Pastor Nam Park.
Would it had been sinful if John had gotten married? ...had lived in a city (instead of the wilderness) ...to wear jeans (instead of camel skins) ...or ate tasty food (instead of locust and honey)? Yet John was so committed that he would sacrifice these things for something else.
Motivation for his consecration, his willing sacrifice:
Sacrifice is a function of value.
We will sacrifice more for something of more intrinsic value to us.
ex. Alabaster vial: She found Jesus of far exceeding value, worth the sacrifice of the wage of the costly perfume.
We look at Christ through the eyes of John the Baptist: the greatest of the old testament prophets. Some things are worth the sacrifice... and of all things that are worth the sacrifices of our lives, surely our Savior should exceed them all. John's consecration was natural to him because he saw something so much greater in its value that he would lay down his life... and the Savior was worth it all.
Luke 3:15-20 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. 19 But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, 20 Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.
John constantly maintained a distinction between himself and the Christ. He believed:
1. the Messiah is Mightier. v.16 "...but One is coming who is mightier than I"
2. the Messiah is Greater in Honor. v.16 "...I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals" Only the lowliest servant performed this job since feet were covered in dirt from walking around all day.
3. the Messiah comes with a Greater Baptism. v.16 "...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." The baptism of the Messiah is supernatural. The symbol of John's baptism wouldn't be as powerful as that of the source. Christ's baptism is the REAL thing.
Spirit and fire...
Option 1: Jesus will send the Spirt and it will cleanse with Spirit and fire.
Option 2: Believers are baptized with the Spirit but for the unbeliever, a baptism of judgement, with fire.
Nam leans more to option 1 since it's a bit more encouraging.
v.17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
1. the Messiah is Mightier. v.16 "...but One is coming who is mightier than I"
2. the Messiah is Greater in Honor. v.16 "...I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals" Only the lowliest servant performed this job since feet were covered in dirt from walking around all day.
3. the Messiah comes with a Greater Baptism. v.16 "...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." The baptism of the Messiah is supernatural. The symbol of John's baptism wouldn't be as powerful as that of the source. Christ's baptism is the REAL thing.
Spirit and fire...
Option 1: Jesus will send the Spirt and it will cleanse with Spirit and fire.
Option 2: Believers are baptized with the Spirit but for the unbeliever, a baptism of judgement, with fire.
Nam leans more to option 1 since it's a bit more encouraging.
v.17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John has already called them broods of vipers, but when the Messiah comes, He will separate them, like wheat (heavier pieces) and the chaff (lighter husks of the wheat).
Fire consumes and destroys. But, consider a fire that doesn't get satiated. Why do we underestimate Hell: the eternal fire. It'll be a horrible reality for those that did not Value the Son. His eternal wrath will burn them and not consume them.
John Piper mentions: It is good news when someone wakes you up and says, "Quick the hotel is on fire, but there is still time. I'll show you how to get out." The gospel must always contain a warning of God's wrath: "The chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
Fire consumes and destroys. But, consider a fire that doesn't get satiated. Why do we underestimate Hell: the eternal fire. It'll be a horrible reality for those that did not Value the Son. His eternal wrath will burn them and not consume them.
John Piper mentions: It is good news when someone wakes you up and says, "Quick the hotel is on fire, but there is still time. I'll show you how to get out." The gospel must always contain a warning of God's wrath: "The chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
v.19-20 the Messiah was greater than John's own life... And if there is something of great value, you will find yourself driven to obtain it.
Matthew 13:45-46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The biography of John ends in v.20
Herod Antipas married his brother's wife: Herodias. They were a new testament match to Ahab and Jezebel (wicked wife). And the cherry on top of the wicked life that Herod Antipas led was that he put John (the man of God) in jail, and eventually took his head.
Hebrews 11:37-38 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
"men of whom the world was not worthy": is the value of John. These men/women did whatever it cost to honor their Savior. A higher affection would consume them. And God would call some of them to be martyred because the world was not worthy to be in their presence.
John does not call us to be just like him, but in his affections, we should seek to be identical.
Living it: Value Christ. Live a life that has great affection for the Lord.
