Image of Elijah

Last time, we learned that John’s very existence was a message to all. His place of activity was the wilderness. He also was “clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.” His appearance reminded the Jews of the Old Testament prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). People saw in him the image of Elijah, who would be the herald of the Messiah. John preached to the people about “a baptism of repentance.” The original meaning of baptism is “to accept, agree with, and align oneself with a person or teaching.” Therefore, “a baptism of repentance” is a sign of accepting and agreeing with John’s message of repentance. This is different from the baptism received by Christians. It is a baptism received in preparation of the heart to welcome the Messiah.

John’s message

John’s role was to “proclaim” the coming One (the Messiah). The message he delivered included the following: (1) The coming One is incomparably mighty that John is not even worthy to untie the straps of His sandals. In other words, in comparison, John is not even worthy of the lowest task of a slave. (2) While John baptized with water, the coming One would baptize with the Holy Spirit. This had been foretold in the Old Testament as a sign of the coming Messiah (ref. Isa. 44:3, Ezek. 36:26, Joel 2:28). These prophecies were fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2).  We as sinners, are naturally inclined to want to be in the spotlight, to be at the center of attention. However, John the Baptist was far from such self-centeredness. Instead, he worked to point out to the people that Jesus is the Messiah. When we don’t prioritize Jesus, our journey becomes slow and filled with struggles and pain. Let’s learn from John’s attitude today. If we enthrone Jesus in our hearts, surely, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit and with joy. Let’s go about our daily lives today with the mindset of John the Baptist.