John the Baptist had a job to do, given to him by God. It was why he was born. It was foretold some 700 years earlier by the prophet Isaiah. He was to prepare the way for the Lord, the Christ, our Savior from sin and death. And he was singular in his purpose. Nothing else mattered. He was not interested in men’s opinions or judgments. He wasn’t worried about success or self-promotion. He simply spoke what he was given to speak, and he entrusted the outcome to God. If it cost him friends, so be it. If it cost him his head – so be it. Those things didn’t matter. What mattered was Jesus. What mattered was preparing people to receive Jesus rightly, in true repentance and faith. Whether you were a soldier, a tax collector, a parent, or a Pharisee. All needed true preparation. All need to be called to repentance. All needed to seek the mercy of God in the true and only Christ, whose sandals the great Baptizer wasn’t worthy to untie. Nothing has changed. We need to be always prepared to receive Jesus when He comes again in glory for judgment. We need to remain in repentance and faith, constantly seeking the mercy of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John was a preacher sent by God to prepare sinners for salvation. Nothing has changed. 2000 years on God still sends preachers to prepare the way – to call sinners to repentance and to point penitent sinners to Jesus who stands in our midst to save and take away sin. Neither John nor your pastor is the Christ, but they will joyfully point you to the one who is. I look forward to seeing all of you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer