HIM?  LISTEN TO HIM?

(The angel speaks to Zechariah)  “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.  He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.”  Luke 1:13-15

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea, …. John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.  His food was locusts and wild honey.  Parts of Matthew 3:1-4

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them:  “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  … out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. … The ax is already at the root of the trees … His winnowing fork is in his hands, … burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”  Parts of Matthew 3:7-12

HIM?  LISTEN TO HIM?

I am supposed to listen and rejoice over a man that wears camel’s hair?  A man who passes up a good steak for locusts and wild homey?  A man who uses words like vipers and wrath?  Says children can rise out of stones?  Talks about an ax to the roots of trees and burning chaff?  In an unquenchable fire?  He says another will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 

I think I want to run.  I do not want to hear stuff like this.  And from a man that looks like this:

Were there no barber shops?  Or a good men’s clothing store?  If John the Baptist was going to tell everyone about “the one coming” why didn’t he at least look a bit normal?  I am sure his mother would have purchased him a decent tunic and sandals. 

Besides, he is a bit scary!  Calling the Pharisees and Sadducees vipers and telling them to lay off the “we have Abraham” excuse.  I mean, really!  He listened to confessions of sins and then dipped the poor sinner in the Jordan River. 

John the Baptist was a RADICAL!  Maybe a glass of wine would have helped take the edge off and settle him down a bit.  But then….

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me.”  Then John consented.  Parts of Matthew 3:13-15

  

What happened here?  This man who had taken on the “religious leaders” was suddenly humble.  Suddenly did not want to baptize the man that stood before him.  What happened?

What happened?  Jesus! 

I can hear John the Baptist’s thoughts:  Jesus should baptize me.  How can I baptize the Son of God?  I am unworthy.  Prepare the way, yes.  But ….  Jesus came to me to “fulfil all righteousness.”  How do I say no?  Oh, Holy Spirit, you have filled me from birth.  Strengthen me now. 

I can hear John the Baptist saying, “Jesus I baptize thee…”

HIM?  LISTEN TO HIM?

How do we know who to listen to?  If this Sunday, a person walked in the door dressed in camel hair and munching on locust, went to the front of the church, and started speaking, what would your reaction be?

Okay.  I will tame it down a bit.  What would your reaction be if a person went to the front of the church and started speaking, when they were

• dressed in clothes that were not clean?
• had tattoos everywhere?
• female and was dressed in an unconventional way?
• young? (Less than 20)
• dressed in black, carrying a pitch fork and had horns?

The last one is easy.  We would recognize the devil.  But would we listen to the others? 

Or would we miss the message of someone filled with the Holy Spirit because they don’t fit our image of someone “great in the sight of the Lord”?