Pam Padgett ... teacher
John the Baptist speaking the word given to him by God, preached baptism of repentance and to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, preparing the way of the Lord ...
Luke 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of
Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of
Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas
being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of
Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the country about
Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4
As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet,
saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of
the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and
every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh
shall see the salvation of God.
7 Then said he to the multitude that
came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath
warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore
fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We
have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of
these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9 And now also the axe
is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
After John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus, Jesus spoke about John, saying ...
Luke 7:24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to
speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the
wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 25 But what went ye
out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are
gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings 'courts. 26 But
what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much
more than a prophet. 27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I
send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before
thee. 28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is
not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in
the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God,
being baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and
lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not
baptized of him.
It stood out to me that those who were baptized with the baptism of John
justified God. By believing and submitting themselves to the word of
God given to John, they testified that God is just. Unlike the Pharisees and lawyers who rejected the word of God, they upheld His word as being right and true.
When we submit ourselves to God by obeying His word we also justify God, testifying that God is just and His word right and true.