Just after the birth of Jesus we are introduced to John the Baptist and his ministry (in some gospel accounts we learn a bit about John and his family prior to Jesus’ birth). This makes perfect sense because the goal of John’s ministry is to prepare for the arrival of the Messiah in the world. The prophets foretold that God would come to his people (“advent”) and that there would be one who would prepare the way for him (Is 40). The incarnation of God that we celebrate during Christmas, is the coming of God into the world and John rolls out the red carpet for his arrival.
The fact that the world needed prepped to receive the presence of God means that the human heart is only prepared to receive God’s transforming presence under certain conditions. But, what are those conditions? To answer this question we look to John’s ministry.
John’s ministry was one of repentance. This means that repentance is precisely the place where God enters into our lives. It is a repentant, humble heart that is free of arrogance and self-centeredness that can receive God’s healing and freeing presence. It is the place of our lowliness, rejection, and honest and humble self-awareness that God says, “I will meet you there.” God promises that this is the place where he will make himself known. There is no room for God’s redemptive work in a heart that is full of pride and self-righteousness. The heart must be emptied of these things in order for God to arrive.
After all, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Mark 2:17).
For the missional church, this means that our human brokenness is the place where we reach the world. It was true of Jesus and it’s true of us today. It is in our woundedness that the healing power of God manifests in the broken world around us.
The fact that God first arrives in our lives in our humility is further evidenced in Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus says:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
These are blessed because these are ready to receive God’s presence. John prepares the way for God’s arrival into the world and into our live by working together with Holy Spirit in preaching humility and repentance.