Matthew 3
It had been written by the prophets that there would be “a voice in the wilderness” calling to the people to make ready for the Lord, a messenger”, to go before Him (Isa. 40:33The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3); Mal. 3:11Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)).
Those words were fulfilled by a man named John, who lived in the wilderness not far from Jerusalem, and people went there to hear his words. He wore coarse garments made from camel’s hair, and instead of a good cord or cloth girdle, he had a strip of animal’s skin, or leather, around him.
For food John had honey which he found in rocks or trees, made by wild bees; and he had locusts, which are sometimes used for food in those lands. It is said that people prepare and salt them as fish or meat.
John lived that plain way to teach the people by his life as well as by his words, that it was not pride of riches, or great things which would fit them for the rule of One from Heaven. He told them that to be ready for Him, they must repent, or be sorry for sins.
Many of the people who heard John were sorry for their sinful ways, and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, which was near.
John said that there was One to come mightier than he, Who would clear away all that was evil, as men fanned chaff from wheat and burned the chaff. The mighty One to come was Jesus, who one day came to that place near the Jordan.
But Jesus did not then clear away sins, or punish evil; instead, He told John to baptize Him. Jesus had no sins to confess or repent of. Yet it seemed He wanted the people to know that sins must he put away, and that John’s words were true, and He shared the place with those who believed God.
When Jesus was baptized and came up out of the water, a most wonderful event took place: The Holy Spirit came from Heaven and rested upon Jesus, and a Voice from Heaven spoke, saying,
“This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”
God had spoken from Heaven that the people should know that Jesus was His Son. They had heard the voice of John telling the words which God had long before said should be told, then they heard His voice direct that they should surely believe.
And this was written that we who read of it now, will also believe in Jesus, the Son of God.
ML 01/24/1943