Yikes, it's been a while since we updated this blog. I have been preparing for a class on the Gospel of John and thought it would be good to share what God has been teaching me through this study.
One of the most startling figures in all of scripture is this wild-eyed, crazy haired, sugar-filled, bug-eating man who ushered in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. If an earthly king had to choose someone to announce his arrival, I'm pretty sure he would not have chosen John the Baptist. No doubt, John scared alot of people and probably made them question their perspective of God.
John is truly the last of the Old Testament prophets (Luke 16:16). His message is one of personal repentance. Up to this point, the idea of sin had been associated with individual sins which must be atoned for, usually on a regular basis. But John introduces the idea that sin is not just a specific action or one-time event, but an infectious disease which needs to be cured. John's message to the people is that we (and religion) are broken and are desperately in need of a Savior.
I can only imagine what it would have been like for the unexpecting observer who approaches John (probably more for curiousity than reconciliation). I imagine John would have been loud, brash and confrontational when it came to sin. In our modern day of seeker-sensitive churches that serve lattes while you worship, and minimize the offense of a sermon, many of us would have rejected John as any type of forerunner of Christ.
I need people like John. Whether we like to admit it or not, we all do. I need to be reminded that in my natural state, I am broken and in need of a Savior. I cannot make it on my own, I cannot reach salvation outside of the shed blood of Christ. I hope I have not become too comfortable as to reject the "Johns" of my life.
