When John the baptizer was leaving the scene of life, he turned his report card in to the Creator of all things, Jesus Christ, to be graded. John was now in prison, had he prepared the Way? His grade would be determined by the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning him; ”he came to prepare the way of the Lord, to make his paths straight.” John had heard that Jesus was in the area by the miracles that He was performing, had the “minds of the fathers been turned to the children,” or had the Jew sufficiently repented to accept the message of Christ? Repentance prepares people to receive God but it is faith that prepares people for the blessings of God Handing the baton to the King of Kings and Lord of lords was the most honorable of all occasions. ”I must decrease, He must increase.” It was not given to John to work miracles, the job given him by the Master of all Ages, was even greater. The message that John delivered to the Jew is never preached by the people who today claim his name: wonder why? John had one joy that he claimed for his own, this is the joy of introducing the Bridegroom to His bride. To introduce the bridegroom one has to understand there must be a bride. The bride was and is the church of Christ. John is on record as claiming Jesus Christ to be his friend, John 3:29, when he stood and heard Him, John’s joy was fulfilled. This joy could only be satisfying if the opportunity of this introduction had been received by the Friend. The joy was the occasion of this joy: John proclaimed the forthcoming marriage of Christ and His Church. The Baptist Church today does not preach of this joy, they, in fact, preach that John’s joy has been rescinded and that Christ marriage will not take place until the Second Coming. How could they get so far off message?
There was a message John delivered that John claimed the world would not receive; “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things over into His hand.” This was not an Abraham – Lot situation, no choice in this matter would be by God, allowed!! The Queen would be the closest thing to the heart of the King, the bride would be the closest thing to the heart of her Lord, to denounce the bride to return to His predecessor could never be anything considered at any time. John preach the end of the Jew as the chosen people of God, the Baptist Church today teaches the Jew is still God’s chosen and the church of Christ has no place of honor. How you get this far off message? How could any people who claim to love the God of heaven require Him to denounce His wife and go back to the one He would divorce because of unfaithfulness? The Baptist Church today, had it to attend the preaching of John the Baptist, would throw up its hands in disgust. There was nothing he was preaching-they believe. They do not accept the sole authority of the Son, nor the woman to whose hand He was given in marriage!! The Baptist Church today, does not accept the Father, in that period of time in Judea, marriages were prearranged, by the Father. So what message today do they preach? Jesus said in Matthew 11:6: “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me.” This word for offended means to see one in another light of which Christ did not approve. You cannot cast the net of the gospel to those who will not receive the message. Wisdom cries in the city at the entry of the gate that we hear the word of the Lord.
The return message of Jesus to John the Baptist made the prison a Palace, fear became nonexistent, and the purpose of a life of service, rewarded. For Christ conveyed to John, in the language befitting his dignity, “well done, my good and faithful servant, enter now into the joys of thy Lord.” Present circumstances being ignored are the benefit of faith. Christ friend and confidant did not need the doting words of approval that the unspiritual often require, he needed the restatement of purpose that both John and Jesus had come to do the will of the Father! If, there be a remaining insecurity and un-belief, it is often settled, in an hour of temptation, by a confidence of faith that only truth can settle!
