We are a little over half-way through the Christian season of Advent now, that period in the Christian calendar that prepares us for the holy day of Christmas, the day when we celebrate the coming of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, into the world as our Savior. A lot of emphasis is placed on preparing, not just preparing by decorating the house, shopping for presents, and planning menus, but preparing our hearts for the Lord Jesus. In our Scripture today we read of an important figure in the Gospels, John the Baptist, who called people at the time to prepare for the beginning of the ministry of Jesus and the salvation that He brings to all. Let’s look at this short passage and see its message.
This Scripture passage comes from Luke’s Gospel. Luke was a very meticulous recorder of facts and details, and as he introduces John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, he makes sure that he lets the readers know the historical context of when this all took place (vs. 1-2). First, Luke says that it was in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar as emperor of the Roman Empire. Tiberius reigned from September 17, 14 AD to March 16, 37 AD., so this would place the time sometime between September of 29 AD to September of 30 AD. Luke also clarifies that Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea (26-36 AD).
Luke also mentions three other localized rulers - Herod Antipas who was tetrarch (something like a governor or petty king) over Galilee; his brother Philip who was tetrarch over an area north of Galilee which included parts of present-day Lebanon and Syria; and Lysanias as the tetrarch over the area around Mt. Hermon, north of Galilee. Caiaphas was the high priest. While his father-in-law Annas had been deposed by Rome, he was still extremely influential, almost like a co-high priest. Luke did his homework to let everyone know when this happened, and that it wasn’t just a fairy tale or legend.
After Luke set the political and religious time-line, he turned his attention to the man who was called to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, that being John the Baptist (vs. 2-3). John centered his ministry in and around the area of the Jordan River, east of Jerusalem, not that far from the city, as many Pharisees came from there to keep their eyes on him. John the Baptist preached a message of repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins. He knew that the Messiah’s appearance was imminent, and that people needed to prepare their hearts for Him.
Repentance is an important prerequisite for forgiveness. It is more than just saying “I’m sorry.” It involves a complete 180 degree change in thought, attitude, and action. To be truly repentant one must turn their back on sin and turn towards God’s ways and His forgiveness. When someone was baptized by John, it symbolized a public declaration of repentance and a commitment to a transformed life.
Luke continues by declaring that John the Baptist was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies of a forerunner to the Messiah, one who would come and prepare the way for Him (vs. 4-6). Luke quotes from Isaiah 40:3-4 and from Isaiah 52:10. John the Baptist was a voice calling out in the wilderness, as that is where his ministry took place, and he called for people to prepare their lives for God, repenting of sin, as symbolized in these passages as valleys, mountains, crooked, and rough paths.
John the Baptist called for all people to repent - rich, poor, all ages, whether supposedly “good” or notorious sinners, both Jewish and Gentiles alike. Salvation is available to all who repent and believe in the Gospel.
Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ first coming, believers today are called to prepare their hearts and lives for Christ’s return. Repentance is central to the Christian faith. We need to examine our lives, repent of all known sin, and seek God’s forgiveness. Then, as a response of God’s forgiveness, we are called to proclaim the Good News of salvation and encourage others to turn to God.
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