Read “There came a man….,” John 1:6, and I Kings 17:1, “Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead” as texts. Understand the men as mortals called to God’s service in crisis. Consider how life-experiences dismayed them, led them to disappointment that led them to temporary depression.
In this blog, consider John the Baptist. Read Matthew 3:1-12, 3:13-17, John 1:19-28, 1:29-34, and 3:22-30 as representative scriptures that prove his instinctive fearlessness when confronting leadership questions, his ready compliance with Christ’s requests, his bold demand for repentance to every inquirer and his clear understanding of Jesus as “God’s Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world”. Nevertheless, Luke 7:18-23 reveal the Baptist questioning all he previously said about the Nazarene. Note: this short series offers but an introduction to the subject. The writer has extensive studies on both mortals. In essence, John became the victim of his OWN MINISTERIAL EXPECTATION. He had appeared from the desert long on denunciation and short of compassion. God sent him to awaken Israel to her sins. A society very much like ours, Israel rejected such nonsense since Abraham guaranteed their place with God. John replied with specific ways they could repent Luke 3:13-18. And that mild list pertained only to those wanting to know. True to God’s call on his life, John vigorously denounced the human egotism that took refuge in morality. He threatened damnation if they remained impenitent. He saw himself as the first in a tandem of wrecking-crew prophets. Israel would either repent under his preaching or the ONE following him would finish the job of demolishing the religious legalism that rendered Mosaic commands impotent. End Part I
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