FOR OR AGAINST

FOR OR AGAINST

Luke 7:18-35

Are you for the Lord or against Him. Sometimes it is seen in how you respond to God's man. Jesus praised John the Baptist. John was discouraged and in prison. He sent word to Jesus to inquire if He was the one for Whom they had waited, or should they look for another. Jesus sent the messengers back with encouraging words to John. Not only that; He assured the people of the greatness of John saying there was none born of woman greater than he :28. He reminded the people of John's ministry to prepare the way of the Lord :27. On the other hand Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and lawyers. He rebuked them for rejecting John's baptism :30, "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him."  He likened them to children who were upset when their pals did not do as they expected. Like children they had thus rejected Jesus. Being religious leaders they would have been expected to support the Master, but they rejected Him.

Jesus commended His hearers. First in verses 22, 23 He sent word to John saying, "...Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." He showed them as justifying God by accepting John's baptism. Now of course God needed no justifying as we are used to hearing that word of God's grace in declaring the sinner righteous. In accepting His baptism, however, the people were declaring God was right to send John. They were also declaring John's message and baptism as being from the authority of the righteous God.

Their being baptized was quite significant as is ours. Their being baptized by John showed their faith in John's message and in the One of Whom he spoke. Let us remember that earlier John had seen Jesus in His congregation, and he bore witness to Him saying, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” John 1:29. "Behold the Lamb" refers back to Abraham's prophecy spoken to Isaac when he said, "God will provide himself a lamb." "That taketh away the sin of the world" looks back to the scape goat which symbolically bore the sins of Israel into the wilderness never to be seen again. John was saying that Jesus was both, being the Lamb of God Which taketh away the sin of the world. The people who were receiving John's baptism were declaring their faitth in that message. Our faith should also be professed in our receiving the baptism of John (the only legitimate baptism).

Rejecting John's baptism is quite serious. One can go to Heaven by God's grace without it. Nevertheless he will suffer loss, for see what the Lord said about those who rejected John's baptism :30 "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." According to Jesus, those who rejected John's baptism rejected the very counsel of God against themselves. Some today deny that it was Christian baptism. If it is not; then we do not have a baptism. It was the baptism of Jesus and all those of whom the Lord started the first church. The Lord never gave another baptism, and the Lord pronounced the counsel of God against those who rejected it. Are you for the Lord and the baptism He commended, or are you against Him and His baptism?