11-06-2021, 02:51 PM
There had been a strong sense of expectation during those years about the Messianic prophecies. Those who paid attention to the likes of Daniel felt the time was about due. There were any number of hucksters willing to jump on this bandwagon to sell themselves as prophets, but their lives bore no resemblance to the primary marks of someone getting ready for God to come for a visit. Some of those hucksters were supported by the Pharisees, offering a harsh message that condemned the peasants for failing to observe the legalistic nonsense.
So when John the Baptist came on the scene, his asceticism made him stand out. It wasn't hard to find out where he came from, and to discover that he spent a lot of his time in the wilderness and living in stringent self-denial. And when he began to prophesy, his message hit very hard on the Scribes and Pharisees, so it was obvious he wasn't one of their kind. He preached a genuine repentance for everyone. It was painfully obvious that his personal life was right in line with his message.
It should have been clear that Jesus was referring to His cousin, now in prison, when he spoke of prophets. Jesus and John had the same message, and folks who had listened to John recognized that. By contrast, the Pharisaical prophets were wealthy and comfortable. The only "burden" they had was for the people, with harsh condemnation and even harsher rules of conduct, not the burden of a message demanding a genuine change of heart. Jesus referred to them as wolves in sheep's clothing. What kind of fruit could you find in a prophet's personal life? Did he actually live his message? They claimed to be helping the people while devising ways to defraud them of whatever they owned. It was clear that Jesus was trying to protect the sheep grazing on the good fodder He was offering them, a genuine fruitful message that lifted you up closer to the Lord. By the fruits of their lives could you recognize what kind of prophet a man was.
In His message, Jesus had been talking about what it took to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a Messianic term. It's not enough to mouth the words and call Him "Lord." It required people who were determined to please the Father. It's possible to falsely echo the things Jesus said, to appear to drive out demons and do other miraculous things, all fun and exciting stuff. But what will people see when they visit you after the show is over? Will these folks actually walk the same path that Jesus did?
Later, Jesus asked a few folks to sell all they had and to serve with Him in ministry. That's what it meant to make Him Lord, so it wasn't enough to simply call Him "Lord." When the Day of Judgment came, He would not remember them because they wouldn't pay the price to stay close to Him. They were just faces in a crowd who never distinguished themselves in His eyes.
To actually live this gospel message is like building with stones on bedrock. It's solid and neither persecution nor sorrow can shake you. But if you don't take the message to heart, it's like piling rocks on sand. It wouldn't take much of trial to wash that away. Indeed, to have someone's false front collapse that way in public would be an even bigger show than the alleged miracles.
Did John the Baptist recant when arrested? No, he stood on his prophetic message firmly to the end. Jesus would also stand on His message to the end. To the people listening, one of the most amazing things about Him was that He never quoted previous rabbinical experts, as the Scribes did. He simply taught from the Covenant, as if He had written it Himself.
So when John the Baptist came on the scene, his asceticism made him stand out. It wasn't hard to find out where he came from, and to discover that he spent a lot of his time in the wilderness and living in stringent self-denial. And when he began to prophesy, his message hit very hard on the Scribes and Pharisees, so it was obvious he wasn't one of their kind. He preached a genuine repentance for everyone. It was painfully obvious that his personal life was right in line with his message.
It should have been clear that Jesus was referring to His cousin, now in prison, when he spoke of prophets. Jesus and John had the same message, and folks who had listened to John recognized that. By contrast, the Pharisaical prophets were wealthy and comfortable. The only "burden" they had was for the people, with harsh condemnation and even harsher rules of conduct, not the burden of a message demanding a genuine change of heart. Jesus referred to them as wolves in sheep's clothing. What kind of fruit could you find in a prophet's personal life? Did he actually live his message? They claimed to be helping the people while devising ways to defraud them of whatever they owned. It was clear that Jesus was trying to protect the sheep grazing on the good fodder He was offering them, a genuine fruitful message that lifted you up closer to the Lord. By the fruits of their lives could you recognize what kind of prophet a man was.
In His message, Jesus had been talking about what it took to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a Messianic term. It's not enough to mouth the words and call Him "Lord." It required people who were determined to please the Father. It's possible to falsely echo the things Jesus said, to appear to drive out demons and do other miraculous things, all fun and exciting stuff. But what will people see when they visit you after the show is over? Will these folks actually walk the same path that Jesus did?
Later, Jesus asked a few folks to sell all they had and to serve with Him in ministry. That's what it meant to make Him Lord, so it wasn't enough to simply call Him "Lord." When the Day of Judgment came, He would not remember them because they wouldn't pay the price to stay close to Him. They were just faces in a crowd who never distinguished themselves in His eyes.
To actually live this gospel message is like building with stones on bedrock. It's solid and neither persecution nor sorrow can shake you. But if you don't take the message to heart, it's like piling rocks on sand. It wouldn't take much of trial to wash that away. Indeed, to have someone's false front collapse that way in public would be an even bigger show than the alleged miracles.
Did John the Baptist recant when arrested? No, he stood on his prophetic message firmly to the end. Jesus would also stand on His message to the end. To the people listening, one of the most amazing things about Him was that He never quoted previous rabbinical experts, as the Scribes did. He simply taught from the Covenant, as if He had written it Himself.
