Elizabeth – Her name means “oath of God”, yet she lived her life with a promise unkept. She was barren and now old. Where were the promised children for the righteous? Luke 1:36 tells us that Elizabeth was called barren. It was a label that had been pinned onto her for years. I can almost hear the whispered remarks of those in her town – “that’s Elizabeth…..she’s barren.”
I wonder if she ever reflected back on the fathers (and mothers) of their people. In each of those beginning generations there was barrenness, and each time God intervened to bring a child. He did it for Abraham and Sarah, for Isaac and Rebekah and for Jacob and Rachel. But Elizabeth remained barren.
Her barrenness was a reproach. Deuteronomy 7:14 says “You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock.” Her barrenness declared her life as one that was not obedient and therefore not blessed. What a horrible stigma to bear.
Yet Luke 1:6 tells us that both Elizabeth and her husband were “righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless”. And in that moment when the Lord did wonderfully open her womb, Elizabeth said that God has “looked on me to take away my reproach among people.” Elizabeth knew that even though people may have little regard for her, that she served a God who carefully watched all the details of her life and knew the great love she had for Him that compelled her to live a life of pleasing obedience to Him even when her greatest desire was denied. She knew that she had no reproach before God even though the blessing was withheld.
Since Elizabeth was an older woman, she may not have known she was pregnant as soon as a younger woman may have known. So there could have been months that Elizabeth thought of herself as still barren, when actually there was life stirring inside her. There was a span of time when her barrenness was over yet she did not know it. But then there came a day when it could be a secret thing no longer.
And when God sent this blessing, it came in a big way. For it was only after years of bearing an unjustified reproach that she was prepared to bear the forerunner to the One who would bear the ultimate unjust reproach. Who better to teach John how to remain faithful to God and disregard the opinions of men?
Were all those years of barrenness a waste? No, they were a training ground to prepare her for her greatest assignment.
Never was a more tremendous announcement made to a human than the one Mary received from the angel.
“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:30-33
Israel of that day lived in expectation of the appearance of the Messiah. Based on the prophecies of Jeremiah, they did the math and knew that it was soon. Jewish girls desired the honor of being the mother of the Messiah. Mary was certainly no different.
How her heart must have leapt to know that she was the chosen one. Her greeting to Elizabeth in Luke 1:46-55 is an exaltation of the power and might of God like few others, as she anticipates the birth of the promised child in her womb.
Reading the words of the angel to Mary, one thing that is glaringly obvious is that there is no mention of the cross. The throne, yes. The kingdom, yes. But not the cross. How difficult would it have been for Mary to raise her son to adulthood, caring for Him, teaching Him, loving Him, knowing that He was destined for death? Who among us could bear such a burden year after year?
Sometimes we wonder why God doesn’t tell us certain things. We find ourselves in difficult circumstances and we wonder why God let us be caught off guard. Surely He knew. Surely He could have told us. But He didn’t. Why? We wonder and pray about the future, asking God to give us some insight. But frequently, He doesn’t.
Just like Mary, I know the end. One day I will stand before Jesus, forgiven and accepted, to spend eternity with Him. But the stuff between now and then, these things are a mystery to me. I sometimes think it would be easier if I knew what was ahead for me. But maybe it wouldn’t. It must be enough to know that God knows.
Because He knows the end from the beginning, and all the stuff in the middle, but He doesn’t tell it all.
One of the very first portrayals I saw of John the Baptist was in the 1970’s mini-series “Jesus of Nazareth”. The character was played by Michael York, whose hair was always askance and eyes wild. His voice was loud, his countenance a bit sullen and he was somewhat of a frightening character. This has always seemed to fit well with his words, which were like flaming darts aimed at the hearts of the people. John had some strong words, especially for the religious people. Knowing what we do now about the heart condition of those Pharisees, when we read about John’s strong words to those old religious hypocrites we want to cheer because there is something in us that gets some type of perverse pleasure in seeing those people embarrassed and exposed for what they really are in front of everybody. But John’s goal was not public humiliation, but repentance.
In Luke 3:7-15 John gives a flaming rebuke to the crowd and when the people respond, he doesn’t continue to pile on the condemnation. His mission was to prepare the way and when a heart had been made tender and brought to repentance, he knew his mission had been accomplished in that one. As their hearts were pierced by his words they would come to him asking “what should we do?” And John helps them by giving them instruction on how they can obey and please God. The fiery preacher turned to gentle teacher.
Even John’s rebuke to Herod was not to defame the man, but to lead him to repentance. There is no evidence that John ever publicly issued this rebuke to Herod in front of a multitude of people. Each account of this in the gospels said that John “said to Herod”. He wasn’t trying to dazzle the crowds with his speaking ability or draw their admiration by his recklessly courageous speaking. His heart yearned for these people to be ready for their Messiah. It was a longing that burned in him and through him.
A life on fire genuinely wants to help people get right with God. Whether with a harsh rebuke or tender instruction, whatever it takes, this one longs to be a minister of reconciliation.
In considering the life of John the Baptist as an example of a life on fire, I would like to move on to the responsiveness of this life. “…the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went in to all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” Luke 3:2b-3
Notice these phrases – “the word of God came” “and he went”. John didn’t sit around luxuriating in the warmth of a word from God. He recognized that the word made a requirement of him. The word came…and he went. The word makes a requirement of us as well – obedience.
Somewhere after being born again, as we become more acclimated in the Christian environment, we can find ourselves receiving the word of God in a way other than how God meant for us to receive it. Consider what was happening in the day of Ezekiel the prophet:
“As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.” Ezekiel 33:30-32
These were the religious folks; happy to get together for church, ready to hear a message. But they had no intention of allowing that word to impact their lives. It was just their religious form of entertainment. And it is just as prevalent in our day. How many people do you know that run from church to church, conference to conference, book to book, always looking for the latest word in religion. They aren’t necessarily just interested in the religious cotton candy that’s out there, but find an in-your-face message just as tasty. However, the word is not allowed to nourish and bring growth to their inner man. It makes its way to the belly and is eliminated without ever having affected the heart. It is spiritual bulimia.
But those whose lives are on fire by God will listen with a heart to obey, to hear the very voice of God speaking to them through the message. “Speak to me God!” is the cry of their heart, and they treasure one word from heaven over 10,000 messages from the most learned theologians. Then, and only then, can they go with something to share with the world.
Oh let us hear! Let us respond! And let our hearts burn for His speaking!
“I came to send a fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled” Luke 12:49
These are the words of Jesus. A fire is to be kindled. A fire that He desires to be kindled. What is this fire that He longs for? As I have thought upon this passage, I keep returning to the same conclusion – Jesus is longing for the day when His followers are aflame with desire for Him. He came to send a fire on earth. That fire is this new life that He gives those who believe in Him. It is a life on fire.
But what does this look like? What is a life on fire? My meditations on this subject kept leading me back to one man – John the Baptist. He illustrates it well.
A life on fire is a focused life
John’s life was a focused life. He wasn’t into fancy clothes and fine cuisine, but was satisfied with camels hair and locusts. He was so focused on one thing that he didn’t need a whole lot of other things. And that one thing was this – I must prepare the way. John could have been a priest, with all the prestige and perks that accompanied such a life. Instead he chose the wilderness and a life of seeking God, being prepared for the work that God had created him for. When the prophet Malachi put down his pen, then began 400 years of silence from heaven. And then….
“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in thee wilderness.” Luke 3:1-2
These verses are a veritable who’s who of that day. There were many powerful leaders both in the secular world and the religious world. These were men of influence, wealth and power; respected (or at least feared) by those they ruled. But when God was looking for someone to speak through, He spoke through John. John was nobody; some obscure man living in deserted places. But he had set himself apart to seek the face of God and be a vessel prepared for His use. So God was pleased to overlook the well-known and look upon the unknown. This man who had spent his life seeking God was now to speak for God and when he emerged on the scene, his was a life on fire.
“Thus says the Lord: Do not deceive yourselves, saying, ‘The Chaldeans will surely depart from us.’ For they will not depart. For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.” Jeremiah 37:9-10
Although this passages deals with the judgment to come upon Israel, there is a principle here that is repeated throughout Scripture – of a certainty, the plans of the Lord will come to pass. So often I feel as though my bad decisions have derailed the purposes of God in my life (as though I had such power!). I have found myself believing that any good plans He had for me have been forfeited by my stumblings. However, He is not thwarted by my weakness.
I heard a pastor speaking recently about the GPS he had purchased for his car. When he made a wrong turn, the soothing voice from the GPS announced “recalculating”. Although the route had changed, the destination remained fixed.
I do desire to be obedient to all the will of God, but it just doesn’t always seem to work out that way. What a comfort it is to realize that he is able to get me to the desired destination, even in spite of me.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
Kenneth Wuest’s expanded translation states it this way: “It is necessary in the nature of the case for that One to become constantly greater but for me constantly to be made less.”
I love this! The very nature of Christ in our lives is that all things related to Him are constantly tending towards increase. There is no end to the potential for His fruit, His glory, His nature to fill us and be manifested through us. Ephesians 1:23 says He “fills all in all.” Fullness, increase is His nature.
For us, however, our role of decreasing is contrary to everything in our nature, for we long to increase also. We want to increase our power, fortune, reputation, control, and the list is probably near to endless. So for those of us who belong to Jesus, those who really long to walk with Him, He will not entrust this work of decreasing to us. My observation has been that when I try to decrease by my own will, I will inevitably overlook the most problematic areas because those are frequently the most painful to deal with. But the Lord knows exactly where the death blow should fall and He knows exactly what type of execution will be most effective. And thus it is by His hand that I am made to decrease.
For John the Baptist, decrease was not optional. I don’t think it is for me either. I must decrease and Jesus must help me to decrease. Sometimes when I am going through a time of decreasing, I am tempted to think His ways are harsh. Physical death is not pretty or painless. Dying to self isn’t either. But He recently reminded me that I do not die for His pleasure, but for my pleasure. He knows the joy that will be mine as He increases in my life. He has heard the desperate prayers to know Him and walk with Him. He knows how intensely I want this, so He is willing to do what is necessary, even if it seems harsh and risks being misunderstood. Knowing this, that all of His dealings are the pathway to receiving the greatest longing of my heart, I can rejoice in His goodness to me, even in the midst of difficulty.
Receiving a heavenly perspective can make a world of difference.
I was listening recently to a message by Don Carson and he shared this story:
When he was a young undergrad at college, along with another boy he started a Bible study in their dorm. Even though they really didn’t know what they were doing, God blessed it. There was a graduate student named David in that dorm who was also a believer and very gifted in apologetics. Don took 2 of the young men from his group to meet with David. David asked the first guy why he was there. The guy gave him an answer about how he wanted to study all the various world religions and worldviews and was interested in knowing a bit about Christianity.
David’s response – Sorry, I don’t have time. You don’t really want to know Jesus, you’re just playing intellectual games. I’ve got plenty of books you could read that would give you that information.
Then he asked the second guy why he was there. The answer was along these lines – I come from a liberal family. We go to church, we’re good people, but we don’t believe all this virgin birth, resurrection stuff. What is it that you think you’ve got that you think we don’t already have?
David’s response – Watch me.
He invited the boy to come live with him and all his time that wasn’t taken up with studies, he would shadow David and observe his life up close. The boy didn’t take him up on the offer, but apparently he was intrigued and kept making visits to talk to David. By the end of the semester he was a Christian.
What a bold offer. Come live with me and watch my life. Could I be so bold as to make such an offer? Could you?
Yesterday morning at 4:35 AM there was a double murder .6 miles from my house. I was in my house reading my Bible at 4:35 AM while those 2 souls were crossing into eternity right down the street. There’s something quite unsettling about knowing this.
2 weeks ago, a 28 year old man jumped (or fell) from the top of the 10 story building that I work in.
All around us, everyone we see is potentially moments away from death. It is a very sobering thought. And it certainly underscores the importance of being faithful to share the gospel.
We must work the works of Him who has sent us while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)
“Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.” Mark 14:15
The disciples had asked Jesus where they were to make ready for the Passover. Jesus gave them directions to a place that was ready and waiting for this use. I had to pause when I read this because it made me think about my life.
Those who want to be used by the Lord must be furnished and prepared. We must live in the place of readiness, and if we truly love the Lord, we will live in this place of readiness because our love for Him will compel us to draw near.
What does a furnished and prepared life look like? I’d welcome your input on this. As I was thinking about this, the following things came to mind: being full of the Holy Spirit, being increasingly surrendered and yielded to God, being a person of the Word and prayer.
In verses 13-14, when Jesus was ready for that room He gave directions to the disciples:
Go into the city
There will be a man
He will be carrying a pitcher of water
Follow him to a house
Speak to the master of the house
Jesus knew exactly where the room was. And He knows exactly where we are. He knows those who have faithfully devoted themselves to drawing near to Him, and when He is looking for someone to use in this wonderful task of sharing the gospel, He knows how to find us.
Oh, that we would live in this place of readiness, free from the many distractions of this world, and with our hearts set on knowing Him. Lord, help us to be furnished and prepared.
He is my Delight 