New Testament
The Bible tells us that we are masterpieces created by the hand of God.
None of us, no not one of us, is junk or damaged goods.
We are all special in the eyes of God.
He created each of us to do good works for Him.
That is no small thing, precious people. Stop and think for a minute, God the creator of the Universe; God who holds everything together, created you and created me to do good works for him.
God doesn’t need us, but He wants to use us. He wants to be friends with us, because He loves us.
So what was the treasure in the wilderness? He was John the Baptist. Were we to see him today we might call him a little weird. As a people, because John the Baptist wouldn’t look like, act like, or talk like we did, we might label him as a loser. But we would be wrong.
What we learn about John the Baptist from our Scripture reference:
- John the Baptist lived in the wilderness.
- John the Baptist preached repentance.
- John baptized people in the Jordan River.
- John wore a camel hair coat and leather belt.
- John’s diet was locusts and wild honey.
What we learn from reference material about John the Baptist:
- John the Baptist — the “forerunner of our Lord.”
- We have but fragmentary and imperfect accounts of him in the Gospels. He was of priestly descent. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia, (1 Chronicles 24:10) and his mother, Elisabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5).
- The mission of John was the subject of prophecy. (Matthew 3:3; Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1)
- His birth, which took place six months before that of Jesus, was foretold by an angel. Zacharias, deprived of the power of speech as a token of God’s truth and a reproof of his own incredulity with reference to the birth of his son, had the power of speech restored to him on the occasion of his circumcision. (Luke 1:64)
- After this no more is recorded of him for thirty years than what is mentioned in Luke 1:80. John was a Nazarite from his birth (Luke 1:15; Numbers 6:1–12). He spent his early years in the mountainous tract of Judah lying between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. (Matthew 3:1–12)
Easton’s Bible Dictionary, (Easton, M.G.: Easton’s Bible Dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996, c1897)
What did John say about Jesus?
Throughout his ministry John pointed beyond himself to one “who is far greater than I am—so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave”. (Mark 1:7, nlt)
(Elwell, Walter A.; Comfort, Philip Wesley: Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2001 (Tyndale Reference Library), S. 729)
How did Jesus regard John the Baptist?
- That Jesus highly regarded John the Baptist is indicated by his baptism by John.
- It is also explicitly stated on several occasions. Jesus called him the greatest man to have ever lived. (Luke 7:28) (Of course, he was not as great as Jesus, the God-man.)
- Jesus also said that John was a burning and shining lamp (John 5:33–35) and that he practiced a baptism divinely ordained. (Luke 20:1–8)
(Elwell, Walter A. ; Comfort, Philip Wesley: Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2001 (Tyndale Reference Library), S. 730)
Conclusion:
- John was one of God’s masterpieces. Christians are a diverse people and that is God’s design.
- John let God use Him to do good works. John’s work was to tell people to repent.
- God’s work for John was important and it was good; for repentance is good for each of us.
Why is repentance good for us?
- Repentance is a privilege of enormous magnitude.
- When we repent and turn to God, he forgives.
- Each one of God’s treasures can experience the exhilaration, the freeing experience of repentance.
LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST–
WE ARE TREASURED BY GOD!
HE HAS GOOD AND IMPORTANT WORK FOR US TO DO!
Mark 1:1-9
GETTING TO KNOW JESUS
God's Treasure In The Wilderness
