John's Grumpy Babtisms

"He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?' " - Luke 3:7 ESV

This kind of makes me giggle. This was John the Baptist's opening line. He didn't preach the forgiveness of sins. No. He preached that the Messiah was going to come and save people. That was his 'good news'. His baptism was a 'you all are filthy from playing in the mud. Get in this water and wash off your filth.'

Here is his advice to three groups of people. I thought of a parent trying to navigate a car and yelling at his squabbling children in the back seat.

"And the crowds asked him, 'What then shall we do?' And he answered them, 'Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.' Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, 'Teacher, what shall we do?' And he said to them, 'Collect no more than you are authorized to do.' Soldiers also asked him, 'And we, what shall we do?' And he said to them, 'Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.' As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, 'I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.' So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison." - Luke 3:10-20 ESV

John's message was simple, 'Stop being jerks to one another until Messiah gets here to save you!' but people hand out the same advice today as if it has saving qualities. It doesn't. John's 'you all stink' message got him locked up in prison. He is the last prophet under the law of Moses. The law can't save anyone... even it's messenger. John died preaching his 'take a bath already' message.

I don't believe anyone in this age has a ministry like John the Baptist. We don't tell people to clean up their act because salvation is on it's way. We tell them that salvation has already come. We say that Jesus died and is risen from the grave. We preach the forgiveness of sins.

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' But Jesus answered him, 'Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he consented." - Matthew 3:13-15 ESV

I think this is the heart of why John was unwilling to baptize Jesus. Jesus didn't stink. He was the only one that didn't stink. John was well aware all that time as he was dunking others that he needed a bath also but there was no one to wash his soul on the scene yet.

Jesus is the only one who can cleanse our soul. His red blood meets our blackened heart and makes it white as snow. Moral water isn't enough. It never has been.

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