Listening to John's Message

It can seem as though preaching on John the Baptist’s preparatory message in Matthew 3 has parallels with a lame duck presidency. The new thing has already happened, so what is the benefit of giving space to the old? Of course, that line of thinking could be applied universally to the Old Testament—and that would be wrong—but it seems more pressing with John the Baptist because of the proximity of his ministry to Jesus’ ministry. Why not just skip John’s message of preparation and go straight to the arrival of Jesus’ ministry? To say it another way, what of value can we derive from John’s preparatory ministry? Well, I want to use this reflection to make three brief comments on how this text fits into the history of salvation and our own Christian walk.

First, we have to appreciate that John’s preparatory ministry was, in fact, a unique event in the history of redemption. It has come, and it has gone; we don’t relive it because Jesus has come in history to usher in the last days that John prophesied. In fact, it would be tragic if we continued to live in the world and only with the message of John the Baptist. We would be forever waiting for the more powerful one and always missing the whole point of his ministry. My point is that we must look beyond John and his preparation to Jesus, who is the reality and fulfillment of things hoped for. But also we must appreciate that John’s ministry was an important and necessary step, even if an unrepeatable one, in the progress of redemption. Reflecting on his unique ministry bolsters our confidence that God’s Word is true as he himself brings the prophets to a conclusion.

Second, we need to appreciate that when the more powerful one comes, Jesus reveals that salvation precedes judgment. We need to appreciate that the unexpectedness of the gospel depends on the consistent witness of John to the prophetic testimony about the last days. John the Baptist could not anticipate the surprising way in which Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets, but we need to recognize it. Rather than the kingdom of heaven coming in one fell swoop, a day of liberation, the eternal Jubilee, is first announced by Jesus in an unexpected twist. Yes, the kingdom has come, but Jesus teaches us that the kingdom is still coming in its fullness. There is a two-part coming of the kingdom that both fulfills and nuances John’s ministry.

Third, that means that though John filled a unique and unrepeatable spot, we nevertheless ought to heed the warning of his message and be aware of its precipitating effect. Yes, indeed, we still must repent, for the kingdom of heaven is still at hand. We must still confess our sins, though we have a better baptism in Jesus who pours out his Holy Spirit and refines us like gold and silver in the fire. We must still heed the warning that false confidence in anything other than the sacrifice of Christ threatens to undo us. We must still look for the kingdom to come and God’s will to be done completely.

What, then, shall we do in response to this portion of God’s Word? Very simply, we must continue to live lives of repentance. We have to believe that our natural inclinations and desires are fundamentally off course, misaligned in comparison to how God made us and wants us to be. This means that we cannot be nonchalant about sin or treat it as a harmless product of life, a la “this is just how I am.” Moreover, we cannot be disinterested in the reign of Christ. In fact, our response to the message, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” is part of the winnowing process that Christ has already begun. Finally, we have to focus on Christ the king as the way of salvation. No idea can save us, nor any promise. No pedigree will protect you from the coming wrath, nor any earthly power. Only Jesus saves, precisely because he is the mightier one who ushers in the last days and brings about freedom from slavery to sin and the fear of death. May we all, then, in these last days, repent and believe to the glory of God’s grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.