#Advent #endtimes
The Hope that John the Baptist gave to His followers was that the fulfillment of the promise was coming after him. He was laying the foundation for what was to come. Although the truth be told the foundation was set before the creation of the world. The voice, the Word of the LORD was to come to earth.
Joh 1:1-9 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."
This was the Hope that John the Baptist was to prepare us for. That the very creator would come in among the creation and give hope of a new creation a new order. Of course it is very difficult for a created being who has come to believe that they are the pinnacle, that they are their own masters to accept that they are but needy creatures.
Joh 1:10-11 "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."
Still harder is it for those who claim to be the guardians of truth, the purveyors of acceptable ways to approach God, to see through their dogma and rules into mystery. If as a leader one sees themself as a ruler instead of a servant and shepherd, it is very difficult to accept that you have been wrong. In your arrogance you might miss seeing the very thing you hoped for and have worshipped.
Joh 1:14-36 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.'I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel. And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"
He is Absolute Love, the savior of all who believe in Him, He is the good shepherd who cares for us and from conception He was from The Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God rested on Him. He was, is and is to come!
The Hope that John the Baptist gave to His followers was that the fulfillment of the promise was coming after him. He was laying the foundation for what was to come. Although the truth be told the foundation was set before the creation of the world. The voice, the Word of the LORD was to come to earth.
Joh 1:1-9 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."
This was the Hope that John the Baptist was to prepare us for. That the very creator would come in among the creation and give hope of a new creation a new order. Of course it is very difficult for a created being who has come to believe that they are the pinnacle, that they are their own masters to accept that they are but needy creatures.
Joh 1:10-11 "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."
Still harder is it for those who claim to be the guardians of truth, the purveyors of acceptable ways to approach God, to see through their dogma and rules into mystery. If as a leader one sees themself as a ruler instead of a servant and shepherd, it is very difficult to accept that you have been wrong. In your arrogance you might miss seeing the very thing you hoped for and have worshipped.
Joh 1:14-36 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said." (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.'I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel. And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"
He is Absolute Love, the savior of all who believe in Him, He is the good shepherd who cares for us and from conception He was from The Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God rested on Him. He was, is and is to come!
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