“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” (Lk 16:16).

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isa 40:3). This prophecy was fulfilled by the ministry of John the Baptist; that is how it is confirmed in Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4; Jn 1:23. The Angel of the Lord, who announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias, said, “... 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. 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.” (Lk 1:15-17). Amen.

After his birth, his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the prophetic words regarding the ministry of John the Baptist: “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant …” (Lk 1:72).

“To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins …” (Lk 1:77).

The second promise in the Old Testament in regard to the ministry of John the Baptist, which is written in Mal 3:1, was confirmed by the Lord Himself in Mt 11:10 and Lk 7:27: “This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”

When John was asked, “Art thou Christ?”,he said, “No.” “Art thou Elijah?” “No.”“Are you that prophet?” He answered, “No.” (Jn 1:19-21). In verse 23, we read his testimony based on the Holy Scripture about who he was: “He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” (Isa 40:3).

John could call out to his audience of believers, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire …” (Mt 3:11).

Through the ministry of the promised forerunner, the hearts of the Old Testament fathers were turned to the faith of the New Testament children, in order “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk 1:17). It was absolutely essential to hear the message of the promised prophet, to believe, and to be baptized.

Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees, who rejected the ministry of John the Baptist, before the people with these words: “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.” (Lk 7:30).

A voice is calling out loudly: It was possible to kiss the Torah, read the Holy Scriptures, talk about the divine Plan of Salvation, preach the coming of the Messiah and His forerunner Elijah (Mt 17:10), sing the Psalms, keep the Sabbath, offer sacrifices, but then reject both the forerunner and the Messiah and not recognize the day of the gracious visitation (Lk 19:42-44). The great lesson to be learned is: Only those who believed the message of the forerunner and were baptized were able to then recognize and receive the Messiah.

“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Gal 4:3-6).

When the promise of Zec 9:9 was fulfilled and the Lord entered into Jerusalem riding upon the foal of a donkey (Lk 19:28-44), the believers rejoiced and shouted, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord!”The spiritually blind scribes wanted the people to stop the praise and worship (v. 39), but the Redeemer responded, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” Then He looked over Jerusalem and wept because of His grief: “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” This was followed by the announcement of the coming judgment: “For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” (vv. 41-44). In ad 70, the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple with his army. Even now, it is of utmost importance to partake in what God has promised for this time period.

A voice is calling out loudly: Since Adam and Eve, four thousand years had passed, during which they waited for the promised Savior Who was to come as the seed of God (Gen 3:15). When the time of fulfillment had come, the spiritual leaders and the people who believed them did not recognize the day of God’s gracious visitation. The religious leaders were blind leaders leading the blind; they misled the people through their own interpretations of the Scriptures. The following is said about those who did not believe in the Messiah: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” However, it is written about the believers: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name …” (Jn 1:11-12). Amen. That is how it was in the beginning. That is how it was in every church age. That is how it is today.

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” (Lk 16:16).

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isa 40:3). This prophecy was fulfilled by the ministry of John the Baptist; that is how it is confirmed in Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4; Jn 1:23. The Angel of the Lord, who announced the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias, said, “... 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. 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.” (Lk 1:15-17). Amen.

After his birth, his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the prophetic words regarding the ministry of John the Baptist: “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant …” (Lk 1:72).

“To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins …” (Lk 1:77).

The second promise in the Old Testament in regard to the ministry of John the Baptist, which is written in Mal 3:1, was confirmed by the Lord Himself in Mt 11:10 and Lk 7:27: “This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”

When John was asked, “Art thou Christ?”,  he said, “No.” “Art thou Elijah?” “No.”  “Are you that prophet?” He answered, “No.” (Jn 1:19-21). In verse 23, we read his testimony based on the Holy Scripture about who he was: “He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” (Isa 40:3). 

John could call out to his audience of believers, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire …” (Mt 3:11).

Through the ministry of the promised forerunner, the hearts of the Old Testament fathers were turned to the faith of the New Testament children, in order “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk 1:17). It was absolutely essential to hear the message of the promised prophet, to believe, and to be baptized.

Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees, who rejected the ministry of John the Baptist, before the people with these words: “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.” (Lk 7:30).

A voice is calling out loudly: It was possible to kiss the Torah, read the Holy Scriptures, talk about the divine Plan of Salvation, preach the coming of the Messiah and His forerunner Elijah (Mt 17:10), sing the Psalms, keep the Sabbath, offer sacrifices, but then reject both the forerunner and the Messiah and not recognize the day of the gracious visitation (Lk 19:42-44). The great lesson to be learned is: Only those who believed the message of the forerunner and were baptized were able to then recognize and receive the Messiah.

“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Gal 4:3-6).

When the promise of Zec 9:9 was fulfilled and the Lord entered into Jerusalem riding upon the foal of a donkey (Lk 19:28-44), the believers rejoiced and shouted, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord!” The spiritually blind scribes wanted the people to stop the praise and worship (v. 39), but the Redeemer responded, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” Then He looked over Jerusalem and wept because of His grief: “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” This was followed by the announcement of the coming judgment: “For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” (vv. 41-44). In ad 70, the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple with his army. Even now, it is of utmost importance to partake in what God has promised for this time period.

A voice is calling out loudly: Since Adam and Eve, four thousand years had passed, during which they waited for the promised Savior Who was to come as the seed of God (Gen 3:15). When the time of fulfillment had come, the spiritual leaders and the people who believed them did not recognize the day of God’s gracious visitation. The religious leaders were blind leaders leading the blind; they misled the people through their own interpretations of the Scriptures. The following is said about those who did not believe in the Messiah: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” However, it is written about the believers: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name …” (Jn 1:11-12). Amen. That is how it was in the beginning. That is how it was in every church age. That is how it is today.