Monday December 16th

We were talking in church yesterday about John the Baptist.  Well, he was mentioned with reference to the Old Testament reading which was from Isaiah 35.

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God.

3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”

5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,

    and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
    grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

8 And a highway will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10     and those the Lord has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

These are the verses which Jesus sent to John the Baptist when he was in prison.   John who had lived in the desert as a hermit, devout and strictly religious.  John who had preached faithfully about the coming of the Messiah and who had identified Jesus as such at the Jordan.  John who had watched his own disciples turn to follow Jesus, who had been thrown in prison and was now awaiting trial.    

' I have served God faithfully and now He is here among us.  He is part of my own family.  He has the power to release captives and set prisoners free.  His word carries authority and His hand produces miracles.   So why am I still here?  Is God going to let me rot in jail?  Why hasnt Jesus at least been to see me?  Have I been wrong about Him all the time? Is He really who I thought He was?'   

And Jesus replies - tell John that Isaiah 35 is being enacted before your eyes. The blind are seeing and the deaf are hearing.  He pointedly does not start quoting the chapter at the previous verse

 “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”

which are the words surely John must have been desperate to hear.  Jesus points to a different future for John.  An eternal one where everlasting joy will be his crown and sorrow and sadness will be no more.   

I recently read this by Gene Edwards

its a thought provoking exploration of the last days of John the Baptist and I recommend it.  I'd like to think that John is one of those who gets a seat next to the risen Jesus in heaven.  That whilst his earthly life received no reward or recognition whatsoever, his heavenly payment has been mind blowingly massive.  And his crown is extra shiny :)