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For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth
- Romans 1:16 -
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one
- Romans 3:10 -
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
- Romans 3:23 -
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us
- Romans 5:8 -
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
- Romans 6:23 -
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
- Romans 10:13 -
The Hope of Israel
As we consider history, there is a tendency to view people as characters in a novel. We learn about events and main characters, but find it difficult to understand them as people that breathed the same air we breathe, felt the same joy, pain, hope and desires that we experience. Take a moment to think about the people of Israel at the start of the Christian era. They had become an insignificant province of the Roman Empire. They, the chosen ones of God, were subservient to a gentile empire. They knew that God had acted on their behalf in times past, but that was so long ago, they were tempted to despair that He would ever do so again.
The people were like us in many ways. They had house work that needed accomplished, families to support and jobs that left them tired, worn out, and wondering when God was going to remove the curse of Adam. They would have also been dealing with the common heartaches we all experience like sickness, death, and damaged relationships that tend to dampen the joy of living.
Onto this stage, a unique person emerged as a prophet of God. Could it be that God was going to move on Israel's behalf after being silent for over four hundred years? The excitement in Israel must have been palpable as John the Baptist began his ministry of repentance in the Judean wilderness. Can you picture him in your mind's eye?
He was dressed in clothing fashioned from camel's hair. The coarse hair could be woven into a rough material. From this material, John made practical, inexpensive, but rather uncomfortable clothing. John used a leather belt to hold the whole outfit up and together.
John's unique sense of fashion was also apparent in his hair and beard. Many believe that he was a Nazarite from birth and as such; no razor had ever touched his head. He looked like a mad man, completely outside the mainstream.
John came upon the scene like a tornado, completely unexpected and uprooting anything in his path. He was a man on a mission from God. He was like the prophets from old, living a simple life in the wilderness, nourished by locusts and wild honey. He boldly proclaimed a message of repentance to the region, announcing that he was preparing Israel for the coming of the kingdom of God.
As we consider history, there is a tendency to view people as characters in a novel. We learn about events and main characters, but find it difficult to understand them as people that breathed the same air we breathe, felt the same joy, pain, hope and desires that we experience. Take a moment to think about the people of Israel at the start of the Christian era. They had become an insignificant province of the Roman Empire. They, the chosen ones of God, were subservient to a gentile empire. They knew that God had acted on their behalf in times past, but that was so long ago, they were tempted to despair that He would ever do so again.
The people were like us in many ways. They had house work that needed accomplished, families to support and jobs that left them tired, worn out, and wondering when God was going to remove the curse of Adam. They would have also been dealing with the common heartaches we all experience like sickness, death, and damaged relationships that tend to dampen the joy of living.Onto this stage, a unique person emerged as a prophet of God. Could it be that God was going to move on Israel's behalf after being silent for over four hundred years? The excitement in Israel must have been palpable as John the Baptist began his ministry of repentance in the Judean wilderness. Can you picture him in your mind's eye?
He was dressed in clothing fashioned from camel's hair. The coarse hair could be woven into a rough material. From this material, John made practical, inexpensive, but rather uncomfortable clothing. John used a leather belt to hold the whole outfit up and together.
John's unique sense of fashion was also apparent in his hair and beard. Many believe that he was a Nazarite from birth and as such; no razor had ever touched his head. He looked like a mad man, completely outside the mainstream.
John came upon the scene like a tornado, completely unexpected and uprooting anything in his path. He was a man on a mission from God. He was like the prophets from old, living a simple life in the wilderness, nourished by locusts and wild honey. He boldly proclaimed a message of repentance to the region, announcing that he was preparing Israel for the coming of the kingdom of God.