Luke 3:15-18

Enter John the Baptist into the Christmas story. At the time of Jesus’ birth, John—Jesus’ cousin on His mother’s side—had been born six months earlier to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and his birth was foretold and miraculous as well. His mother, Elizabeth, was barren and not just old, but, as the Scriptures say, very old. An angel visited Zechariah while he was serving in the Temple and told him of God’s plans for his son, who was to be named John and called to be a forerunner to Jesus. As Luke 1:16-17 records:

“And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We now see the fulfillment of that playing out in Luke 3. What I find interesting is that the Scriptures say everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon—so much so that they thought John might be the Messiah. John was quick to set them straight, clearly understanding his role in the grand scheme of things. He heralded the coming of the Lord just as Luke records was spoken through Isaiah.

“Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him! The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

John was a no-nonsense, rugged kind of man. His message was blunt and straightforward, and he didn’t shy away from calling people to true repentance and a changed life. Luke 3:7-9 records:

“When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Needless to say, he angered many people by speaking the truth, which ultimately cost him his head—literally. Truth tellers are often victims of the wrath of man. When discerning truth, we must learn to recognize the godly traits that set truth tellers apart from liars. God is the vindicator of those who are victims of baseless accusations, yet some, like John, serve as martyrs for the Lord’s purposes. The same could be said of Jesus. Was He not sentenced to die based on lies? And yet His death brought life to us all—God’s purpose—and when He returns, God’s vindication will be seen as every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord.

What I love most about John is his humility and his understanding of his calling as reflected in his words in John 3:27-30:

“John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭27‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

John recognized that everything he had was given by God, and he found joy in pointing others to Jesus rather than drawing attention to himself. His famous declaration that Jesus must become greater while he became less tells us everything we need to know about his heart.

Job well done, John. May we be just as faithful and have the same attitude toward our own callings as you had toward yours.