John the Baptist

This morning in my daily Bible reading, I was reintroduced to John the Baptist. As an English Lit major there is the habit of always trying to analysis what you read, and this is not only of the first reading, but of the multiple times you read things. You should come across something new each time you read something. This is why reading books multiple times is fun! Yes, it's fun! There are too many changes that happen in life that change your perspective on things. Hence, reading things more than once. This would go double for the Bible!

So, John the Baptist... Here is the passage I read:

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

 ¹ In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." ³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

    "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord;
   make his paths straight.'"
⁴Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
 ⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
 ¹¹ "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

The Baptism of Jesus

 ¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. ¹⁶And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Human thought process on this one...
What is like to know that your entire existence is to make the way for the Messiah? I know that we are to all created and born to worship God, Christ, the Messiah, however in this self centered world we tend to think that the world should revolve around us. Don't lie, at some point in life you have had these thoughts. Now, as a Christian God gives us the revelation that our world must revolve around Him.

Here is where my thoughts went while reading this and analyzing it as a mother:

1) In the view of Elizabeth, she was PREGNANT!!! AMEN!!! However, let's face it your pregnancy with John will be over shadowed by a virgin girl. The fact is we are self centered - was there ever the thought my son will never be what Mary's baby is because he is the Messiah. Sheesh. Whatta downer.

2) Now, to look at it without selfishness of our human self. HOW AWESOME!!! Elizabeth's son had one of the most AMAZING roles in the story of Jesus. He was his presenter, the man that got to baptize JESUS/GOD! Elizabeth had the second best mother role that God could have given someone. She knew from the beginning the revelation of John's exact purpose!

3) How can I raise my boys to be so selfless that like John, he knows he is nothing compared to Jesus? How do we do that in today's world? It is obvious that a mother must have a scripture focused life to teach her children that their purpose comes from God and no one else. I don't want to compare my boys to others; I want to find their purpose that God has for them. See. Elizabeth and Mary knew the exact purpose for their boys' lives. One will lead the way for Jesus, and the other was God in flesh to save mankind.

Luk and Logan have a purpose to lead others to Jesus, but how will that happen? Reson and I have a purpose to lead others to Jesus, but will it change in a year, in five years, in ten years? I don't know. Will it be in missionary work, in a church, or as Louie Giglio mentioned in the Passion 2011 Live Link will it be us/them/you being a professional turf maintenance person? Crazy, right!

I want to be like John. I want to acknowledge my insignificance to God, Christ Jesus. I want to make a path for Him in people's lives. I want to do what I have to do to make righteousness apart of people's lives. As John told the Pharisees and Sadducees, you must produce fruits no matter the season in your life, you must do so by being repentant, and you cannot assume you will go to Heaven for just being "good." I want/need to remember daily! Work hard at your relationship with God, and He will show your fruits will grow!