Jottings

by J Miller | Category: Jottings | Apr 1950

"The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? "had been ~ much debated question, and it was no new issue when the Lord propounded the question to the chief priests and elders In the temple. Thongh John was the son of Zacharias, one of the temple priests, John did not follow his father in temple service. He was in the deserts until the time of his showing unto Israel. But the issue raised in his baptism at length reached the temple. It was the last chance for the people of Israel to corre't their Initial mistake in rejeeting for themselves the divine message and work of the Baptist. So the Lord gave to them their last

opportunity of correcting their early blunder. Mark, too, that the outside work of John in the wilderness and by the, Jordsin (the river of death, In which the repentant hearers of John were baptised), is now an inside issue. They cannot escape it. Which was it, from heaven or froin men? Alas, on this fatal day they drew the pall of ignorance, wiing ignorance, over themselves and said, "We know not." In their ignorance they nursed their bitter hatred both to John and to the Lord Hiniseif.

The purpose of John's witness-bearing is plainly stated in John 1.7: "The ~e came for witness, that he might bear witness of the Light, that all might believe through him." Paul, too, shows clearly the purpose of his baptism: "Ahd Paul said, John baptised with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, Lbat they should belleve on Him which was to 'come after him, that is, on Jesus"

&"+' 19 4). Those who were baptized with John's baptism were under the

to believe In Christ to whom John would bear witness. The Christ pointed out as the One of whom the prophets spake was so different to that the Jewish people expected, that they refused to accept this Christ. ~at they wanted was not one who would be meek and lowly, but one

wno wuuiu come in power to set up a worldiy lnngdom, and rid them of the Roman yoke, and besides would raise the elders, priests, Pharisees and Sadducees, to places of authority in His kingdom. But when He came with the like message to John, (~afling upon them to repent, and saying that they must be born again before they

aould see the kingdom of God, such a Messiah was odious to them. It was not a Messiah who had come to deal with moral and spiritual evils they wanted, but one who would deal with material needs and with political exigencies. They repudiated the need of the regeneration of the individual, for they had Abraham as their ~ther, and when the Lord spoke of the coming regeneration of human society, He showed that some of His chief officers would be of the fishermen of Galilee, who would sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19.28); such a Messiah was entirely unacceptable to these woridly-minded people.

John's message was a message of faith as is the message to-day. This is clearly seen in the last recorded words of testimony that he spok~" He that belleveth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3.88). The difference between John's baptism and Christian baptism is, that John baptized with the baptism of ~penLance that they should believe on Christ who had not been manifested, but Christians are baptized because they believe in Him who has been manifested. it was faith that saved in John's day, as it is by faith that we are saved to-day,

ndeed we can add that faith, in whatever testimony God has borne to men, one principle on which men are, or wrn be, saved. Indeed without faith it is possible to please God.

J.M.

The coming of John the Baptist marks an important and outstanding epoch in God's de~iljngs with Israel and with men. The promise of a Divine Saviour given and renewedove? long miflenniums required one to point out the One who was promised, when He came. Such aweighty responsibility fell on John's shoulders. He too had been promised for many hundreds of years. Isaiah first spoke of him. There John is spoken of impersonally as "the voice of one that crieth, I'seare ye.in the wilderness the way of the LoRD, make straight in the desert a high way for our Goi" With such an announcement John entirely concurred, for when the Jews sent from Jerusalem to ask him who he was, he said, "I am not the Christ."

'Then, when asked, "Art thou Eli~ah?" he said, "I am not," and when f~irLher asked, "Art thou the prophet?" he answered "No." His answers were shorte? and shorter each time. He left no doubt on their mind that he was none of those mentioned in these prophecies of old. But who was he? This was a matter of some importance, for he had started a work in Israci that could not be looked upon lightly by the leaders of that people. Their attitude to John would in time determine their attitude to the One of whom John spake, so it was of great importance to Israel both nationally and individually to know who this strange character was who had appeared in their midst, coming from no rabbinical school, but from the wilderness. They follow on with their questioning. "Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them~that sent us.,, To this John replies in clear and definlte terms

"I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet" (John 1.19-28; Isaiah 40.8). -John was but the voice. He was but the announcer introducing King Messiah. The word "Lord" in John 1. 28 undoubtedly applies to Christ. In Isaiah the word LORD

)s Jehovah; in John 1. 28 it is the Greek word Kurios (Lord). In Isaiah 40.8 the words "LORD '-' and "God" have definite reference to Christ, and this is one of those proofs of the Deity of the Lord Jesus that lie like gems on the surface of the Scriptures. John's Christ is both Jehovah and God, but the Christ of the Jews of those days was but the Son of David, and such a Christ was not the Christ of the Scriptures, as we learn from Matthew 22.41-45; Romans 1.1-4, and many other portions of the word of God.

Could anything he more beautiful than the words of John as he whole.heartedly voiced the words of Isaiah? "He must increase", were his further words, and "I must decrease". It is not, I may, but I must, decrease. The voice of John, strong, vehement, manly, must decrease. The baptist's words, glowing and fervent, 55 he poured them on the desert air and on the hearts of his hearers, must in the very nature of things fade away. Think of what is said of John. "John beareth witness of Him, and crieth, saying." It is not simply that John saith, but Jdhn erieth. But his cry must go, before that voice that must for ever remain for~people of all age~" Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink" (John 7.87).

Why did both John and the Lord cry? Ah, here is a very important matter connected with witness-bearing. It shows the earnestness of those who spoke to men who were lost and passing on to eternal doom; their zeal for the souls of men was such that their whole strength was put into the words they spake. If we had more preachers crying we should have more crying sinners seeking mercy.

The Spirit-given description of John coming as a witness-bearer to Christ ls very clear and simple as given by John the apostle: "There came a man sent f?oih God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the Light, that all might believe through him" (John 1.6, 7). The passage literally says that there became a man, that is a man came into being who had no being previously. This man was sent away from beside God. "Frcm~" in our English versions is the Greek word Para which means " beside." This shows John as coming from a very near place to God which he enjoyed in those days when he was in the wilderness learning from God.

J Miller | Apr 1950
Jottings