[Biblemat] S) THE MESSAGE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
files.  Use to the glory of God.

THE MESSAGE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

     In the text of Matt. 3:1-12, the key word is "cometh."  "In
those days cometh John the Baptist."  John preached --

A COMING KINGDOM: -- "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand." (vs. 2).

     In scope this kingdom would be most unusual.  Daniel pro-
phesied that it would be as a stone cut out without hands that
would become a great mountain and would fill the whole earth
(Dan. 2:34,35).  When Jesus gave His commission to His dis-
ciples, He told them to "Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations..." (Matt. 28:19).  "Go into all the world and 
preach the gospel to every creature" (Mk. 16:15).  As early as
perhaps A.D. 62 Paul wrote that the gospel had been preach-
ed in every nation under heaven (Col. 1:23).  Before being be-
headed in Rome A.D. 165, because  of his defense of Christ-
ianity, Justin Martyr wrote, "There is not a nation either of
Greek or barbarian, or any other name, even of those who 
wander in tribes, and live in tents, amongst whom prayers
and thanksgivings are not offered to the Father and Creator 
of the universe, in the name of the crucified Jesus."

     In its nature this would be a most unusual kingdom.  It
would be a kingdom on earth, andyet it would not be of this
world.  Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world: if My
kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My king-
dom is not from hence" (Jno. 18:36).  His disciples though in
the world would not live as those of the world.  "Come out 
from among them and be separate, says the Lord..." (2 Cor.
6:17).

     In duration it would be most unusual in that it would contin-
ue forever.  "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever..." (Matt. 6:13).  When all other governments
cease to exist, including our nation, the kingdom of Christ,
being delivered up to God the Father, (1 Cor. 15:24) will con-
tinue forever.

     In it law this kingdom would be as no other kingdom in that it would be 
governed by a law so perfect amendment or
alteration would be prohibited (Jas. 1:25; Rev. 22:18,19).  The
founding fathers of our country knew that the Constitution,
though written with profound wisdom, was not perfect.  They
made provision for this great document to be amended as 
need might require.  Because the finite minds of the gifted
writers could not write a perfect document, it has now been
amended 27 times.

     This kingdom, future to the time of John, has now come.
John said that it was "at hand" (vs. 2).  Jesus said that it
would come with power during the lifetime of some who were
then hearing Him preach (Mk. 9:1).  This power came on the
day of Pentecost following the death and resurrection of 
Christ, and allowed the apostles to do mighty works in pro-
claiming the gospel of Christ (Acts 1:8; 2:1-47).  New Testa-
ment Scripture identifies this kingdom as the church (Matt. 
16:18,19).  This being so, we have the privilege of being citiz-
ens in it (Jno. 3:5).  Even the least in the kingdom is greater
than John (Matt. 11:11).

A COMING KING: -- John, as the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, came to prepare the way for the Lord, the coming
King (vs. 3).  In His life He would be a most unusual King.  He
would be different from all other kings in that He would be 
without sin -- "in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 
4:15).  In His power He would be unlike other kings.
He would have all authority not only on earth but also in heav-
en (Matt. 28:18).  He also would be different from other kings
in the love that He has for His subjects.  He would give His
life for all (Heb. 2:9).

THE COMING WRATH: -- John warned of the wrath to come.
"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Saducees com-
ing to his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers!  Who
warned you to flee from the wrath to come?'" (vs. 7).  We are
now living in a period of grace, wherein the Lord is offering us a way of 
escape from sin and its dreadful consequences
through Christ and His atonement made in our behalf.  The
time approaches when the grace must give way to justice.
Warning of that time Jesus said, "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My 
words, has one which judges him -- the
Word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (Jno.
12:48).  In that day, as the Judge of all mankind, He will say
to the greater number, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the
everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 
25:41).

THE COMING INGATHERING: -- John further said to the people, "His winnowing 
fan is in His hand, and He will thorou-
gly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into
the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable
fire" (vs. 12).  Here John represents the good and the bad by
"His wheat" and "the chaff."  In one of His parables Jesus re-
ferred to the righteous as "wheat" and to the evil as "tares."
(Matt. 13:24-30).

     In the end when the ingathering comes those who fail to
do God's Will will be identified as "goats"  and the obedient
as "sheep."  In every day life we would not appreciate being
referred to as goats.  Here it might amount to only a slur, but
in that last day it will amount to the difference between a life
of suffering eternally separated from God and that of eternal
blessing in the glorious heavenly home.  "And these will go 
away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eter-
nal life" (matt. 25:46).

     "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy
angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
All nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from
the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but
the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His
right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit he king-
dom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'"
(Matt. 25:31-34).

     Our aim is that when that last day comes we may be identi-
fied with the "sheep."     ------ Billy Norris in Gospel Guide, 
Vol. 27.  July, 1995.   </HTML>
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