The Message of John the Baptist

Luke 3:3, 8-17, 21, 22

GOLDEN TEXT: “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance.”—Luke 3:8

WE are not to fall into the too common error of supposing from the record that John preached to the people that repentance and baptism would work for them a remission of their sins. To so interpret his words in Luke 3:3 would be to put them in direct conflict with the entire testimony of the Scriptures, which is to the effect that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.”

To the contrary, we are to understand this verse to mean that John preached a baptism signifying repentance unto, or preparation for, the remission of sins. The time had not yet come for the blotting out of sins, and John neither had nor could have obtained, authority to declare sins remitted because of repentance and baptism.

That the remission of sins was a work future from John’s day, is fully borne out by the context. Verses 4 to 6 record a quotation from Isaiah the prophet, which has not even yet been fulfilled, but includes the entire work of the Millennial age. That age will be one for remission and blotting out of sins, and the full reconciliation of so many as will accept God’s grace in Christ under the New Covenant. (Compare Acts 3:19-21.) In that time, under those favorable conditions, and not before, will the statement be fulfilled, “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

It would seem that John’s ministry at first was somewhat popular, notwithstanding his probably rough appearance and great plainness of speech; so that great multitudes came to him. Among these were some who seemed to John to be so wicked that he could not properly accept them until they had given him proofs of reform. These he denominates “children of vipers”—very harsh language, we would be inclined to say. We are not to understand that it is proper for the Lord’s people today to use similar language. We are rather to suppose that there were special conditions at that time which made this language appropriate, and that John; as a prophet, was divinely guided into giving this sharp reproof.

The Lord’s people of the Gospel age are instructed on the contrary to speak with meekness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, etc.—“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves”—“reproving with all long-suffering.” The Lord’s people of today are under general instruction of God’s Word, as regards all their conduct, and are not to depart therefrom unless it would be under special divine direction, as were the prophets of old—such as is not given to any at the present time.

So powerful was John’s presentation of the Truth, that the people began to wonder whether or not he might be the Coming One, the Messiah, but he put that thought at rest speedily, assuring them that he was so inferior to the Messiah that he would be unworthy the honor of doing for Him the menial service of removing His sandals.

Then, having given them a glimpse of the character of Messiah, he proceeded to tell them respecting His work, that it would he higher than his own, and that those who received Him would receive a higher baptism also: “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire”—some of them (a few) with the Holy Spirit, the remainder (the mass) with the fire—judgment, the great “time of trouble” which destroyed their national life as well as many individual lives.

There was speculation among Jesus’ disciples as to whether or not John the Baptist was the “Elijah” which Malachi had foretold should come “before the great and terrible day of the Lord.” (Mal. 4:5) Near the beginning of his ministry John himself denied that he was the Elijah, but Jesus told His disciples that if they could receive it the Baptist was the one who had been foretold.—Matt. 11:14

We are not to think from this that John and the Master disagreed. The harmony of the two statements appears in the Master’s words, “if ye can receive it.” This evidently means that if John’s ministry had accomplished an Elijah work in their lives, then to them he was the Elijah, while to others he would not be.

The prophet had foretold the Elijah work as being that of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers; in other words, a work of reconciliation and reformation. The prophet had also indicated that a failure of this effort would result in a curse coming upon those not reconciled. We see this carried out in the case of Israel as a whole. They failed to heed the message of repentance preached by John. Failing to heed this they in turn rejected the Master, and true to the prophecy, the curse came upon them, when, in the years 70-73, Jerusalem was destroyed and the people scattered.

But some heeded John’s ministry, and a reconciling work was accomplished in them, hence to them he was indeed the Elijah. The church of Christ is commissioned to do a reconciling work throughout the age, to “command all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30) But, so far as the masses are concerned, this also fails, with the result that again the “curse” comes; this time in the “great time of trouble” with which the age is already ending.

Finally, under the administration of the new Kingdom, Israel and the world will be reconciled to God; for He has assured us that then He will “turn to the people a pure language,” and they will all “call upon the name of the Lord to serve Him with one consent.”—Zeph. 3:9

The last two verses of our lesson refer to the baptism of Jesus by John, in the river Jordan. To Jesus this was a great moment—the moment of His begetting of the Spirit. He had left the spirit condition that He might fulfill the Father’s will and plan by becoming man’s representative, substitute, ransom price; but He had been promised that the faithful performance of this would bring to Him again the spirit nature, with added glory and greatness and divine favor.

Now, at thirty years of age, as soon as was possible for Him to begin His ministry under the law, He had made a full consecration of Himself as a man—to give His time, His influence, His energy, His life, “all that He had,” to purchase the Lost life and inheritance of Father Adam and his entire posterity. The consecration made by our Lord at the moment of His baptism is represented in the Scriptures in these words, “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy will O My God; Thy law is written in My heart.”

This full consecration to death involved every human power, and there—as sealing the engagement—the Father gave Him the Holy Spirit as a firstfruit of the new spiritual nature, which He would receive completely in His resurrection. That was the Holy Spirit of begetting which, in due time, our Lord being faithful, would result in the birth of the spirit in the resurrection. We are assured in the Scriptures that He was faithful and became the “firstfruits of them that slept,” the firstborn from the dead.

QUESTIONS:

Are repentance and baptism on the part of a sinner all that is necessary in order to obtain remission of sin?

Are Christians expected to emulate John the Baptist’s rough mannerisms in their ministry of the Kingdom Gospel?

Why did Jesus wait until He was thirty years of age before offering Himself to John to be immersed?

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