Turn The Lights Back On

“He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.” (Joh 5:35 AV)

I wonder what changed?  I wonder why John the Baptist had a great response to his ministry, but the LORD did not.  A great multitude came to be baptized of John in the river Jordan.  They were willing to confess their sins.  There was great revival under this push for national repentance.  Thousands upon thousands came to John in the wilderness.  Yet, when Christ was at His peak, he only had 500.  What was the difference?  Why did they rejoice in the light for a season and not continue?  Perhaps the specific application of a general idea became too uncomfortable.

When John the Baptist performed his ministry, he was calling the nation to repentance in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah.  When these converts were baptized, they didn’t know who the Messiah was.  They understood the general idea of the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and David.  What they didn’t know was in whom these promises would be realized.  Then, Jesus came to be baptized of John in the wilderness.  The Spirit descended from above.  The voice of God was heard.  The Messiah was revealed.  As a result, the converts declined.  In fact, this declination was noted by John and his disciples.  They noticed that John had more converts than Jesus did.  This was their struggle over the truth that Jesus was the Messiah.  Shouldn’t the Messiah make more converts than John?  So, what happened?

Perhaps the people were committed to the idea of a Messiah, but when He arrived, understood there were changes that had to come as a result of his coming.  They were committed to the general idea of a Savior.  What they were not committed to was what it personally meant to them.  Sort of like when a church votes to undertake a large project.  Everyone is for it until the work starts.  Then, all of a sudden, it is down to a few.  This is the challenge of a disciple.  What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?  What is the difference between a believer and a disciple?  What does it mean to be a child of God?  Does it mean we go to heaven when we die, or does it mean far more?  The length of our joy is the manifestation of our maturity.  The disciples counted it all joy they were able to suffer for the glory of God.  A far cry from the joy of a baptism.