JohnBlog - Word&LightSample

JohnBlog - Word&Light Day 11

Jesus was 30 years in preparation for stepping onto the public stage, exposing his true identity. So with the Light of the World already infiltrated; in place as an adult member of the human race and ready to do whatever his heavenly father has for him to do, why does God choose to send a warm-up act?

Partly to grab peoples’ attention, no doubt. Warm-up acts have been common for public events of all types throughout history. Kings have their heralds to theatrics their importance and create a sense of awe and wonder. Bill-topping bands do the same via minor acts. A warm-up act stirs appetite and expectation, focuses the mind, creates space, removes distractive thoughts, unclutters…’prepares the way’.

More than this though, John the Baptist was a spiritual warm-up act. He was sent to stir spiritual hunger. ‘Preparing the way of the Lord’, meant calling people to repentance. His message was simple and he seems to have been a man of few words. As far as history records, John seems to have made only 5 main points as he preached to the spiritually hungry crowds flocking to him in the desert:

• Repent (‘turn around’, ‘live differently’, ‘come back to God’)
• The kingdom of heaven is upon us (‘is near’, ‘is about to come’)
• He who comes after me is greater than me (‘surpasses me’)
• He who comes after me was before me
• I baptize with water but he who comes after me will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

In this way, John warmed up the people of first century Palestine to meet the Anointed one, who had been living on earth in secret, making his own preparations. The Word had returned to the earth where he had once walked with the first spirit-breathed humans. John had been given the job of warming up the crowds to receive their returned creator.

John:
I do not know what is about to happen Lord. But I have done my job. The people are yours.
Jesus:
Neither exactly do I cousin, but now I will do my job and we shall see where the Father leads.
The Disciple, 2000 years later:
I am desperate to live differently God. Sweep me into your kingdom Jesus. Baptize me in the Spirit of God. Drown me in your river. Wash my spirit so it shines with your goodness.