Matthew 3:1-12 continued…

The message of Christ the King is a message that calls for change in living. When we here the call of this message of Jesus Christ the King it is not without merit, or aid from the King. He also calls those who have been changed to be like John the Baptist, and preach His message wherever we are, and in whatever we are doing. Just as John Baptist was a Messenger of the King, so too, are those who have been chosen by the King.

Let’s first look at the first six verses. Isaiah 40:3 is quoted in verse three of this chapter. In those days of John this is the way things were done by kings and monarchs. They would first send a “Herald” letting all the subjects of the kingdom that the king was on the way. That way the people would be prepared to present themselves to him. If they were not prepared then, that was their responsibility. John Baptist was the herald for King Jesus.

As we look at the herald of the King here is what we find about him. John Baptist was a man who was filled with the Holy Spirit even before birth; “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God” Luke 1:15-16 – this was spoken by the ‘angel of the Lord’ to Zacharias concerning the birth of their son John in their old age. John was a man who was set for greatness (“And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” Luke 1:17); of course, you would not think it to look at the way he dressed, and his “Social skills” were something that would make most of us blush. Jesus spoke of his greatness, “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” Matthew 11:11. He would follow the pattern of Elijah according to Luke 1:17. Elijah is sometimes referred to as the Prophet of Fire. Elijah trusted the Lord completely when it came to challenging the so called ‘prophets of Baal’. John was not afraid to challenge the Herods of His day. John came calling the people away from a dead and lifeless religious system to the source of light and life. It was dead and lifeless because the hearts of the people had grown cold, and hard to the Lord and His word.

Will you be a HERALD FOR THE KING? It starts with you making sure your heart and life is right with the King. That is King Jesus.