Make Way for the King

The infancy story over, Matthew shifts to Mark’s account and focuses on John the Baptist. Joseph and Herod represent the turning of the ages in a royal sense, John from a prophetic perspective. Matthew gives few clues to John’s origin and his relationship to Jesus. Luke and John fill this out with John’s miraculous birth, his kinship with Jesus, his faithful parents and his anointing by the Spirit from conception. We know of John’s humility, for the first disciples initially followed John but were directed to transfer their allegiance to Jesus (Luke 1:5-80; John 1:6-42).

In Matthew, John emerges from nowhere, in the Nazarite tradition, recalling Elijah (Num. 6:1-21; 2 Kings 1:8). He is a wild man in the wilderness, wearing camel hair and leather, eating wild honey and locusts and relying completely on God. His message is powerful, calling Israel to repent of her idolatry and injustice. He knows his call, to prepare the path for the coming of God’s Messiah (Isa. 40:3). He baptizes, cleansing people to receive their Messiah.

For Israel, the prophets had gone quiet since Malachi. As such, a prophet in the wilderness excited enormous messianic expectation, with multitudes coming for confession and baptism. John especially challenged the corruption of Israel’s religious leaders, warning of God’s wrath for their election, presumption and corruption. He foretold the coming of a greater one, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire and bring judgment. This one, of course, is the boy born in the manger.

Although prophets are found in the New Testament (Acts 11:28; Eph. 4:11), John is the culmination of Israel’s prophets, pointing people to their final King. Our function is like that of John, to point people to Jesus. What better time than just after Christmas!

In the afterglow of Christmas, is there anything we need to get right with God? John pointed people to Jesus. That is also our call. What can we do to point those around us to Jesus?