A Voice in the Wilderness

Scripture: John 1:19-34

Song: Christ For The World We Sing

John the Baptizer is one of the colorful characters of history, biblical or otherwise. His responses to the priests and Levites of Jerusalem sent to figure out his identity say much about the attitude of this zealot for kingdom righteousness.

John was a voice in the wilderness. He preached in the wilderness. But the wilderness of which the prophet spoke was not the landscape of Judea but the hearts of its citizenry. John was sent to blaze a trail in the hearts of a wild, untamed, desolate people. He was a courageous man. We need voices like his today.

John was a voice of humility. The fact that he only identifies himself in terms of his relation to the Lord is an indication of his lowliness of mind. He saw himself as having no importance aside from his connection to the Lord. We need voices like his today.

John’s was a consistent voice. Those that came from Jerusalem to challenge him were his own peers. They were priests and Levites. His father, Zachariah, had been a priest. But there was no bending on John’s part, no exceptions, no effort to impress. His message was the same no matter the audience: “Make straight the way of the Lord.” We need voices like his today.

John was a voice of urgency. He denied himself all comforts and luxuries to take the message to the people. He dressed in garb which fit his message. He wore the traditional raiment of repentance and fasting. He taught the people to mourn their sin and to hunger for righteousness. He had compassion for souls. We need voices like his today.

Jason Moore