This [John the Baptist] is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah. (Matthew 3:2–3, NIV 1984).
A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3, NIV 1984).
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and He will clear his threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:1-2, 5-6, 11–12, NIV 1984).
My Musings – The prophecies of Isaiah occurred during the reign of Ahaz, King of Judah, around 800 years before John began his ministry. The inclusion of this narrative in a fictional fabrication would have been completely unnecessary to the larger story. Yet it is details like this, along with the underlying ancient prophecy, that corroborates and lends credibility to the Gospel story.
My Advice – The harvest is approaching. Gathered wheat or burning chaff. The choice is ours. “Who [is warning us] to flee from the coming wrath?” (Matthew 3:7, NIV 1984). From becoming burning chaff? Just the entire Gospel story.
The Brew Is A Musing 