory. Furthermore, it is a challenge to John’s hearers to remove the barriers and the hindrances in the wilderness of their hearts and level them for Jesus’ entry. At the epicenter of the Baptist’s witness was a straightforward and lasting message: repent and believe (Matt 3:2; Jn 1:7;).

The appeal hasn’t changed for contemporary heralds of the Good News. We too are to proclaim the wonderful coming of Jesus. The message declared by John the Baptist and confirmed by Jesus Himself (Mk 1:15) is now ours to share. Jesus told his disciples that “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (Jn 20:21). We are witnesses to His power that changes the lives of those who are penitent and simply believe. The Light has come and is powerful to perfectly transform our dark hearts and bring new life.

Is this true of you? Has the Light entered in? If so, are you walking in the light? Is your light shining? As the little children’s song asks, “Hide it under a bushel?” Our clear and unequivocal answer must be a resounding, “No!” This Christmas, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:19).

John 1:6-8 (ESV) – “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.”

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