Matthew 3:1-6

“In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” vss. 1-

Matthew doesn’t give us much of a backstory on John the Baptist, but some believe that John was connected to the Essenes who had taken up residence at Qumran, a monastic community located near the Dead Sea. The Essenes were known for celibacy, ritual bathing practices and simplicity in daily living. While we can never know for sure, it is conceivable that John left the community at Qumran to proclaim a message of baptism and repentance along the Jordan River. What Matthew does tell us is that John’s message was powerful and well-received. People came to him from all around Judea and the Jordan Valley. Matthew says that he was the “voice in the wilderness” written about in the book of Isaiah. His purpose was to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. It’s not a glamorous job to be a forerunner, but it appears that John did his job well. He was instrumental in connecting Jesus with his call–so influential that Jesus adopted his basic message “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near,” as his initial mission statement, and of course some of John’s disciples later switched their allegiance to Jesus. John’s ministry reminds us that the gospel doesn’t arrive in a vacuum–there will always those who prepare the way. And sometimes that’s even the job we get to do!

Thought for the Day: Who or what prepared me to receive the gospel?