Setting the Stage

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Jesus didn’t just cleanse our sins and then leave the job of becoming righteous to us. In Jesus, God both forgives our sins and he makes us righteous!

Program Transcript

When John the Baptist began his work,
something new was happening. John was not only calling gentile proselytes to
baptism, but also the chosen people, the Jews. John sounded much like the Old
Testament prophets. He called the people to repentance. He condemned the
corruption of the leaders.  He warned of
coming judgment, and he foretold the arrival of the Messiah.

That didn’t set well with the priests,
Levites and Pharisees. So a delegation traveled out to the desert to confront
John.

In the first chapter of John we see,

“…they
said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What
do you say about yourself?’ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I
am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the
Lord.” Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, ‘Why then do you
baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’ ‘I baptize
with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the
one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’”
(John 1:22-27
NIV)

John told his inquisitors that he was only
a messenger. His job was to prepare the way for the one who had real authority,
the one who was coming soon, and whose sandals John was unworthy to loosen.

The baptism of John was the same – a sign
of the reality to come, a symbol of the cleansing of sins and turning away from
sin and death. But there was another, far greater baptism to come, John
said. The one who would come after him – Jesus – that would baptize with the
Holy Spirit.

We are not made righteous by water or by
committing ourselves to good works. Only Jesus takes away our sins, and only
Jesus makes us righteous. 

We all know what we repent from. But
the greater question is who we repent toward. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:10, “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through
the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved
through his life!” (NIV)

Jesus didn’t just do half the job by cleansing our sins and then leave the job
of becoming righteous – to us. In Jesus, God both forgives our sins and
he makes us righteous!

Truly, our Redeemer lives, and he lives for
us!

I’m Joseph Tkach – speaking of LIFE.

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Program Transcript

When John the Baptist began his work,
something new was happening. John was not only calling gentile proselytes to
baptism, but also the chosen people, the Jews. John sounded much like the Old
Testament prophets. He called the people to repentance. He condemned the
corruption of the leaders.  He warned of
coming judgment, and he foretold the arrival of the Messiah.

That didn’t set well with the priests,
Levites and Pharisees. So a delegation traveled out to the desert to confront
John.

In the first chapter of John we see,

“…they
said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What
do you say about yourself?’ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I
am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the
Lord.” Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, ‘Why then do you
baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’ ‘I baptize
with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the
one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’”
(John 1:22-27
NIV)

John told his inquisitors that he was only
a messenger. His job was to prepare the way for the one who had real authority,
the one who was coming soon, and whose sandals John was unworthy to loosen.

The baptism of John was the same – a sign
of the reality to come, a symbol of the cleansing of sins and turning away from
sin and death. But there was another, far greater baptism to come, John
said. The one who would come after him – Jesus – that would baptize with the
Holy Spirit.

We are not made righteous by water or by
committing ourselves to good works. Only Jesus takes away our sins, and only
Jesus makes us righteous. 

We all know what we repent from. But
the greater question is who we repent toward. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:10, “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through
the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved
through his life!” (NIV)

Jesus didn’t just do half the job by cleansing our sins and then leave the job
of becoming righteous – to us. In Jesus, God both forgives our sins and
he makes us righteous!

Truly, our Redeemer lives, and he lives for
us!

I’m Joseph Tkach – speaking of LIFE.

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