JOHN THE BAPTIST

The idea for this blog came to me at 5:00 AM, January 23, 2024.  I started it with “I am no artist” and I was going to include a picture I had drawn during a Bible study.  A simple picture to show Jesus being baptized with the sins of all the people floating around him.  I had two sentences written when I realized John was to be the focus.  You see, study after study focuses on Jesus.  The Spirit of God is given a whole chapter.  But what about John?  I started over. 

Picture John telling all the people that “the one was coming.”  This was his message.  One after another, after another, after another, he would dip them in the water and proclaim, “Be prepared.  Confess your sins.  Be baptized, but know, I only baptize with water.  The one who is coming is powerful.  He will Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire.”

I often wondered if John dropped the person he was baptizing when he saw Jesus.  Anyway, he looked up and saw his cousin standing there.  Can you see the smile on Jesus face?  Jesus knew John would stutter and stammer about not being worthy to baptize him.  John would look in Jesus’ eyes and know.  He would know this was why he had been born.  Born for this very moment.

I can see John humbly take Jesus’ hand.  I can see Jesus step into the river.  I can see John look at Jesus and, in that split second, he would understand.  And he would feel the power.  He would feel it as he put his hand on Jesus’ back.  He would feel it as he lowered Jesus into the water.  He would feel it as he spoke silently.  He would feel it as he raised Jesus out of the water.  John would never be the same.  John was changed.

John was changed.  He had heard about the angel coming to his father.  He had heard how his father could not talk.  He had heard about being given the name John.  He had followed all the instructions which the angel had given his father.  He only ate locusts and wild honey.  He had never tasted wine.  And people laughed at the way he dressed.  He had baptized so many people and heard their sins spoken as they were tipped back into the water.  But this… this was different.

John had not expected to have his eyes opened.  He had not known he would be so changed.  Changed because now he understood.  He understood the why to all the times he had been told he could not act how the other children had acted.  He understood why he was to only eat certain foods.  He understood ..  and he was changed.  As John stood in the middle of the Jordan River, no longer holding the Son of God, he was changed.

And John took a deep breath, reached his hand out to a sinner, and said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is here, the one who is more powerful than I, will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire.”

And John was changed.  Why?  Because the one who was coming had arrived.

Are you thinking this should be an Easter blog?  It probably would work better there, but for some reason and for some person, this blog is to be posted today.  Someone is struggling.  Someone wants to change.  If that someone is you, talk with Jesus.  And, like John, you will be changed.