Here I Am, Send Me Part 4: Isaiah’s Desire

Here I Am, Send Me Part 4: Isaiah’s Desire

by | Aug 29, 2024 | Bible Studies, Called, Discover Your Ministry, Here I Am, Send Me, The Pattern

More than seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, there was a man named Isaiah, his name meaning ‘Salvation of Jehovah’. He wrote of the coming King, the Christ – our Lord Jesus, and he wrote as if he knew Him personally.

Historians are of the opinion that Isaiah might have been a part of the royal family – that he was related to the four kings he served during his lifetime (Uzziah, Jothan, Ahaz and Hezekiah). This would explain the easy access he had to them.

Another, more specific, tradition has it that his father was closely related to a king. His father was Amoz and could’ve been the brother of King Amaziah (the father of Uzziah).

Isaiah was definitely a well educated man, as his eloquent use of language indicates, and he probably came from a wealthy family.

His ministry began in the year that King Uzziah died, 740 B.C. and twenty years before the nation of Assyria destroyed the northern Jewish nation in Israel and a hundred and fifty years (estimate) before Babylon invaded his homeland of Judah.

I would like to take you to the sixth chapter of the book of Isaiah.

We read here:

1It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

The Lord appears unto Isaiah on a high and exalted throne – the King of Kings appears unto His servant, and His train fills the Temple. His presence fills the place as the Seraphim cry – Holy, holy, holy! As they rejoice and praise the Lord.

4Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

The presence of the Lord is so intense that the very room they are standing in is shaken – the entire building filled with smoke. What an awesome experience that must have been – imagine the awe and wonder that must have struck the prophet!

5Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

Isaiah, however, is dismayed rather than overjoyed – he cries out, sorrowfully – I am doomed! He becomes aware, in the Holiness that is the Presence of the Most High, that he is a sinner, a sinful man. The fact that he is seeing the King, the Lord of Hosts is a sure sign to him that death will surely follow.

In a sense he is right. This encounter with God would render him, in a sense, dead to the world. Aware of his shame and despair, God and His heavenly host reacts.

6Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

God makes it clear to him that his sins have been absolved, through His servant He works salvation and Isaiah can stand there redeemed.

It is after this, and after this only, that God asks the question that would forever change Isaiah’s life.

8Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

And Isaiah answers: “Here I am. Send me.”

In reading this we become aware of one fact and that is Isaiah’s thankfulness and gratitude – he has been saved from his own wickedness – he has been announced free of the burden of sin, and now has one desire. He wants to serve the Lord.

He cries out – Lord, here I am! Hear me, see me, I want to serve You! Send me!

He doesn’t do it because of a sense of duty or obligation, but because it is his heart’s desire to serve God.

It is here that the Lord appoints Isaiah as a prophet.

Often we do things because we feel obligated – in a sense, forced – to do it. It’s as if God has saved us and now we HAVE TO do something. This mentality is the wrong mentality.

Quite a few years ago I went to Godly Revolution, which was a huge , annual Christian music event at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. One of the performers was former Tree63 frontman John Ellis. He ended their session with a petition for us to express our thanksgiving to God, to spend a few moments just being grateful for what He has done. He then broke into song singing ‘Look what You’ve done.’

One line sticks with me and replays itself in my head again and again. He sang – ‘The question is not, Jesus, what You can do for me, but what can I do for You, my Lord!”

What struck me the most is the emotion and sincerity with which he sang these words. He was definitely not fraudulent in his thanksgiving.

It all concluded with the entire crowd of thousands of young people singing, shouting and crying out the lyrics of ‘Amazing Grace’.

Isaiah cries out – Lord, look what You’ve done for me! Here I am, send me! It is my desire to serve You!

Nothing we can do can measure up against what Jesus had done for us. We can’t impress God, but we can serve Him and make an impression, for His sake, on the lives of others.

Let the fire burn in your heart – this is the road to revival.

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Isaiah’s death, but the author of Hebrews, writing about Old Testament heroes, writes concerning the prophets:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Hebrews 11:37)

In an ancient manuscript entitled The Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah written in the first Christian century, or even earlier, by a Jew who lived in what is now Israel we read about the prophet’s cruel execution.

In the second chapter of The Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah we read:

7And when Isaiah the son of Amoz saw the lawlessness which was being perpetratcd in Jerusalem and the worship of Satan and his wantonness, 8he withdrew from Jerusalem and settled in Bethlehem of Judah. And there also there was much lawlessness, 9 and withdrawing from Bethlehem he settled on a mountain in a desert place. [And Micaiah the prophet, and the aged Ananias, and Joel and Habakkuk, and his son Josab, and many of the faithful who believed in the ascension into heaven, withdrew and settled on the mountain.]10 They were all clothed with garments of hair, and they were all prophets. And they had nothing with them but were naked, and they all lamented with a great lamentation because of the going astray of Israel.11 And these eat nothing save wild herbs which they gathered on the mountains, and having cooked them, they lived thereon together with Isaiah the prophet.

This is striking similar to the events recorded in Hebrews.

The book continues, in the third chapter:

7And Belchlra accused Isaiah and the prophets who were with him, saying: ‘Isaiah and those who are with him prophesy against Jerusalem and against the cities of Judah that they shall be laid waste and (against the children of Judah and) Benjamin also that they shall go into captivity, and also against thee, O lord the king, that thou shalt go (bound) with hooks 8 and iron chains’: But they prophesy falsely against Israel and Judah. And Isaiah himself hath 9 said: ‘I see more than Moses the prophet.’ But Moses said: ‘No man can see God and live’: 10 and Isaiah hath said: ‘I have seen God and behold I live.’ Know, therefore, O king, that he is lying. And Jerusalem also he hath called Sodom, and the princes of Judah and Jerusalem he hath declared to be the people of Gomorrah. And he brought many accusations against Isaiah…

Imagine the sorrow in Isaiah’s heart as he declared what God had impressed upon him, concerning the fate of his people – imagine the sorrow with which he shared this news!

Here these false prophets come and speak out against Isaiah making him out to be a charlatan rebel – an errant fraud!

These accusations would lead to his execution as an enemy of the people.

During his execution – by wood-saw – his accuser talked to him but received no answer, for the text explains that the prophet was absorbed in a vision of the Lord.

This book ends with these words:

And when Isaiah was being sawn in sunder, he neither cried aloud nor wept, but his lips spake with the Holy Spirit until he was sawn in twain. (The Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah 5:14)

Although the source is unverified and not a part of our Biblical Canon , it’s an interesting thought, possibly carried from generation to generation through oral tradition, until it was eventually written down.

The facts are there – both historically and biblically – it is important that we compare these two sources and thus find a fuller, more compelling vision of the life and death of the prophet who saw God and lived.

What gets to me is the thought that Isaiah’s love for the Lord, his desire to give everything to and for the God of his Salvation, did not subside even in the face of persecution, suffering and certain death.

This is key to our own ministry as desire often dictates what we do.

The concept I want to leave with you here is a simple one – turn your eyes upon Jesus! Don’t ever lose sight of Him! Make him your desire – let the desire to please Him and to make Him known be the driving force behind every thing you do.

If we keep our eyes firmly set upon the God of our Salvation we will never be tempted to stray from His way and will endure unto the end!

Reflect:

1. What is your desire today? What is the one thing you desire most? How does this desire shape the way you live? How does this desire affect your ministry?

2. Isaiah saw the Lord, and this one encounter had a profound affect on how he lived the rest of his life. We cannot get a glimpse of glory and not want more – what encounter have you had with the Lord that has started shaping your desire for more of Him in your life?

3. A compelling vision of Christ is what drives us –what can you do to have a more compelling and vivid vision of Jesus and His Kingdom? How will such a vision drive you towards living out the call God has placed on your life?

Prayer: Lord, be my desire. Let a passionate fire for Your Kingdom burn within my heart as I take up the call – let me be a minister of fire. Let a zeal for Your house consume me. I pray that You will remove distraction from my life and that You will give me the wisdom to keep my eyes set on You. Let everything I do be a testimony of Your goodness and grace in my life. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Walking With Jesus Part 4: Political Language (Mark 1:14-15)

Walking With Jesus Part 4: Political Language (Mark 1:14-15)

by | Aug 26, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news (Gospel)  of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:14-15, NIV

After coming out of the wilderness, Jesus starts preaching a very simple message.
Repent. The Kingdom has come near.

The Bible says that Jesus was preaching good news. The word used in the Greek here is ‘euaggelion’. In the pagan Greco-Roman world this word had very specific connotations.

There exists, for example, an ancient inscription from somewhere between 9 and 6 BC called the Priene Calendar Inscription. This inscription marks Caeser Augustus’ birthday as the beginning of the ‘gospel’ of his kingdom.

‘Euaggelion’ was often used to indicate an announcement of celebration – most commonly in political and military settings – to celebrate a conquest, or the coming of a kingdom – specifically the announcement of the arrival of a kingdom (especially a divine authority) that brings with it SALVATION from DESTRUCTION for all who would pledge allegiance to it.

Jesus came proclaiming exactly such a gospel. The Gospel of His Kingdom.     

The word for Kingdom used in Mark 1:15 is basileia which according to Strong’s refers to: kingship, sovereignty, authority, rule, especially of God, both in the world, and in the hearts of men; hence: kingdom, in the concrete sense.

Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom come.

When we say the Kingdom is at hand it is not a Kingdom on the way, but rather the Kingdom close enough to touch.          

Jesus comes and starts preaching – a revolutionary message – declaring that the Kingdom has come and urging us to repent and believe in this good news – to take this declaration seriously. Jesus comes to confuse the norms; He comes to interrupt the status quo. His followers, those listening to His message, were quite familiar with the term ‘kingdom’. They had heard of the kingdom of Herod, they were familiar with the kingdom of Rome, but now they are introduced to a new kingdom – the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. He comes to bring us a revolution – to overthrow the ruler of this world, and to establish His throne and dominion in the earth.

We understand that there were many sects within Judaism waiting for a militant Messiah – a warrior-king, much like David, who would bring military conquest and the overthrow of their oppressors. This is what many expected from God’s gospel.

But they had the wrong ‘oppressors’ in mind – they had their eyes set on temporary tyrants and human empires.

Jesus very much came preaching a revolution. A revolution of the heart and mind. This is where He longs to establish His rule – to overthrow and dethrone the tyrants of sin and death.

His Gospel is first and foremost accompanied by the word ‘repent’. In the Greek, the word used here is metanoeō (G3340 in the Strong’s concordance), and can be defined as follows:
to think differently or afterwards, that is reconsider. (Strong’s)

The proper definition of metanoeō therefore is to have a change of mind – it does not just imply a sense of regret, but rather a call to action, calling us – not to just stop sinning – but to start thinking differently. Calling us to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. Paul admonishes us over and over to be imitators of Christ. We must adopt the mind of Christ.

This is true repentance – becoming one with Christ. Being united with Christ and the change of mindset that comes with it.

This is what Christ was encouraging all who heard His preaching:

1. The Kingdom of God, the rule and reign of the Lord has come through the birth of Jesus Christ.
2. Repent – change the way you think to align with this Kingdom and its principles.
3. Believe the Gospel – entrust your life – pledge allegiance to receive salvation from judgement.

Jesus says ‘the time has come.’ The word for ‘time’ here is ‘Kairos’ referring to a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a strategic and crucial action. A decisive, opportune moment.

The time is now. The time for you to encounter the Kingdom of God is now. Don’t wait. Take action today.

Reflect:

1. ‘Metanoeō’ means to change your thinking – not just your actions. How does this affect your definition of repentance? How will changing your thinking affect your tendency to sin? Would it have any other effect on the way you live, besides in regards to sin and temptation? What would it look like to have the mind of Christ?

2. Christ preached the Kingdom Come. He promised us – in this – a spiritual, military-like conquest and salvation from destruction. He asked us to believe – in this context, to entrust our lives and pledge allegiance to this Kingdom – what does it mean to believe? What does it mean to entrust our lives and pledge allegiance? Is it as simple as just having a bit of faith and confessing it? Or do you think Jesus encourages something more?

Prayer: Lord, I am not content with merely being a citizen in Your Kingdom. Help me Lord to live a life worthy of the One You gave by being an ambassador of Your Kingdom. Lead me Lord, to not only be a hearer but a doer. Let my faith be reflected in action. Let my thinking be changed, I ask for the Mind of Christ. Transform my thinking, and through that, transform my life and the lives of those around me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Tabernacle Typology Part 6: Coverings

Tabernacle Typology Part 6: Coverings

by | Aug 21, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Tabernacle Typology, Typology

Tabernacle Typology 6: Coverings

Ex. 25:1-9: (KJV)

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

Much like these temples made of flesh and bone that we inhabit, the Tabernacle was likewise covered with skins and hair.

God instructs Moses to use Goat’s Hair, Ram’s Skin and Badger Skin in the construction of the Tabernacle.

From outside the Tabernacle, then, would’ve looked like any other tent – just like Jesus, taking on flesh, would look like any other man. The rather mundane coverings hid from view the Holy and the Divine within.

In Isaiah 53 we read: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” (Isaiah 53:2-3, NIV)

The coverings also speak of Jesus in other ways:

Goat’s Hair: This hair was woven by women into yarn (Ex. 35:26), making a hard-wearing material most suitable as a tent-covering.

In Matthew 25:32, a description of the Last Judgement, we find goats and sheep being separated from one another, the sheep signifying the righteous, whilst the goat’s were emblematic of the unrighteous. On the cross, Jesus was our scapegoat (Leviticus 16), taking all our transgressions upon Himself, taking all the blame for us. God revealed Himself in the likeness of sin, He revealed Himself in the likeness of unrighteousness to condemn it, and set us free (Rom 8:3). Thus it typifies Christ coming in the likeness of sinful flesh to defeat death and break the bonds of sin.

Ram’s Skins: Dyed red after they had been prepared.

Christ is called the Lamb of God, signifying His pure and spotless life, as well as His gentleness and meekness, the love that defined every deed, every act and every word to come from Him. The ram however signifies the strength of His public testimony, His steadfastness and resolve.

It also signifies the covenant made with Abraham – the fact that Jesus would take our place on the Cross. The Ram’s skins were dyed red, typifying how Jesus sealed the testimony in His blood, how the new covenant in His blood was made.

Sealskins: Or ‘badgers’ skins’. The Hebrew word Tachash – translated here as Badger Skins and Seal Skins in other versions of the text – has been the subject of much debate over the years. Jewish legend explains it as a unique animal, which existed only in the time of Moses.

Dr. Terry Harman shares the following thought: “If the tachash was a mysterious animal that only lived during the construction of the Tabernacle, then the Lord provided it and the people of God used it to glorify the Lord and the dwelling place of the Shekinah because it was a “one of a kind,” fit for the King of Kings and it will always remain a mystery.”

The Badger’s Skins are emblematic of strength and endurance. It was the external covering of the Tabernacle, probably hinting at the outer, or physical appearance of Jesus. Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3), and thus it’s probably not too farfetched to assume that He might’ve had a rather rugged appearance. The fact remains that many who looked at Jesus only saw the uncomely badger’s skin of the Christ – and could not recognize that which was under the skin.

The badger’s skins typify Christ as a pilgrim, a sojourner in this world. An outcast, if you will, meant not for this life, but for the glory that was, and is, and always will be His!

Reflect:

1. In meditating on the above, on the coverings of skin and hair – how does it speak about the life of the Believer in Christ?

2. Many did not recognize the beauty of the Messiah. Thinking back on your own life, what is it that attracted you to Christ? How has your thinking and vision of Him changed as you have ventured deeper into the Sanctuary of relationship with Him?

Prayer: Lord, I pray that my relationship with You will always be more than just skin deep. I pray that You will take me deeper – deeper into the Sanctuary of Your Presence. Expand my vision of You and Your Kingdom – and guide my steps as a pilgrim and sojourner in this world – that I might be a testimony of Your strength and steadfast love. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Tabernacle Typology Part 5: Fine Linen

Tabernacle Typology Part 5: Fine Linen

by | Aug 15, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Tabernacle Typology, Typology

Ex. 25:1-9: (KJV)

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

Linen, according to modern research, has been used for thousands of years and appears to be one of the oldest textiles known to man. Derived from the ancient Greek word ‘linón’ it referred to fabric woven from the fibres of the Flax plant

The Ancient Egyptians reserved linen for use by the social elite. They made everything from clothing, furnishings, decorations and sails for ships – they even used it as currency in some instances. Most famously it was used to dress their mummies for burial.

It had such a high place in the Egyptian mind that it was often referred to as ‘woven moonlight’.

It would later, in other parts of the world, become a symbol of status and refinement – often being included in the dowry of Mediaeval brides.

‘Linen’ appears more than a hundred times in the English Scriptures and was a sought-after commodity in Bible times. 

We read about the Angels appearing in robes of fine linen – Revelation 15 and 19, Ezekiel Chapters 9 and 10; Daniel Chapters 10 and 12 – representing their service, righteousness and purity.

Jeremiah (in Jeremiah 13) is instructed to purchase a linen belt, and after wearing it for a while to bury it. Many days later the Lord instructs him to dig it up. By this time it is dirty and useless. Here the belt represents the bond between Judah and God – and how that bond had been tarnished by their disobedience and wickedness. The belt of linen represented God’s bond with His people – a bond of Holiness. The linen belt represented the consecrated garb of the priests, and therefore also the priesthood of His people – the girdle of Jehovah – chosen as His Holy People.

In the book of Revelation the Bride – the saints – are clothed in fine linen as well (Revelation 15 and 19). Here it represents a separation from the world and its wickedness – the clothes kept clean and pure. 

Rabbinical tradition holds that whenever a priest’s garment had a stain that could not be removed, or if their garments had reached a point of disrepair, it would be cut into strips and recycled as candle wicks – “for there can be no display of poverty in a place of wealth.” (Klei Hamikdash, chapter 8).

Linen in the Tabernacle was used in the construction of the fence, and the ceremonial garments of the priesthood.

The pure, undecorated white fence around the Tent of Gathering made a separation between what happened within fro the world outside.

To step into the courtyard was to leave the world outside.

The fence was meant to protect and conceal what was happening inside.

Earlier we mentioned the fact that linen was used to wrap the Egyptian mummies – but it was also used in other burial ceremonies in other cultures. Jesus was also buried in fine linen.

There is a definite connection between death and linen – or rather in this case mortality and linen. As a portrait of Jesus the linen represents the humble and mortal flesh that God put on to die upon the cross for us – unblemished and pure, sinless and without blame.

It is through this mortality of Jesus, offered as a sacrifice, that we get to enter in to the courtyard of His presence – stepping out of the world as we know it and into His resurrection – ever closer to the Heart of the Father. All of the promises of the Tabernacle – the forgiveness and remission of sin – was contained within these walls of linen, just like the promise of redemption and reconciliation was hidden in the pure and unblemished linen of His Body broken for us.

For the Christian believer the linen fence represents the boundary between this world of sin and shame and the New Life in Christ.

Stepping out of the world and into His Holiness – separating ourselves from the world and drawing closer to Him. 

Reflect:

  1. In meditating on the above and the construction of the Tabernacle, in what other ways can the use of linen in the Tabernacle represent not only Christ and His Coming (as the Spotless Lamb of God – the Holy and Anointed One), but also the New Life of the believer?
  2. What is your understanding of Holiness? Is it imparted by the Holy Spirit? Is it something you work for or towards? Or is it both a gift of God, the work of the Holy Spirit – as well as a process that we are actively involved in? How would you explain this using the Tabernacle as a sort of metaphor?

Prayer: Lord, let my robes be unblemished and spotless before You. Help me, Jesus, through Your Holy Spirit to keep my garments clean. If there is any wickedness within me, remove it! I thank You Lord for Your mercy and grace! Even though my sins were as scarlet You have washed me white as snow. Show me Lord, if there is anything I have yet to surrender to Your careful, loving Hand – and give me the courage and the wisdom to act. Help me, Lord, to live a life worthy of the One You gave upon the Cross. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

Walking With Jesus: The Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:3-11)

Walking With Jesus: The Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:3-11)

by | Aug 12, 2024 | Bible Studies, Christological Reflections, God in the Details, Walking With Jesus

“A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.”

Isaiah 40:3, NIV

Mark begins his Gospel account by introducing us to a pretty radical, strange man, called John. 

John the Baptist.

In Mark 1:3: says that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark describes John as wearing clothing made of camel’s hair with a belt of leather. This in itself seems wild enough – but when taken in context, we see a definite parallel with the appearance of Elijah (2 Kings 1:7-8:)

In addition to this both preached a message of repentance and turning back to God for forgiveness of their sins.

There are other interesting similarities. For example the fact that both had their lives sought by wicked queens (1 Kings 19, Matthew 14), ate food provided by God in the wilderness (Mark 1:6, 1 Kings 17), confronted idolatry (1 Kings 18, Luke 3),  and both lived in the wilderness and ministered near the Jordan River.

The most important similarity between them, however, is that each in his own right was the only acting prophet of the Lord when the began their ministries.

In 1 Kings 18:22 we read: Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.”

And in Luke 1:76-79: “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him…”

John the Baptist starts his ministry after more or less 400 years of prophetic silence, following the death of Malachi. This silent period is known as the ‘Intertestamental Period’.

Suddenly, after 400 years, God anoints his servant to speak again! God anoints this wild-man prophet to prepare the way for the coming of Christ and His Kingdom.

The water baptism of John was a new thing – a unique thing. David Guzik shares the following thought: “Baptism was already practiced in the Jewish community in the form of ceremonial immersions but typically it was only among Gentiles who wished to become Jews. For a Jew in John’s day to submit to baptism was essentially to say, “I confess that I am as far away from God as a Gentile and I need to get right with Him.” This was a real work of the Holy Spirit.”

The baptism of John in the wilderness was a prophetic reflection of the new movement God was birthing in the world – a preparing of the ground – the preparation of their hearts to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The first purpose of his baptism therefore was to prepare the way for Christ.

The second purpose of the baptism was to reveal Christ. (Mark 1:9-11).

At the Baptism of Jesus we read that the Heavens were torn open. The same verb is used to describe what happens to the Temple Veil when Jesus gives His last breath upon the cross.

The author Don Juel shares his impression: “What does the tearing mean? It may mean, as interpreted in the Letter to the Hebrews (esp. chapters 9-10), that we now have access to God: We can “have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19).  Viewed from another perspective, the image may suggest that the protecting barriers are gone and that God, unwilling to be confined to sacred spaces, is on the loose in our own realm.  If characters in the story find Jesus’ ministry threatening, then they may have good reason.  The imagery has enormous power to shape imagination and to open readers to the story.  That is, Mark’s narrative is about the intrusion of God into a world that has become alien territory — An intrusion that means both life and death.” (Donald Juel, A Master of Surprise,)

It is here, in verses 9-11, that we see that God has stepped into our realm of flesh and blood. That God Himself has come to work on our behalf – to prepare a way for us towards salvation – God Himself has come to prepare the way of reconciliation – and to show us this way.

God Himself is taking action.

And He wants to take action in your life today.

Reflect:

  1. John came preaching a message of repentance. The Gospel as a whole is focused on repentance – on turning away from the world, and towards Him. Is there any area of your life that requires a turning towards God today?

  2. What do the words “God on the loose” awaken in you? What would it look like to have “God on the loose” in your life? What would it look like to have “God on the loose” through you? How will this affect and reflect in your life today?

Prayer: Lord, I want to invite you today, through Your Holy Spirit, to move in me and through me. If there is anything in my life that is out of order, anything that should be removed – any area of my life that needs to turn towards You, show me and give me the wisdom to act – let no stone be left unturned. And as I turn, wholly and fully towards You, let my life be a reflection of the life You gave – direct me in all my ways and ordain every step I take, so that the world might see You ‘on the loose’ in my life. In Jesus name. Amen.