Christian Motives for Abstinence

Luke 1:13-16; 2:40; 4:4; 6:21, 25, 43-45

GOLDEN TEXT: “For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”—Romans 14:17

THE first section of our lesson describes the announcement by the angels to Zacharias that he was to have a son whom he was to call John, that he would be great in the sight of the Lord, and that he would go before the Lord to prepare the way for Him. In considering this familiar narrative we are reminded of the Lord’s care in preparing His chosen instruments for the various parts of His great work. Abraham’s life was a long discipline of faith and patience; for he was to be the father of the faithful, a type of the Fatherhood of God, and a worthy example to all his children, both those under the law and those under the new covenant of grace.—Rom. 4:11-17

Moses too, was specially prepared to be a leader, lawgiver and judge to Israel. John the Baptist was another illustration. The preparations in this as in most of these cases, began before he was born, in the hearts of his parents—“They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”—Verse 6

Consider also subsequent reformers known through the pages of history, and mark the providential leadings in their preparation for their work long before they could have any knowledge of the work that was before them. Consider also how the Lord has been preparing the church for its Millennial work; and how He prepared the Ancient Worthies for their Millennial work in the earthly phase of the coming Kingdom; and so on through all the lists of His “chosen vessels.”

The chosen one is always a prepared vessel for the service intended; and that the preparation is of God, and not of himself, is manifest from the fact that in every case it began long before the chosen one knew of the end to be accomplished or the significance of the providential circumstances or the measures of discipline. The principal preparation which God requires for every part of His honorable service is holiness of heart—devotedness to God and to His righteousness and truth, and abhorrence of all that is unholy, unclean—“Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.”

There are, however, some parts of the Lord’s service which reflect no honor upon those engaged in them, though they do reflect honor upon the wisdom and power of God who is able to make even the wrath of His enemies to praise Him, by His power to outgeneral and overrule their evil for good to His cause. For instance, Satan, and every other evil worker, whose evil devices are, by divine power, overruled of God for good, unwittingly serve some of the purposes of God—sometimes for the discipline of the children of God and sometimes for the revolutionizing of affairs in the world.

The influences upon John the Baptist were such that, from his birth, his heart was inclined toward God and holiness (Verse 15); and the training and discipline of his life were such that at maturity he was ready for the work of introducing to Israel the long-promised Messiah. Of him it was foretold, “He shall be great in the sight of the Lord.” Yes, he was a great man, a great preacher and a great prophet. Jesus said that there was no greater among all the prophets.—Matt. 11:11

But he was not great in the eyes of men. He was never a guest at the palace of Herod, but he was a prisoner in his prisons. He was not an esteemed orator in Jewish synagogues, but he was “a voice crying in the wilderness.” And though, for a time, the multitudes were attracted by his preaching, he was soon abandoned by the people, imprisoned by the king, and finally beheaded in prison.

All the natural aspirations and human ambitions were made subservient to John’s one mission of introducing his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth, a man of humble birth and circumstances, as the Messiah, to whom he knew the gathering of the people would be after he had accomplished his mission of introducing Him. But John was pleased to have it so, and declared that in performing this service for His cousin according to the flesh, and thus accomplishing his part in the divine purpose, his joy was fulfilled—John 3:29

Then, by the eye of faith, discerning in the humble Nazarene the Son of God, he said to the people, “One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose.” “Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!” “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Luke 3:16; John 1:29; 3:30) It was this meekness, this complete self-abnegation and singleness of purpose to accomplish the righteous will of God, that constituted the moral greatness of John.

What a profitable lesson is in this for all who would seek true greatness—to be “great in the sight of the Lord.” It calls to mind that wise admonition of the apostle, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.” (I Pet. 5:6) The way of the cross, the way of humiliation and self-abasement, is the way to the crown, to that true honor that cometh from God only.

QUESTIONS:

Does the Lord specially prepare His servants to whom He entrusts responsible duties and privileges?

What is the principal preparation that God requires on the part of all those who are entrusted with His service?

What particular feature of John’s ministry was it that afforded him the greatest joy?

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