Kim był Jan Chrzciciel? Jan Chrzciciel był człowiekiem, który został wybrany i oddzielony od ludu przez Boga i nie kłaniał się ludziom. Jan Chrzciciel był synem kapłana Zachariasza i Elżbiety, która była jedną z córek Aarona. Rodzice Jana Chrzciciela byli prawi przed Bogiem i postępowali nienagannie w posłuszeństwie wszystkim przykazaniom i obrzędom Pana. Za pośrednictwem swoich posłuszeństwo Bogu i ich dzieła, byli sprawiedliwi przed Bogiem. Nie żyjemy już w Starym Przymierzu, ale w Nowym Przymierzu. W Nowym Przymierzu, ludzie nie mogą już być uczynieni sprawiedliwymi przed Bogiem na podstawie swoich własnych uczynków, ale tylko przez wiarę w Jezusa Chrystusa przez Jego ofiarę i Jego krew. Jednakże, kiedy ludzie stali się sprawiedliwi, stając sięnarodzić się na nowo w Jezusie Chrystusie i są już nie grzesznikiem, Przyniosą owoc swego prawego statusu. Oznacza to posłuszeństwo Bogu i życie zgodnie z Jego wolą; Jego przykazania, które są również przykazania Jezusa IJego wola. Teraz, Spójrzmy na narodziny i życie Jana Chrzciciela.
Pojawienie się anioła Gabriela
Elżbieta była bezpłodna i nie mogła mieć dzieci. Zachariasz i Elżbieta byli już w podeszłym wieku. Zgodnie ze światem przyrody Elżbieta nie mogła zajść w ciążę i urodzić dziecka. Ale dla Boga nie ma rzeczy niemożliwych!
I tak się stało, że podczas gdy Zachariasz sprawował urząd kapłana przed Bogiem, Został wybrany do palenia kadzidła. Gdy Zachariasz wszedł do świątyni Pańskiej, a Zachariasz palił kadzidło, anioł Pański, Gabriel, ukazał się Zachariaszowi i stanął po prawej stronie ołtarza kadzidła. Gdy Zachariasz ujrzał anioła Pańskiego, Był zaniepokojony i ogarnął go strach. Ale Gabriel powiedział mu, że nie powinien się bać i że modlitwa Zachariasza została wysłuchana. Gabriel powiedział Zachariaszowi, że Elżbieta urodzi syna i że on nazwie go Jan, co oznacza łaskę Jehowy.
Anioł Gabriel mówił dalej i mówił, że będzie miał radość i wesele i że wielu będzie się radować z jego narodzin. Bo Jan byłby wielki w oczach Pana.
Jan nie chciał pić wina i mocnych trunków. Lecz Jan miał być napełniony Duchem Świętym od łona matki i miał zwrócić wiele synów Izraela do Pana, Boga ich.
Jan miał iść przed Nim w duchu i mocy Eliasza, by zwrócić serca ojców ku dzieciom, a nieposłuszni mądrości sprawiedliwych; aby przygotować lud przygotowany na Pana, (Łukasz 1:17).
Zamiast cieszyć się po usłyszeniu tych słów, anioł Gabriel, Zachariasz powątpiewał w jego słowa. Zachariasz nie wierzył słowom Gabriela i obietnicy Pana. Zachariasz i jego żona byli już w podeszłym wieku. Dlatego Zachariasz uważał to za niemożliwe, że będą mieli dziecko, więc Zachariasz poprosił Gabriela o znak. Ale proszenie o znak należy do pokolenia niewiernego; the stary, cielesny człowiek (Mateusz 12:39). Z powodu jego niewiary, Zachariasz oniemiał i nie mógł mówić aż do końca dnia, że rzeczy, Stało się to, o czym mówił Gabriel.
Narodziny Jana Chrzciciela
Elżbieta zaszła w ciążę i urodziła dziecko. Kiedy dziecko było Obrzezany na Ósmy dzień, zgodnie z prawem, nazwali dziecko Zachariasz. Ale Elżbieta powiedziała im, żeby nazywali go Janem. Jednakże, ponieważ w rodzinie nie było nikogo, kto by miał na imię Jan, Zapytali Zachariasza. Zachariasz napisał na tabliczce do pisania: "Ma na imię Jan" i natychmiast Zachariasz’ język został rozwiązany, a Zachariasz przemówił i chwalił Boga.
Strach ogarnął wszystkich, którzy mieszkali wokół nich. I wszystko to się wydarzyło, została rozwiązana w całej górzystej krainie Judei. Ludzie, którzy je słyszeli, powiedział: "Cóż to za dziecko!"A ręka Pańska była z Janem.
Zachariasz został napełniony Duchem Świętym i prorokował:
"Błogosławiony niech będzie Pan, Bóg Izraela; albowiem nawiedził i odkupił lud swój, I wzniósł nam róg zbawienia w domu sługi swego, Dawida,; Tak jak mówił przez usta swoich świętych proroków, które były od początku świata: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.
And thou, dziecko, będzie nazwany prorokiem Najwyższego: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; Aby dać wiedzę o zbawieniu Jego ludowi przez odpuszczenie jego grzechów, Dzięki czułemu miłosierdziu Boga naszego; przez który nawiedziła nas jutrzenka z wysoka, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Łukasz 1)
John the Baptist grew up in the deserts
John the Baptist didn’t grow up among his people and didn’t have a childhood like most boys of his age. John was set apart by God for His service and he grew up in the deserts (Łukasz 1:80). We can only speculate about the age of John when Herod gave the command to kill all boys under the age of two (Mateusz 2:16).
Since John the Baptist was approximately six months older than Jesus, John could have been older than two years. But it could also be that John was two years and that this was the reason, why Elisabeth and John were led to the deserts by God, to prevent John to be killed by Herod.
Although Joseph and Maria went back to Israel after they stayed in Egypt, John stayed in the desert and grew up in the deserts until John was sent by God to His people.
John the Baptist was being prepared in the deserts by God, without being influenced and defiled by the culture and habits of the people of Israel. According to the world, John led a lonely quiet life, but it was all part of Boży plan for his life.
Because if John would have grown up among the people, he maybe would have considered their habits and works, which were sinful in the eyes of God, as normal. But because the Lord taught him in the silence of the deserts, separated from the people, he was totally devoted to God. John learned everything about the Kingdom of God, and he grew and waxed strong in the spirit.
John was being prepared in the desert, in order to prepare God’s people for the przyjście Mesjasza Jezus
John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance and the remission of sins
When the time had come, the word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness. John the Baptist obeyed the word of the Lord and went in all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance and the remission of sins, according to the words, which were prophesied by the prophet Isaiah (Izajasz 40:3-5). By preaching the baptism of repentance and confronting the people with their sins, so that they could remove their sins, he prepared God’s people for the przyjście Jezusa Chrystusa.
John was led by the Holy Spirit, instead of being led by his senses. Because he didn’t behold with his natural eyes, he confronted the people without making a distinction. John brought the works of darkness into the light.
John was bold and spoke with such authority, that they had to listen to him. The majority did listen to John, and asked him, what they had to do, and John answered their questions (Łukasz 3:10-14)
John the Baptist didn’t preach a gentle, motivational man-pleasing gospel. He didn’t preach what the people wanted to hear, but John the Baptist preached the truth of God; the gospel of God, and therefore John the Baptist preached corrections and chastened the people of God.
The people wondered if John the Baptist was the Christ, but John answered them, that he wasn’t the Christ. Because he only baptized with water (do pokuty). Jednakże, the Christ, Who would come, would be stronger than him, and John wouldn’t be worthy of unloosing the latchets of his shoes. Although John baptized with water, the Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Łukasz 3:15-7 (Przeczytaj także: ‘Czym jest chrzest ogniem?„))
John the Baptist didn’t bow to people and didn’t compromise
John was a bold man and spoke the words of God with authority. He wasn’t intimidated by the people and didn’t make any distinction between the people, but John the Baptist treated everyone equally. He made the will of God known to everyone and told them what they had to do and what they shouldn’t do. The fact, that John didn’t make any distinction between people became not only visible in the fact, that he confronted and addressed the evil works (the sins) of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but also the evil works of Herod.
John the Baptist didn’t bow to people and didn’t compromise and didn’t speak words that would please Herod the tetrarch. But John the Baptist stayed posłuszni Bogu and showed his love for God by staying faithful to Him and by keeping His commandments, which represent Jego wola. Therefore John the Baptist reproved Herod for his adultery with Herodias; the wife of his brother, and for all the evil works which Herod had done. Herod wasn’t pleased with John the Baptist’s reprove and therefore Herod locked John the Baptist up in prison.
While John the Baptist was in prison, John the Baptist’s disciples came to John and told John all the things about Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist heard all the things, which they told him, John the Baptist called two of his disciples and send them to Jesus to inquire Him, if He was the one, who would come or that they had to look for another.
John the Baptist had testified of Jesus and while John had baptized Jesus he was a witness of the fact that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus and that the voice of God came out of heaven and testified that Jesus Christ was His Son (Ocena 1:9-13). But despite all these things, John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus to inquire Him.
Jesus answered the disciples of John that they had to tell him, all the things, which they had seen. Ponieważ Jezus uzdrowił many of their infirmities, plagues, and evil spirits, and unto many that were blind He gave them their sight (Łukasz 7:18-23)
Why was John the Baptist the greatest among all prophets?
Jesus witnessed about John the Baptist in front of the multitude and told the people that among those, who were born of women there was not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but that he, who would be the least in the Kingdom of God would be greater than John (Łukasz 7:28).
What did Jesus mean by John the Baptist being the greatest among all prophets? Jezus miał na myśli, that John was the greatest among all the prophets and of all man, who were born of women, and belonged to the generation of fallen man; stare stworzenie and lived in the Old Covenant. Because although John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost, John still belonged to the old generation of fallen man. But anyone, who would be narodzić się na nowo in Jesus Christ and therefore would be born of God and transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God would, despite his or her position, be greater than John the Baptist.
John preached the gospel of God, which is the truth of God to the people and didn’t bow to the people. And because of the truth John the Baptist preached and because of the fact that John the Baptist didn’t bow to people, including Herod, and didn’t compromise, John the Baptist was taken captive and brought into prison.
How did John the Baptist die? Herodias hated John the Baptist, because John was responsible for not getting what she wanted, namely her brother-in-law Herod. And because of Herodias’ nienawiść, John the Baptist was beheaded.
John the Baptist’s loyalty and posłuszeństwo Bogu cost him his life, like so many others.
John the Baptist didn’t love his own life and had given his life to God. He didn’t want to be loved and accepted by the world, but he wanted to be loved by God. Jan kochał Boga ponad wszystko. John proved his love for God, by keeping His commandments and by preaching the call to repentance and the remission of sin.
God had separated John the Baptist and set him apart from the world, to prepare His people for the coming of His Son Jesus. And that’s why, John preached the baptism of repentance, the forgiveness of sin, and commanded everyone to remove their sins from their lives.
The world has become the valley of death
Żyjemy w epoce, where the world has become the valley of death, in which sin abounds. Most people do what they want to do, instead of doing what God tells them to do. They don’t listen to Jego przykazania, które są również przykazania Jezusa, and don’t live according to His will. Many think that they have a relationship with God, but the fact that they reject His commandments proves the opposite. Because if someone really loves God above all, then the person would do what pleases God, instead of pleasing ‘self’.
It is just like the time of Noah, when all the people ate, pić, and were feasting and had pleasures and only considered themselves.
While Noah obeyed the words of God and built the ark, in order to be prepared for the coming of the rain, the people didn’t have an eye for him. They didn’t listen to Noah, but they were too busy with their own lives and their own daily activities. Until fate struck, i spadł deszcz.
While Noah and his family and the animals were saved in the ark, the people and the rest of the animals drown in the water. No one wanted to listen to Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness, but they only had an eye and interest in themselves, and fulfilling the pożądliwości i pragnienia of their flesh (Przeczytaj także: ‘Jakie jest siedem cech charakterystycznych dni Noego?„)
It won’t be long before Jesus returns. And although many believers sing about His coming and pray for His coming, many live as though Jesus will never return.
But God wants His people to be ready for the coming of Jesus. And that’s why God prepares His people, just like God did in the time of John the Baptist when John prepared the people of God for the coming of Jesus Christ.
Teraz, it all depends if the believers are bold enough to show their love to Jesus Christ and God the Father, by staying obedient to His Word, i przestrzegając Jego przykazań, and confronting those, którzy należą do świata, including those who go to church, but still belong to the world and keep living in sin, with their sins and call them to repentance and the removing of sin. Aby, they won’t be lost but will be saved and receive eternal life. Don’t let the end be the same as in the time of Noah when only a few were saved by their obedience to God.
„Bądź solą ziemi’
