[This is part of a series on John The Baptist as Prophet. You can read the other posts here!]
We are excited to announce that a new series on John the Baptist will be starting. We are going to look at the life of a prophet through the lens of John! Make sure to subscribe and stay tuned!
One of my favorite characters in the Bible is John the Baptist. Maybe it’s his eclectic lifestyle choices, his struggles with doubt, or his unfailing humility. One thing that’s clear to me is that John the Baptist was an APE. I think he definitely had a Prophet/Evangelist bent, but starting a flourishing baptism of repentance ministry from scratch gives him definite Apostolic points, too.
From birth until death, John’s life made way for the Messiah Jesus. Mark describes John by quoting Isaiah: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way—a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” John paved straight paths in many ways, from rebuking the current religious authorities to calling out everyday believers into a more just life, to literally pointing out Jesus to his followers.
As a prophet, John had an unusually successful ministry, drawing many different kinds of people to himself to hear a pretty harsh word. It must have been one of those experiences that you know is gonna hurt, but in a good way, in the right way. One of those conversations that starts with, “You’re not going to like what I have to say…” but ends with a deep sense of relief.
He did have a few things going for him, preaching words from God into a 400-year silence. Surely words from God were the stuff of myths, mere stories passed on from their great-great-great-great-grandparents. Yet here was a strange young man, living a crazy life in the wilderness, and speaking actual words from God. He also was preaching a message that the Jews had been dying to hear, that the Messiah was about to arrive. To an occupied people after centuries of exile and oppression, they were ready for victory (and payback wouldn’t hurt either).
Yet this message, and more importantly this Messiah, required some unexpected preparation… in people’s hearts and lives. John was ready to help people get ready, and had some specific directives to get people in shape.
What we know of John from the scriptures can teach us a lot about APE living, particularly as a prophet. That’s why we’ll be doing a series looking at the life of John and learning what he has to teach us about the prophets in our midst.
Here are the aspects of John the Baptist that we’ll be looking at:
- The marks of a prophet: From birth ‘til death, the prophetic mark on John’s life.
- The message of a prophet: What John said to his listeners and why.
- The character of a prophet: Who was John, and what can we learn about his character that shaped his prophetic ministry.
- The life of a prophet: John’s life was unusual to say the least. What about his lifestyle fueled his message, and could he have toned it down at all?
- The impact of a prophet: What was John’s legacy? How did his prophetic witness make an impact?
How excited are you for this series? What else would you want us to add to the list?
[This is part of a series on John The Baptist as Prophet. You can read the other posts here!]
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I am looking forward to your series. A couple of years ago I preached sermon on John the Baptist on my understanding that he had to come. A lot like today, the people lived out their religion as cultural habit. They went through the Jewish rituals out of tradition and not out of a heart for worship. John in his “unusual” ways got their attention. I believe that the church will need to rise up with that same spirit before Jesus returns.
Jon,
Thanks for the thoughts! I would love to hear more about the sermon you preached. What were some of your findings about JtB? I love the call back to true worship that John preached, and how many people responded! We’ll explore that call more in future posts.
Hi Sarah,
Here are few of the highlights from my message.
A move of God always starts with his word :
OT Prophets Isaiah and Malachi both prophesied of John’s coming.
John was born to a faithful Priest who would prophesy over him.
God would later speak through him to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
John’s unusual ways were a stark contrast to that of the society around him. This allowed his voice to stand out.
He made the path to God easy. He spoke out against the religious leaders who continually added regulation after regulation on the people. – As leaders we need to keep ministry simple and stick to the basics of the Gospel. John’s ministry was very focused and limited. We have to be bold enough to turn down what appear to be great ministry opportunities when they lie outside our on calling and mission.
John lived a simple life that allowed him to dedicate more of his time and energy (resources) to his calling.
He was bold but still humble. He recognized Jesus as the greater one. (Not worthy to loose his sandal. From my study this is a reference to foot washing)
He was also human and struggled with his own doubts.
He gave willing gave away his leadership when he told his disciples to follow Jesus.
Jon,
Love the points, thanks for posting. I love the call to keep ministry simple and focused. What were some of your other calls to respond to your congregation? What do you think it looks like to infuse some of John’s ministry into our own lives?