John 1:19-28
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 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?” 23 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.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Reflection
John the Baptist is a central character in John’s Gospel because of the unique role he played in God’s story of salvation. Like a bridge, John straddled the Old and New Testaments. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets, and at the same time he was the first messenger of the arrival of God’s promised kingdom in Jesus (Isa. 40:3).
Though John was recognized as a prophet, he was not the Messiah (God’s promised King, also known as the “Christ”), nor was he the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises (John 1:20–21). The whole Old Testament did not point to John. The Old Testament and John pointed to Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:1-9
3: But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
Reflection
Though some false teachers may respond to gentle correction (2 Tim. 2:24–26), many will not. Such people are dangerous for the Christians community and should be removed from the church (3:5). These people are “led astray by various passions” (v. 6), indicating that the driving power behind their agenda is their sinful desire. Rather than living with a passion for Jesus, the advancement of his gospel, and the praise of his name, these people are “lovers of self, lovers of money” (v. 2), and “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (v. 4).
When the Holy Spirit awakens us with the gospel, he changes the desires of the heart so that we now have the power to “put off [our] old self, which belongs to [our] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires” (Eph. 4:22). Christians are not people who have simply started living with new behaviors. At the most fundamental level, they are people who have been given a new heart (cf. Ezek. 36:26).
Psalm 20:1
20: May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
As long as you live in this world, your sinful desires are still lurking—even if you are trusting in Christ. Pray that God would help you to be alert today so that these desires do not sneak up and drive you into sin.