THE TIMES, THEY ARE CHANGING– December 10 Lesson

Archeology demonstrates that a significant number of public buildings and synagogues in the first century had zodiacal designs on their floors.  During the time of Christ’s ministry on Earth the “heavenly signs” induced the people to look for significant changes.  

Conjunctions of Saturn and Jupiter are when the two planets appear to be superimposed, thus making their light noticeably brighter.  They are termed “Great Conjunctions.” These great conjunctions occur about every twenty years.  But once in about every 250 years does a great conjunction take place within a zodiacal sign moving from one “elemental sign to another”  for example from fire a fire sign to a water, earth or air sign.

In 26 BC a great conjunction occurred in the constellation of Leo, considered a fire sign astrologically.  A great conjunction occurred 20 years later in 7 BC occurred in Pisces, a water sign. Not only was it a Great Conjunction, but it was a “triple conjunction."  Jupiter and Saturn would remain together in the constellation of Pisces for eleven months and come in close conjunction three times. The triple conjunction is rare, occurring every 800 years.  To ancient astrologers, and hence much of the population, this signified the birth of a great prophet, a great leader who would usher in a new era.

In the Babylonian system Jupiter represented the star of the supreme God. Saturn was the "Steady One." The constellation Pisces was associated with the god of wisdom, life and creation.  The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces predicts, from Babylonian’s viewpoint, “the end of the old world order and the birth of a new king chosen by God."  The history of Herod bears out the observation that the people were looking for significant world changes, HE certainly did.  

Herod was crowned “King of the Jews” by the Roman Senate in 40 BC in Rome.  He was, however, a king without a kingdom.   Upon his return to the Land of Israel, he was given a Roman army and was eventually able to capture Jerusalem.  His first order of business was to eliminate his Hasmonean predecessors with the help of Mark Antony.  Herod killed 45 leading men in 37 BC;  he eliminated his brother-in-law, an 18 year old High Priest, in 35 BC; he had an elderly man strangled over an alleged plot to overthrow Herod in 30 BC; he had his is second wife killed in 29 BC and his Hasmonean mother-in-law executed in 28 BC. Around 20 BC, Herod remitted one third of the people’s taxes in order to curry favor with them, however, he did set up an internal spy network and eliminated people suspected of revolt.  The contemporary historian Josephus records these ruthless murders by Herod in order to keep his throne secure.  

Herod the Great became extremely paranoid during the last four years of his life (8-4 BC).  The great, but evil, potentate Herod, committed many savage acts during the last years before his death in 4 BC. He had three of his sons killed.  The first two in 7 BC the last, only five days before Herod’s own death in 4 BC.  Also in 7 BC, he had 300 military leaders executed.  In the same year he had a number of Pharisees executed after they predicted to the wife of Herod’s youngest brother, “that by God’s decree Herod’s throne would be taken from him, both from himself and his descendents, and the royal power would fall to her and Pheroras and to any children they might have.”  

It is historically demonstrated  that during the time of Herod the Great’s rule that the populace was expecting some “extreme change” in leadership.  Some looked for political changes (e.g. Zealots), some looked for religious changes (e.g. Essenes), some looked for personal changes (e.g. John the Baptist and Jesus).

A MESSENGER TO PREPARE

Following the destruction of Solomon’s Temple and the return of the Jews from their Babylonian captivity, it is noted that “although there was a partial return from exile … spiritually, the exile continued until the Messiah came.”  People were still “making do” wandering in the spiritual wilderness.  John the Baptist was a key figure in the preparation for the Messiah’s work.  

The prophet Malachi declared on God’s behalf: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, who ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he comes, saith Jehovah” (Mal. 3:1).  Note the distinction between the “messenger” who prepares the way, and the “Messenger of the Covenant,” for whom the way is prepared. The former is a reference to John, the latter is an allusion to Christ.  

John preached about the coming kingdom and the need to repent. The people were already anticipating such a change of eras.  John did not seek out the multitudes yet somehow, he attracted them.  His influence was phenomenal. And his success was solely in the message he proclaimed. The power of John’s preaching of God’s truth, together with the void in Israel’s hearts, was what attracted the people.

The prophet’s ministry was launched in a region firmly in the grip of a grossly pagan force, the Roman empire. A 19th century author notes of the times:

“It has been rightly said, that the idea of conscience, as we understand it, was unknown to heathenism. Absolute right did not exist. Might was right. The social relations exhibited, if possible, even deeper corruption. The sanctity of marriage had ceased. Female dissipation and the general dissoluteness led at last to an almost entire cessation of marriage. Abortion, and the exposure and murder of newly-born children, were common and tolerated; unnatural vices, which even the greatest philosophers practiced, if not advocated, attained proportions which defy description.”

It was into this world that John came with his message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Are OUR own times so different?

Since the inauguration of the Mosaic system — the “reign” of God had been focused in the Hebrew people. Now, a new phase–the “kingdom of God,” i.e., his reign among men, was about to commence. It would be a regime of a different composition than the old religious-political system. The Kingdom of Christ was not to be a this-world-oriented system.

Several things were required of those submitting to John’s immersion.  First, the candidate must possess a confidence in the Messianic message of the Old Testament.  Second, the baptism was one of repentance and motivated by a radical change in disposition and a reformation of living. Third, John’s baptism involved a “confession” of sin, and finally, the immersion rite was symbolically for the forgiveness of sins.  When these requisites were satisfied the individual was a part of that people “prepared” for the Lord. He was “ready” to be set in the Kingdom of God when it was formally launched (at Pentecost).

LOOKING FOR PROPHET OF THE COVENANT

John’s baptism was for those whose souls have already been purified beforehand by righteousness, who had examined themselves, repented of missing the mark where it comes to a relationship with God and who wanted to make an outward example of an inward change.

John used baptism as the central symbol or sacrament of his messianic movement, anticipating a messianic figure greater than himself.  The Messenger of the Covenant was Jesus, the one who invited all to come and see how he and his companions had already accepted the government of God, entered it and were living it.  John’s baptism was an outward symbolism of an inward cleansing.  

Jesus’ baptism was an inward baptism by the energetic Holy Spirit of God of those who repented and outwardly chose to follow God.

WAS JOHN JUST AN ESSENE?

The Essenes were a Jewish mystical sect somewhat resembling the Pharisees. They lived lives of ritual purity and separation. They originated about 100 B.C., and disappeared from history after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

John preached Jesus as the Messiah whereas the Essenes did not recognize Jesus as Messiah, but they thought that the Teacher of Righteousness would himself be an Essene. There was a strong organization among the Essenes that was missing among John the Baptist’s disciples. The Essenes considered themselves the true priesthood. Their founder, the “Teacher of Righteousness,” had withdrawn from the Jerusalem establishment in protest of its godless and corrupt practices and piety, teaching his followers to maintain a pure priesthood by rigorously avoiding ritual contamination and practicing daily ritual cleansings. The community sought to follow the letter of the Torah. The semi-ascetic Essenes, expected an apocalypse. They anticipated that from within their ranks a most holy high priest would join the royal Messiah after the cataclysms that were to come.

The Essenes’ audience was limited to an extremist fringe, those who so gave up on society that their only recourse was separation. The Essenes were essentially an isolated, priesthood-supremacy survivalist sect that fortified itself in an isolated place against the onslaught of corruption and the end of days.  The Essenes demanded ritual washings on a daily or even hourly basis. The Essenes’ baptism was limited to those initiated into the band of the pure and separated ones.

John, on the other hand, sought a broader hearing. John’s baptism was open to any repentant sinner who wanted to “prepare the way of the Lord.” He came to prepare the ordinary person for the end times. His approach was inclusive, while that of the Essenes was exclusive.

Was John the Baptist an Essene? in a simple word: No. His ministry was not based on the teachings of the Essenes, but rather upon the prompting of God's Holy Spirit.  Both John and the Essenes drew on Hebrew Scripture and the apocalyptic mood of the day. We see God’s hand on John as he went about preparing the way for the Lamb of God–Jesus. The heritage Of Jesus and John is forever. The heritage of the Essenes, however, lies in dusty ruins in the wilderness.

John was quizzed by both tax-collectors and soldiers about what they needed to do to be right with God.  Both of these positions required cooperation with the Roman Empire, and they were wondering if they had to quit their jobs. John tells them no, but to do their jobs in a righteous manner. This is important for us today as so many are required to cooperate with employers, states, and corporations that are, in part, engaged in immoral actions.

He cautioned them against trusting in their national privileges, nor did he advocate the forsaking of one’s ordinary state of life, but faithfulness and honesty in the fulfillment of one's duties, and the humble confession of one's sins.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST?

John’s adult life was characterized by devotion and utter surrender to Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

He was a man filled with faith and a role model to those who wish to share our faith with others.  John was merely a messenger sent by God to proclaim the truth. There are several lessons we can learn from the life of John the Baptist. First, whole-heartedly believing in Jesus Christ is possible. John the Baptist could have believed in and worshipped any number of gods available to him before Jesus arrived on the scene. But at some point in his life John knew that the Messiah was coming. He believed this with his whole heart and spent his days “preparing the way” for the Lord’s coming (Matthew 11:10). But the road was not an easy one to prepare. Daily he faced doubters of various influence and popularity who did not share his enthusiasm for the coming Messiah.

Second, anyone can be a strong and serious witness for Jesus Christ. John’s life is an example to us of the seriousness with which we are to approach the Christian life and our call to ministry, whatever that may be. We pattern our lives after John’s by first examining ourselves to be sure we are truly in the faith. Second, like John, we are to know and believe that “to live is Christ and to die is gain”, so we can be fearless in the face of persecution and death. John lived his life to introduce others to Jesus Christ, and knew the importance of repenting of one’s sins in order to live a holy and righteous life. And as a follower of Jesus Christ, he also was unafraid of calling out people such as Herod and the Pharisees for their sinful behavior.

Third, John shows us how to stand firm in our faith no matter what the circumstances. As he lived in an occupied country, John was aware that anything contrary to utter devotion to the king or emperor was asking for trouble. Yet his message of loyalty to God was unchanging, bold and strong. It was John’s belief, his message, and his continual rebuke of King Herod that landed him in prison.

John’s mission was to “make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Lk. 1:17). Our mission is not so different–help prepare those around us so that when the Lord comes to them they will be ready to receive him.