By Bryan D. Gill, D.Min.
Director of the Office of Faith, Learning and Vocation, Samford University
JOHN THE BAPTIST: A FAITH THAT CHALLENGES OTHERS
Matthew 3:1–12
At Samford University, I help faculty members see ways they can integrate faith into their roles as teacher and scholar. Each year, we take a group of faculty members through a process of defining their specific calling in Christian higher education. Seeing these faculty members deepen their understanding of how God wants to use them as educators is so rewarding.
People who know why God has put them on this earth and who are equipped to live out their calling are some of the most devoted and focused people I know. Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
In our lesson for today, we are looking at John the Baptist. John knew his purpose and lived out his faith with that purpose at the forefront of his actions.
We can call others to the same faith in Christ we have. (1–6)
John had a specific calling that was foreshadowed in the book of Isaiah many years before he was born. John was the one Isaiah 40:3 was referring to as “a voice of one crying out, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.’”
John’s main purpose in life was to go before Jesus and point people to Him by proclaiming He was the Christ. “Repent, because the Kingdom of heaven has come near” was his message, and Matthew 3 tells us that people came from all around to hear his message and be baptized.
You and I are not all that different from John (except for maybe his wardrobe and diet). While John’s purpose of calling people to Christ was unique and specific to the coming Christ, our calling is to point people to the Christ who came and who will come again.
In 2 Corinthians 5:18–20, Paul challenges us with the same calling — to be ambassadors who point people to Christ so that they can be reconciled to God.
Calling others to faith often calls for addressing hard truths. (7–10)
These verses point out that Jewish religious leaders began showing up where John was baptizing. It’s safe to say this wasn’t John’s first encounter with them. He knew their attitudes toward his message of repentance as well as their views on the coming Messiah.
Our takeaway is not to start calling all religious leaders a “brood of vipers.” John was pointing out their pride and self-reliance for salvation. The Jewish leaders didn’t see the need for a savior since they were sons of Abraham.
Interestingly enough, Jesus also had the same problems with these leaders throughout His ministry. When we call others to faith in Christ, we must start by explaining our need for a savior.
The message of faith is never about us but solely about Jesus. (11–12)
John’s role was not to be the Christ but to point people to the Christ. He had many followers but never took any glory for his own. He was laser-focused on preparing the way for the Lord by calling people to repentance.
With every action, John pointed people to Jesus. He even made it clear that his purpose for baptizing was for repentance but that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.
John is one of the best examples of living a life of purpose and humility that points people to Jesus. When we live true lives of faith, we will not bring glory upon ourselves but will glorify our Savior, Jesus.
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