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From Heaven With Love
great men, in their rich robes, in the pride of rank and power, stood
before the prophet of the wilderness.
“Who art thou?” they demanded.
Knowing what was in their thoughts, John answered, “I am not
the Christ.”
“What then? Art thou Elias?”
“I am not.”
“Art thou that prophet?”
“No.”
“Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us.
What sayest thou of thyself?”
“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight
the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”
Anciently, when a king journeyed through his dominion, men
were sent ahead to level the steep places and fill up the hollows,
that the king might travel in safety. This custom is employed by the
prophet Isaiah to illustrate the work of the gospel. “Every valley
shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low.”
Isaiah 40:4
. When the Spirit of God touches the soul, it abases
human pride. Worldly pleasure, position, and power are seen to
be worthless. Then humility and self-sacrificing love are exalted
as alone of worth. This is the work of the gospel, of which John’s
message was a part.
The rabbis continued their questioning: “Why baptizest thou
then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?” The
words “that prophet” had reference to Moses. When the Baptist
[83]
began his ministry, many thought he might be Moses risen from the
dead.
It was believed also that before the Messiah’s advent, Elijah
would personally appear. This expectation John denied, but Jesus
afterward said, referring to John, “And if you are willing to accept
it, he is Elijah who is to come.”
Matthew 11:14
, RSV. John came in
the spirit and power of Elijah, to do such a work as Elijah did. But
the Jews did not receive his message. To them he was not Elijah.