Matthew 3:1-2
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Have you ever wondered what John was doing in the wilderness? He was calling the nation of Israel to repentance, which means for them to simply change their mind about their actions. They were a people that were not thankful for what God had done for them and thought that they could do it on their own, sounds familiar doesn’t it. We at times get the same way. But the purpose of this is not why John was preaching but what he was preaching. He was not preaching the gospel of the grace of God, he was not telling those that Christ died for their sins. Instead he was telling them that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He was letting Israel know that their king was there to redeem them. John was in Judea, preaching to the nation of Israel not the Gentiles. So when we read the scriptures, we want to know who is talking, to whom are they talking to, when they are talking and what the context of the message is. All of this will help us in understanding God’s word especially the verses that are written to us as members of the body of Christ in Romans to Philemon.
Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith
2 Cor 5:14-15
