Free Confessions

Day 10 - The voice in the wilderness (pt 2)

“John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” -Matthew 3:4-12

(Photo by Niklas Ohlrogge on Unsplash)

When I was in grade eight my parents had season tickets to the Edmonton Citadel Theatre. Since I was an only child they often bought an extra ticket for one of my best friends to join us. My friend always ‘dressed to the nines’ and wore a double-breasted suit jacket, and I wore a formal jacket that my parents had bought me that was made of camel hair. It wasn’t quite as fancy as my friend’s double-breasted suit, but we both managed to look pretty sharp for a couple of jr high boys! I had never heard of John the Baptist when I was in grade 8, and neither of us had any interest in calling people a ‘brood of vipers’, but now, whenever I read of John wearing camel hair, I always remember my friend and me strutting around the Citadel.

All four of the Gospels include the story of John the Baptist, as the great forerunner who prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry, and who went out of his way to clarify that he was not the Messiah. Try to imagine it: John tried to avoid the crowds but they kept following him, going out of their way, walking into the desert to hear him preach. His notoriety had spread and even the religious leaders were coming out to hear this man with the wild reputation of eating crazy food and wearing itchy clothes. Luke’s gospel records that people would ask him questions after his sermons, wanting to know how apply his teachings to their own context.

Despite all the accolades and popularity and growing influence, John the Baptist “did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ’” (Jn. 1:20). Somehow all the crowds didn’t go to his head and John knew exactly who he was and also who he wasn’t. It is worth noting that this is precisely the opposite of what Jesus said would happen at the end of the age, when ‘false Christs’ will rise up and try to draw people to themselves (see Matt. 24:24).

John was very clear that “after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry”. That statement is not mere false modesty, for John had seen, by revelation, the glory and majesty of the one who was coming, the true Messiah and John knew there was no comparison whatsoever.

Advent is a time to anticipate the coming of Christ, not only in His arrival but also the greatness and glory of His coming. Our lives should be like that of John the Baptist: looking forward to the ‘brightness of his coming’ and pointing others to the glory of God that is revealed in Jesus.