October 1 The Straight Way

John 1:19-23 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
 
ONCE I read a magazine article regarding five men living now who have declared themselves “Messiah”. Two things disturbed me. First, the author seemed to give credit to their claims. After all, if they said God made them his Messiah, it must be true! Second, the writer said he had read the New Testament in search of truth and found it contradicts itself.
   I don’t think he read the Bible very well, did he? Yes, there are some statements in the Bible that look contradictory at first reading or from our cultural perspective. But if we study and learn the Bible, we will see God is very clear about himself and his orderly process of salvation through his Messiah. Apparently, the article’s writer did not read such definite Scripture as Matthew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible. My sense is that the magazine’s editors wanted to minimize Christ and mock Christianity.
   This is one reason the gospels record John the Baptist’s testimony. John is very particular to say John the Baptist is not the Prophet (Messiah) as Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy 18:15. Nor is he the physical prophesied return of Elijah, as the Jews interpreted in Malachi 4. Unlike the false Messiahs now and the many even in Jesus’ time, Jesus did not start his ministry one day simply by saying, “I am the Messiah.” Instead, God declared his plan to send a messenger ahead of the Christ through the words of Isaiah the prophet, “Make straight the way for the Lord.” John the Baptist knew his role. He was the messenger spoken in Isaiah, anointed with Elijah’s power spoken in Micah to point to the Messiah: Luke 1:17 “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah…to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
   John the Baptist had identified himself as the fulfillment of prophecy that pointed to the Messiah. The Jews would have wondered, “Is God’s Messiah about to come?” God’s messenger had done his work. The Jews were sensing God was about to move.
   How do you know the true Messiah? What do you say to people who seek to minimize Jesus? Can you see where God is about to move? Listen to his Word. You will know what to say. You will recognize him when he comes.  
 
Prayer: Lord God, I pray I am a voice speaking to tell who you are into today’s great wilderness. Amen.