John the Baptist – Divine indicator

 In I Chronicles 12:32 the tribe of Issachar were described as, “ ... men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do...” As such, they were made keepers of the [religious] calendar. The Hebrew word underlying the English ‘understood’ meant, inter alia, discernment, wisdom, perception and knowledge.

We, as the Church, should be so aware. Jesus made it clear that it was necessary to be able to discern the times in which the Church has lived and still lives (Matthew 24:3,4&32f).

Before we proceed, let us clearly understand that what the Bible calls ‘the last days’ commenced with the birth of the Church, not the modern political entity called [secular] Israel (Acts 2:17 – cf. 2:2-4). The birth of the Church – the Body of Christ – was of divine design and origin. The establishing of the nation of Israel in 1948 was political and fraught with deception, manipulation, and lies (hardly traits one would associate with a work of God).

The prophets Isaiah and Malachi taught that John the Baptist was to be an indicator of seasons (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1, 4:5&6); he was to announce the advent of Christ. They had an insight into the plan of God (Luke 10:24; I Peter 1:10-12).

In the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist was likened to the prophet Elijah (Matthew 11:14, 17:9-13). Elijah, in the Hebrew mind, represented the Old Testament prophets as a whole, even as Moses represented the Law (Matthew 17:1-8).

It is interesting that Jesus said in Matthew 17:9-13 that Elijah had already come and was still to come. John, by this time, had been executed by Herod and would not return physically to the earth until the second coming. So, what was Jesus intimating?

John the Baptist appeared as a witness of the coming Messiah (John 1:6-8). How John came to be that witness is a story that needs to be understood not only for its historic value, but also for the symbolic that sheds much light on the role of the Body of Christ (cf. Luke 1:15-17).

John came in the spirit, as it were, of Elijah as the anointed forerunner of the initial coming of the Messiah (i.e. the Christ) (Isaiah 40:1-5; Malachi 4:5&6). The Church, in like manner, is now the herald of the return of Jesus Christ (Luke 19:13; Acts 1:8; II Thessalonians 1:8)

The Baptist, like Elijah, had a priestly background (Luke 1:5-7). The names of John’s parents, given their proximity to the events that would follow are significant:

• Zacharias = ‘Jehovah has remembered’.
• Elizabeth = ‘God of the oath’.

Therefore, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was about to remember His covenant promise. Both of them were righteous and, like Enoch before them, they walked blamelessly before the Lord. In spite of this conduct, Elizabeth had remained childless and they were by now in their old age (Luke 1:5-7). Their childlessness carries echoes of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:11).

When Elizabeth was in her sixth month, the angel Gabriel announced to her relative Mary that she was about was about to conceive as well. Bear in mind that the number ‘6’ is the number of man. It was this ‘6’ (the period of man) that preceded the conception of God’s divine ‘7’ (the expectation of the King).

Luke 1:41 records the fulfilment of the angelic promise uttered in vs. 15. John, the witness of the coming Messiah, was filled with the Holy Spirit because of the very presence, prior to His physical arrival, of the King of kings (cf. Acts 2:1-4 & 17&18).

John’s mission was clearly outlined in Luke 1:16&17:

• A ministry that turns the sons of Israel back to Yahweh in preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. - The Remnant is to call the ‘backslider’ home (Galatians 1:6, 2:18, 4:9; II Timothy 4:10; Hebrews 10:38; Revelation 2:4).

• A forerunner marked by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. - The Remnant must move in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders and miracles (Mark 16:15-18; II Corinthians 12:12).

• Bring about family unity. - The Remnant is to proclaim and uphold by living example the centrality and importance of the Christ-centred family (I Corinthians 7:10&11; Ephesians 5:25,28&33; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Titus 2:4&5; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7).

• Address disobedience among the righteous. – The Remnant are to fearlessly bring correction within the Body of Christ (Acts 16:4&5; I Corinthians 5:5; II Corinthians 10:8, 13:2; I Timothy 1:20; Titus 2:15, 3:10&11; Hebrews 13:17; III John 10).

• To prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. – The Remnant is to work towards the presentation of the Bride to the Bridegroom (II Corinthians 4:13&14, 11:2; Ephesians 1:4, 5:27; Colossians 1:22).

The naming of John on the eighth day after his birth is also rich with significance (Luke 1:59-63) Please bear in mind that is more than likely that all who were in attendance were aware that over 400 years of prophetic silence were about to end (Luke 1:14-17):

• The family were all convinced that Zacharias would name his son after himself, as was the accepted and established tradition within the Levitical order.

• Elizabeth made it clear his name would be John.

• The family appealed to the absence of such a name in the family.

• Zacharias confirmed the departure from tradition, in writing. Subsequently, nine months of being unable to speak gave way to liberty (vss. 64&67-79; cf. Romans 10:10).

When Zacharias named his son he said, “His name is John.” As opposed to Elizabeth who said, “... he shall be called John.” John’s mother had learned the choice of name second-hand through her husband. Zacharias, on the other hand, had received direct and divine instruction from the angel Gabriel (vs. 13; cf. Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31). When God instructs it (His purpose) is established, no personal choice involved. The issue of covenant is in view here. Gabriel had named the forerunner; Zacharias merely announced the Divine mandate. In short, a covenant is that ‘agreement’ whereby God lays down the terms which man is free to accept or reject, but can in no way negotiate or change the terms.

So, God did not call for another ‘Jehovah has remembered’. That would have meant going back to the old order (Hebrews 8:13). The name announced was ‘John’, meaning: ‘Gracious gift of God.’ The new order was the gift of God’s grace. When a promise is fulfilled, the time for newness and change has arrived (Matthew 9:17).

As it was for John, so today is the time for the faithful remnant of the Church to come out of the wilderness where it has grown up alone away from the corrupting influences of the Pharisees (Luke 1:80).

With regard to the remnant Church coming out of the wilderness where it has grown up alone away from the corrupting influences of the Pharisees (Luke 1:80), consider this paraphrase that follows:

Matthew 23:1-12, from a 21st century perspective: Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The apostles, pastors, leaders, bishops, etc. ... tie up heavy burdens of financial demands to fund building projects and TV. shows and lay them on the shoulders of those they lead, but they themselves are unwilling to move those burdens on the most vulnerable with even one finger. But they do all their acts to be noticed and build personal profile and influence; for their suits become more expensive and they don gowns and symbols akin to the most pagan of counterfeits. They love the front seats and even those on the platform at the conferences and services, and the respectful greetings in and around town, and being called 'pastor, man of God, prophet, psalmist, etc.' by all who see them. But do not be called by any title; for One is your Teacher and all of you are equal. Do not call anyone father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for there is only One deserving of such recognition and He is Christ. True greatness is found in the attitude of slavery. If you insist on being praised and recognised by man, you will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted in the correct way."