1. Under Construction

3. As so our journey begins…

5. Who was John the Baptist?

6. He was a “wilderness man.” Luke 1:80 (GNT) The child grew and developed in body and spirit. He lived in the desert until the day when he appeared publicly to the people of Israel.

7. It was God’s will that John not be contaminated by the corrupt religious system of his day. He was a Nazarite from birth and was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in the womb. Luke 1:13-16 (GNT) 13 But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John. 14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born! 15 John will be great in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,

8. While he was born into a priestly family, John did not take his father’s name, nor his work. Luke 1:59-63 (NLT) 59 When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” 61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” 62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. 63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”

9. As a prophet, John the Baptist was a novelty in Israel. For nearly 400 years God had not spoken through the prophets. Isaiah 29:10 (NLT) 10 For the L ORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has closed the eyes of your prophets and visionaries. And then John arrived on the scene.

10. His dress and diet were “off the charts.” He wore clothing made of camel’s hair and ate locusts and wild honey.

11. Despite his appearance and harsh delivery, John attracted large crowds, and his message had a great impact on many, just as the angel had told his father, Zacharias: Luke 1:16-17 16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”

12. It is hard to imagine that John did not know Jesus was the promised Messiah until he baptized Him: John 1:29-34 (NLT) 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

13. And although John was a prophet, he did not perform any miraculous signs, but he preached the truth: John 10:41 (NLT) 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.”

14. John was also a man who was highly regarded by some and feared by others. Each of the four gospels begins their account of Jesus’ ministry by recording some of John’s words of introduction. Jesus Himself spoke favorably of John: Matthew 11:11 (GNT) I assure you that John the Baptist is greater than anyone who has ever lived…

15. But, King Herod feared John. Matthew 14:5 (NLT) Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet. Mark 6:20 (GNT) Herod was afraid of John because he knew that John was a good and holy man, and so he kept him safe. He liked to listen to him, even though he became greatly disturbed every time he heard him.

16. So, let’s take a closer look at John the Baptist from Matthew’s point of view, and see what we can learn from the message of this “outdoorsman” and how it relates to us.

17. Matthew 3:1-6 3 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the L ORD ’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” 4 John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. 6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

18. Matthew carefully links John with the Old Testament., as the “voice” identified in Isaiah. Isaiah 40:3-5 (NLT) Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken.

22. Have we prepared the way for the Lord in our own lives? In Isaiah 26:7 (VOICE), we are told, The path of those who do right is straight and smooth. O God, You who are upright, You make the way of the righteous level.

23. How do we take on righteousness? 1 John 1:9 (GNT) But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.

24. After we confess, John the Baptist tells us in verse 2 we must: “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

26. The outward symbol of repentance is baptism. Matthew 3:6 6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. Luke 7:30 says: But the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law rejected God's purpose for themselves and refused to be baptized by John.

27. Matthew 3:7-12 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 10 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

28. John’s preaching was not only the warning of impending judgment, it was a call to action. 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God... 10 …every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

29. What fruit was John talking about? Galatians 5:22-26 (GNT) 22 But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires. 25 The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives. 26 We must not be proud or irritate one another or be jealous of one another.

30. Is it time for some needed road repair?

31. References John the Baptist and Jesus -- Bob Deffinbaugh Advance Man – Brian Bill Are You Ready for Christmas?--Doug Henry Explore the Bible—David Jenkins Proverbs says, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 29:11)