Tuesday, December 11, 2018
John 1:23 [John said] "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
GET THE MESSAGE OUT
John the Baptist knew that he had been specifically sent by God to be God's messenger and prepare the people for the coming Christ. He was living in the wilderness of southern Israel near the Jordan River. But John's wilderness was nothing compared to the wilderness of sin and work righteousness that the people of Israel were living in. The chief priests and Pharisees were leading the people astray by teaching them to look to their own fulfilling of the law, their own good deeds and works, to assure themselves of salvation.
The job of being God's messenger certainly hasn't gotten any easier today. Even in our big, shiny, civilized cities, we're living in the wilderness of sin. We're being constantly bombarded with temptations of wicked pleasure and encouragement for selfishness. And we sure don't do ourselves any favors! Our own sinful flesh betrays us and urges us to give in, to join in, to get angry, and to get even.
John had a special calling. He was sent by God to be God's messenger. We too have a special calling. We may just be everyday people, but as Christians, we're everyday people tasked with the job of getting God's message out to all people! In his first letter, the apostle Peter addressed the entire Christian church when he said, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
We might be living our lives in the wilderness of sin, but our hearts dwell in the marvelous light of Christ's love and forgiveness. Just like John the Baptist, we've been called out of darkness! We're chosen, royal, holy, and we belong to Jesus! We proclaim the excellencies of our God who sent his only Son to take on human flesh and be the perfect sacrifice for our justification. Now, like John the Baptist, we too have been sent to be God's messengers to all people -- especially as we prepare for the coming of Christmas once again. The world's greatest gift has arrived. Let's get the message out -- unto us a Savior is born, who is Christ the Lord!
