Unheard Of!

Luke 3
v.2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.
v.3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

This was revolutionary! We sometimes lose track of what a stir this caused, but consider -- for centuries, generations, it was taught, and practiced, that only by the slaughter of livestock could sins be forgiven. If you asked one of the educated elite, they could give you theological discussions about it, but if you asked one of the regular farmers or merchants, it was more of a tax to feed the priests who maintained the social order.

Now, suddenly, a fellow comes out of the desert, travels up and down the Jordan river preaching something that disrupts the social norms. He says that sins can be forgiven through an internal choice of repentance, and a baptism will be the visible evidence of your inner resolution to live a changed life.

We know from the Scriptures that John was preparing the way for Jesus who, after preaching the coming of the kingdom of God, would fulfill the law of Moses, which demanded the shedding of blood for forgiveness of sin, in a final perfect sacrifice of Himself as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb.

But before that occurred and became understood by the preaching of the apostles, recorded through the book of Acts and their epistles, the initial groundwork laid by John the Baptist was unique and unheard of. It cut the priests off from their livelihood of people bringing livestock and money and grain and oil to support a social strata which provided an intangible, but socially important, benefit -- to some.

What John brought was a message that reached those who had fallen between the cracks of society, those who weren't farmers or merchants and therefore rich enough for the teachers and lawyers to be interested in reaching. He spoke to those who had no hope of moving in those circles because they could hardly afford the doves that were allowed as sacrifices, but had the social stigma of being looked down on as something permissible "if that's all you can manage."

Tax collectors were resigned to being outcasts, and comforted themselves with the extra money they extorted. Soldiers were feared and resented, and they bullied people to repay them for being rejected. Every type of person that Jesus went to in His ministry, all social "sinners" and cultural outcasts, were spoken to by John's message of "Repent, and be baptized, for the forgiveness of sins," preparing the peoples' hearts for when Jesus made His sacrifice and became the High Priest of the new covenant, able to offer His own blood directly to God, our Judge, and have it accepted not only because it was a sinless, pure sacrifice, but because of the love it represented.

The word of God came to John while he was in the desert, and led him to take a revolutionary, unprecedented step. What is God stirring in your heart? How is He moving you to bring the good news of the kingdom of God to those who are unreached, slipping through society's cracks, out of reach of the social religious order? The same Spirit that descended on Jesus after John baptized Him is sent to, and dwells in, us. As we follow the steps of Jesus, and reveal His sacrifice and love to those who are hungry for acceptance but unable to find it in the established orders today, we will be faithful servants and workers in the harvest and be pleasing to God. Let Him move you, as well, to do something revolutionary for His Kingdom.

Psalm 60:11-12 One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord are loving.

God in heaven, thank You for stirring things up on earth. Thank You for including us in Your work. We make ourselves available and obedient to whatever You direct us to do, Lord, for we trust You implicitly and yield ourselves to Your Spirit completely for the sake of Your kingdom and Your love.

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