Luke 3:3-6 (ESV)
And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
Baptism resembles the repentance for forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ. John was not just asking kindly the people to come to Jesus. But he cried out for repentance of sins so that Jesus, Immanuel, could dwell with us. In true repentance we are made new beings in Christ. God then through His Son's work in the crucifixion, when we believe this, the Holy Spirit dwells within us forever. And we grow in sanctification (Holy Spirit starts to purify you) with the Lord; learning more about His way and will in His word, the Holy Bible. In John 1:14 it reads, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (NKJV). The Word was flesh, and by God's grace we also have His Word to read today.
I am pointing out that John was crying out to people to repentance. He knew that the Messiah was coming so he prepared them for His coming. If we are to fulfil the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19), we must proclaim it to the unbelieving, crying out as John the Baptist did. We should be weeping for the unsaved souls. Some people say that we should love them and display Christ in our life. This is true, but the best way to display our love is to plead with them and cry out to them to repent and flee from sin and run to the Cross. He is waiting to embrace them. We should be proclaiming to them that God came down to dwell amongst us in the flesh, He bore our sins on the Cross and took the sacrifice needed so that we could be free from His judgement. How can they know there will be a judgement if we don't tell them about it? How many people laugh and scoff at you because you're a 'religious' Christian (believing everything in the Bible as truth)? How many people are angry at you for telling them how wretched they are and that they are going to Hell? If you truly love them you'd tell them about their sins, about Hell, and how wretched, filthy, vile, and corrupt they are, in enmity with God. How will they see their sins unless they hear the Word? How will they understand how good God is? How will they know there is a solution to life's biggest question, 'Why am I here'? How will they know who He is unless they hear the Word? How will they know there is an escape from eternal punishment unless they hear the Good News? Will you be that voice?
Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
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