Matthew 11:7-8 “And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? [8] But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.”
Psalm 4:3a “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself…”
The Principle of Consecration
One of the first characteristics we see in the life of John the Baptist that made him great in the eyes of the Savior was his consecration.
For someone or something to be consecrated simply means that the individual or object being spoken of has been set apart for a specific use or purpose.
For example, in the Old Testament, the priests would consecrate themselves, their priestly garments, and even the instruments they used while ministering in the temple. They did this in order to set themselves apart for the work and service of the LORD their God. Exodus 30:30 “And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.”
As believers in Christ, we are instructed to live lives of consecration as we daily separate ourselves from this old sinful world and unto our Lord and Savior.
In II Corinthians 6:17 we are instructed to “come out from among them [unbelievers], and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you…” In II Timothy 2:21 we are further admonished to live in such a way that we may be a “vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.”
These passages teach us that, as believers, our lives are to be separate and distinct from the world as we seek to serve our Master by remaining sanctified (set apart), meet (suitable or available), and prepared for His service so that He may accomplish “every good work” in and through our lives.
With these Scriptural truths in mind, the following questions must be raised and answered. “Are we living lives that are characterized by daily consecration unto the Lord? Are we willing to go wherever God sends us, and are we eager to do whatever He commands? Are we truly set apart unto the LORD and surrendered to do His bidding and answer His call in life?”
How prudent it would be for every believer to echo the words of the prophet, Isaiah, by crying out to the Lord in prayer, “Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
Let us now consider the ways in which the principle of consecration affected the life of John the Baptist.
The Cost of Consecration
When John chose to live a life that was consecrated (or set apart) unto the Lord His God, his decision was not made without consequences. There were several things that John voluntarily gave up in order to walk the path that God had chosen for him in life.
A Change of Dwelling
Consider if you will the fact that John, who was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth (Luke 1:5-25), was born into a priest’s home. This placed him, by birth, in a privileged class among those in Jewish society, for the priests of the Lord were held in very high esteem in those days. Yet, the gospel record tells us that John was willing to leave his comfortable situation and instead dwell in the barren wilderness regions around the Jordan River.
Why would he do this? What would cause John to give up a life of comfort and relative ease in the home of a priest in order to dwell under the heat of a blazing sun by day and sleep under a canopy of stars on the desert sand by night? The answer to these questions may be summarized by stating that it was the will of God for Him to live in this manner in order that he would one day be able to minister in a very special way to God’s people as the forerunner of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
John’s father, Zacharias, had been told by the Angel Gabriel in Luke 1:15 that John would be “great in the sight of the Lord” and “filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.” In verse 16, Gabriel went on to tell Zacharias that John’s God-given purpose in life would be to turn “many of the children of Israel… to the Lord their God.” In verse 17, the angel of the Lord further stated that John would “go before him [the Messiah] in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
God’s divine plan for John’s life was that he would be the forerunner of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 40:3), and although John may not have been able to see it at the time, even his years spent in the wilderness regions of Judea were a part of his preparation for this special ministry. In fact, John’s obedience to the call of God upon his life to forgo the comforts of home and follow God’s plan was orchestrated by the Lord to fulfill an important Old Testament prophecy. In Isaiah 40:3, the forerunner of Christ is referred to as a “voice” crying out in the “wilderness.”
A Change of Diet
John’s diet also changed dramatically as a result of his consecration and surrender to the call of God upon his life. When he began his ministry in the wilderness, John transitioned from enjoying the pleasant foods of the cities and villages to which he had been accustomed and instead began subsiding upon the wild locusts and honey that the land around him supplied as he ministered to the crowds which gathered there to hear him preach.
Like his predecessor, Elijah the prophet (who was fed by ravens while dwelling at the brook of Cherith), John never complained about how God provided for him. Instead, John marveled at the way in which His God could “provide a table” even in the “wilderness” just as David had sung about in the beautiful 23rd Psalm.
While this may seem like only a little thing to some, we should note that John was willing to make whatever sacrifices were necessary in order to serve his Lord and Savior. We should also observe that a multitude of well-meaning Believers have been spiritually sidetracked or even destroyed because they refused to give up something little in life that later came back to harm them in a big way. This is why the Holy Spirit warns us about “the little foxes, that spoil the vines” in Song of Solomon 2:15.
A Change of Dreams
Another aspect of John’s character that was affected by his consecration to the Lord was his decision to set aside his own ambitions and dreams in life in order to fulfill the plan that God had for him. John willingly gave up his opportunities to receive titles and prominence for the cause of Christ.
As the son of a priest, John could have entered into the priestly orders (which was a very lucrative occupation in those days due to the corruption of the entire Jewish religious system) and eventually joined one of the twenty-four courses (or divisions) into which the temple ministration was divided.[1] Being a priest in the land of Israel was an exclusive and honored position to hold at any time in the nation’s history, for only Jewish males born into the tribe of Levi and descended from the family of Aaron could enter the holy orders.
John was blessed to have been born into this unique bloodline and to possess this rare pedigree. The opportunity he had to become one of Israel’s priests and to eventually minister in the ornate temple recently expanded and enriched by Herod was something that those in other tribes and families could only dream about. However, this was not the Lord’s design for John’s life; and to his credit – John was more concerned with fulfilling God’s plan (even if that meant serving in the wilderness) than he was with fostering man’s praise.
Although he probably could not have fully realized it at the time, God had a much higher call for John’s life than serving as a priest in a temple built by man. His role would be to preach of the coming Messiah, Who would become, and today is, the great High Priest for all mankind (Hebrews 4:14).[2] Christ’s eternal temple is in Heaven where He ministers continually before the mercy seat of God the Father, and because of Christ’s divine ministry those who have trusted in Him may “come boldly unto the throne of grace” in order to “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
A Change of Desires
In John’s day, we are told that the priests, scribes, and elders were the Jewish societal elites. They were held in great reverence and high esteem, sat in the chief places in the synagogues, and were the guests of honor at feasts and dinners (Mark 12:39). The common people showed them deference and respect by making way for them as they passed through Jerusalem’s crowded streets wearing their beautiful robes and ostentatiously displaying their phylacteries (or prayer boxes, Matthew 23:5).[3]
As a young man, hearing the praises of the multitudes and observing the honors that were heaped upon the priestly class, John may have entertained ambitions of climbing the societal ladder of his day, using his father’s connections and talents to become one of Israel’s greatest and most revered teachers.
John, as the son of Zacharias the priest, had the opportunity to climb high in life and pursue these selfish ambitions had he chosen to do so. However, John gave up seeking the praise of men and the popularity of society to instead live his life telling others about the Person of Jesus Christ!
John turned his back on the beautiful priestly robes his father had worn and instead dawned simple garments made from the skins of camels (Mark 1:6). He gave up the comfortable standard of living he could have enjoyed as a priest and instead chose to dwell in the barren wastelands of Judea as he spent time alone with his God. No doubt he soon discovered that the Jehovah God of Israel was the One Who could make “streams in the desert” (Isaiah 35:6) and marveled at God’s presence and provision in such a barren place.
Instead of seeking the accolades and tributes from the multitudes, as others in his priestly class often did, John instead desired that all those around him would come to know, respect, and love one name – and that was the name of Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God Who had come to take away the sins of the world! John 1:29 “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The Blessings of Consecration
Although there was a cost to John’s consecration, the blessings his yieldedness to Christ brought about in his life far exceeded any sacrifices he had made along the way.
A Genuine Closeness with the Lord
One of the greatest blessings John experienced as a result of his consecration in life was a personal closeness to his Lord that he would not have otherwise experienced. As a result of his time spent alone with his God in quiet regions of the Judean deserts, it soon became evident that John was more in touch with the Lord than he was with this old world. The 46th Psalm, which was penned by the sons of Korah, teaches us the importance of finding moments of reverent worship in the still and quiet seasons of life. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).
The closer we draw to the Lord in our personal relationship with Him, the further from the world we will naturally become. In the words of songwriter Helen H. Lemmel, as we “turn [our] eyes upon Jesus” and draw closer to Him in life, “the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”
An onlooker may have noticed that John’s manner of dress (camel’s skin and a leather belt), his lifestyle (a wilderness recluse who lived off the land), and his preaching techniques (which were anything but scholarly discourses that tickled the ears) may not have been in vogue with the society of his day; and John’s methods and behaviors were no doubt much different from that of the Jewish scribes, priests, and elders who would eventually travel from their synagogues to hear him speak on the banks of the Jordan River.
However, it was undeniable to all who met him (both educated and illiterate) that John knew God in a real and personal way; and this helped to explain why John (who had not been trained in the rabbinical schools of his day) was able to preach with such boldness and clarity from the Scriptures that “the kingdom of heaven [was] at hand…” (Matthew 3:2).
A Genuine Power from the Lord
A second blessing that John experienced as a result of his whole-hearted consecration to the Lord was the evident power of God upon his life and ministry!
God had a specific purpose for John to fulfill in life (to bear witness of His Son); and because John yielded his life completely to God, he was granted the power to accomplish this monumental task! Christ Jesus would later promise His power to all Believers who will likewise yield themselves to do the work of the Lord in the world around them. Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
The power of God upon John’s preaching ministry could be seen in the fact that he did not go to where the crowds and congregations were; instead, the people came to him from all of the many regions around his wilderness cathedral. Matthew 3:5 “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan…”
John’s ministry was not built on slogans, social media algorithms, or marketing surveys; and he did not utilize all of the state-of-the-art websites and trendy new church programs that are available today in order to draw a crowd to come and hear him preach. Nor did John work to keep those who attended his services entertained with fleshly-driven music, flashing lights, and frivolous amenities while he attempted to sneak a subtle gospel presentation into the mix (just like momma used to do when mixing the peas into the mashed potatoes to get us to swallow them as kids).
No, John did not have all of these cutting-edge techniques and technology, nor were the numerous seminars and “how-to” books available to him in that day; but John did have something that is too frequently missing in our churches today – and that was the power of God upon his personal life and ministry! [4]
Literally, hundreds of thousands of Jews came to a wilderness (a desert place) to hear him preach over the course of his ministry (some Jewish sources believe that over a million people may have heard John preach before he was imprisoned).[5] Of the hundreds and thousands of men, women, and children who came to hear the “voice” of John as he cried out for God in the wilderness, many responded to his message of “repentance” by turning from their sins in faith to Christ as they looked ahead to the coming Lamb of God (John 1:29). Afterwards, they were baptized by John in the Jordan River, showing outwardly what had happened inwardly within their hearts. Matthew 3:5 “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, [5] And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”
Many times, we hear people talk about needing a good location in order to see a church or ministry prosper spiritually (and no doubt considering a location is important); however, often while we are busy looking for a better location or a newer program to enhance the work, God instead is looking for a yielded individual or group of individuals through which He can accomplish His work.
If God was able to build a church in the wilderness in John’s day without the aid of a good location, technology, or modern amenities, He certainly is not limited by the obstacles that present themselves today. He is limited only by our lack of faith in His ability! Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
Simply stated, our God can do anything, anywhere, at any time with any group of people, as long as they are willing to pay the price of getting close to the Lord, and as long as they will diligently seek to know Him and desire to experience His power in their lives. The Apostle Paul, whose life was characterized by consecration to His Lord, said this of Christ in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…”
How amazing and wonderful it is to observe the power of the Lord at work when it is unleashed in the heart and life of a Believer who is totally yielded and surrendered to do the work and will of the Lord. The great evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, once remarked, “The world has yet to see what God can do with and through a man fully consecrated to him. By God's help, I aim to be that man.”[6]
If giving up the world and all of its allurements brought John closer into God’s presence and thus enabled him to experience the filling of God’s power, then all of the sacrifice involved in his consecration was well worth the effort.
[1] According to Luke 1:5, John’s father, Zacharias, was a priest “of the course of Abia” (one of the 24 different divisions into which the priests were divided during the reign of King David). Each of the priests would minister in the temple for 5 weeks during the year in rotation with priests from the other courses.
[2] Hebrews 4:14 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…”
[3] Phylacteries (known today as "tefillin") are small leather boxes strapped to the left arm or forehead that contain portions of Scripture written on them. Jews who wear phylacteries do so in order to literally obey the instructions of Deuteronomy 11:18, “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.”
[4] While there is certainly nothing wrong with using modern technology (like television, radio, and the internet) and the many modern amenities that are available to us in order to aid in spreading the message of the gospel (as long as they are not sensual or sinful), we must never be fooled into thinking that a new technology or technique will ever replace our need for the power of the Lord to accomplish the work of the Lord in our world (I Corinthians 1:18, 2:5, Galatians 5:16, 25).
[5] John Phillips, Exploring People of the New Testament.
[6] William R. Moody, The Life of D.L. Moody by His Son
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