THE KING’S BUSINESS
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tion was, “the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins” (cf. Acts 2:38), i. e., repentance publicly confessing its renun ciation of sin in baptism and resulting in God’s dismissing the sin of the one thus baptized. More than seven centuries before this, Isaiah had prophesied of John’s coming (Isa. 40:3-5; see A. R. V.). All these intervening centuries nothing seemed to have come of this prophecy, but God had watched over His word and now fulfilled it; just as He is now watching over His Word concerning the Second Coming of Christ and will fulfill it in due time. John came at last: as usual God’s Word had been fulfilled to the letter. Friday, October 8. Luke 3 :7-9. John’s preaching drew “multitudes.” His preaching was real and vital and the power of the Holy Spirit was upon him (ch. 1 :15), and that always draws crowds. They were deeply moved and wished to renounce their sins publicly by baptism. Many of them belonged to the ruling religious and ec clesiastical classes (Matt. 3:7). But John did not flatter them or mince words. His head was not in the least turned by his popularity and success. He was evidently no trimmer and no adept at honeyed words. He did not “cultivate the wooing note” (nor the cooing note). There are times when just such language as John used is needed to wake men up. The present day is just such a time. Jesus also used it (Matt. 12:34; 23:33; John 8:44). John believed in a coming “wrath” of God against sin. The doctrine was no more popular then than now, but it was true, and men needed to hear about it (and they do today) : so this faithful man of God preached it. He did not ask what men desired to hear but what they needed to hear. The God-sent preacher never thinks that what men wish to hear is what they ought to hear. John de manded something more than the mere out ward baptism in water as a proof of the genuineness of' their repentance, “fruits worthy of repentance.” The Jew trusted in
his being a descendant of Abraham, to whom and to whose seed the promise came (Gen. 17:7, 8), to square him with God. That is not enough; John tejls them, “God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abra ham” (cf. Gal. 3:29). That was the death knell to the hope of centuries. Another and better foundation of hope must be found (Acts 4:12). The'hour of judgment was right at hand: the axe was lying right at the root of the tree and the woodsman will shortly take up the axe and down will come regardless of its ancestry, not only every tree that bears bad fruit, but every tree that does not bear good fruit, and into the fire it will go. Saturday, October 9. Luke 3 :10-14. The same cry that later would rise at Pentecost is the result of John’s preaching, “What then must we do ?” That is the kind of preaching that is worth while; not the preaching that makes the people praise the preacher, but the preaching that makes the people eagerly and anxiously ask what they must do. John’s answer was very practical: Show that you love others as you do yourself by treating them as well as you do yourself; have especial regard not to the man you need, but the man who needs you. The despised publicans and rude sol diers are also attracted to John’s preach ing and are welcome. They are told not to give up their work but to conduct it hon orably, with a due regard to the rights and interests of others. The points where they were' likeliest to fail were pointed out. Sunday, October 10. Luke 3:15-17. John’s preaching caused an immense stir. The expectation that he was the long ex pected Messiah ran high. But his enor mous popularity had not turned his head in the least (cf. John 3:28-30). He told gladly of a mightier One than himself who was coming. His description of that mightier One is marvelous: “He shall bap tize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.” The
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