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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
As we read these opening verses of the Gospel of John we read about another John. It is John the Baptist, or John the baptiser, or John the plunger. If only the translators had translated that Greek word ‘baptizo’ instead of transliterating it, what a lot of theological confusion and denominational division might have been avoided.
John is around 30 years of age and he is a strange looking man wearing strange clothing – but he walks onto the world’s scene with a straight from the shoulder word, which came straight from the heart of God.
He is preaching. “You are all dirty – repent – turn from your sins – come into the river and be washed as a sign that you need a moral and spiritual bath.”
He was a man with a message and the message was simple and clear and direct.
Crowds of people flocked down to the River Jordan to hear this man, and as they heard the man, they realised they were listening to a man of God, and hearing a word that never been sounded for some 400 years – not in this manner.
People soon saw how dirty they were and how their hearts needed washing.
John was preaching the word which God gave him. “Get ready. The King is coming.”
Crowds travelled to hear this simple message. Even tax collectors went. Soldiers dared to go to the riverside to hear this preacher, and John had something to say to everyone who came. God always has.
“Repent. Get washed. Clean up your life. Share what you have. Don’t line your pockets. Do not be violent. Do not bully. Be satisfied with your wages.”
No wonder people thought this might be the Christ – the Anointed One. They had never heard such preaching. Jesus Christ, the Saviour, the Lord, the Messiah, the Anointed One Who would save people from their sins would appear very soon.
God was saying to the people through John, “Get ready for the coming of Jesus.”
For 400 years God had been silent. People had never heard such prophecy.
The nation had never witnessed such prophetic preaching since the days of Malachi, and so some were wondering. Could this be Elijah? Could this be Moses? Is this the Christ?
All this is happening down at the Jordan River, but the Temple is some 60 miles away in Jerusalem, where it was all so formal and dry and dead.
Here is God moving outside and outwith the limiting and restricting walls of the church of the day – outwith formal religion. This can still be a shock to many religious systems today!
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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