John 1:22-23 What do you say about yourself? He [John the Baptist] said: “I am
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’
John the Baptist was not “the message”, but the messenger. By definition, he was one on an errand from God, who bears a message. Messengers are the bearer of a verbal or written communication, notice or invitation from one person to another, or to a public body. John the Baptizer’s prophetic ministry was a fulfillment foretold by the eighth century BC Israelite prophet Isaiah by divine authority. Both divinely appointed men were persons illuminated, inspired or instructed by God to announce a God’s message to people then and a message still true now.
Truly, all ministers are but the voice, the vehicle, the messenger by which God is pleased to communicate His mind and truth. John’s message was, Make straight the way of the Lord. He came to prepare and dispose people for the reception and entertainment of Christ and his gospel. It is an allusion to the harbingers of a prince or great man, that cry, “Make room”. Matthew 3:1-2, adds that in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” In order to make a way straight, it must be first crooked or obstructed. We need to repent [to sorrow or be pained for sin, as a violation of God's holy law, a dishonor to his character and government, and the foulest ingratitude to a Being of infinite benevolence, honestly admit guilt and willfully turn from wicked ways to wholehearted godliness], remove the errant beliefs and sinful passions that impede our view and path to righteousness and holiness found only in Christ, our Savior and Lord. In John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. There is garbage in temptations, deceptions, lies and distractions to put aside in our lives
The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it,” Now John Baptist came to prepare and dispose people for the reception and entertainment of Christ and His gospel. In John 1:29 John the Baptist testifies about Jesus proclaiming: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
As disciples of Jesus Christ and Children of God, Christians are messengers with this same message to a lost and dying world that is walking in darkness on the wide road to destruction. The basic Gospel message is in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The message orders were given by Jesus Himself in Matthew 28:19-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Jesus is the message of hope and redemption. Be the messenger of this “Good News”.
In Christ, Brian
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