Matthew 11:9-10 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you” (NIV).
God chose John the Baptist to be the prophet who would prepare people for the ministry of the Messiah. God had the plan for him even before he was born, as was stated by Gabriel the angel, recorded in Luke 1:17.
Yet why did God choose a man who would become an eccentric Levite to be the one to prepare people for the ministry of Jesus? John the Baptist was in the lineage of Aaron, yet at age 30, plus or minus a few months, he was not serving in the temple like an Israelite priest should.
God’s plan for the Messiah was a plan which few, if anyone, expected. The plan had been foretold by the prophets Isaiah and Zechariah. God’s plan was for Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for sins on a cross. For such an unexpected ministry, God needed a unique and faithful servant.
John was definitely unique. Ministering out in the wilderness was totally unique, yet appropriate since the atoning sacrifice the Messiah was going to make would not be in the temple, rather it would be made outside the city walls of Jerusalem.
And John was faithful to his calling. Having the courage to tell people to repent was definitely rare, though fitting for a prophet. John did. And though John the Baptist had some doubts in prison, he remained faithful to God. John had spoken against the sexual sin of Herod, who was committing adultery with his brother’s wife, along with other sins as Luke records in Luke 3:19-20. John apparently stuck with his conviction, since the woman, Herodias, ended up getting Herod to murder John.
John the Baptist’s unique ministry is a reminder to me of how each individual should approach ministry: Be yourself! What matters is that you are showing and telling people the Gospel! We all have different personalities. We all have different gifts. Mode does not matter, though it is wise to always have nice manners. Sincerity is what matters. In being a witness for Jesus, be yourself, and speak from your heart.
Hunter Irvine
