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from “Why Did John Doubt?”

be so busy talking about, "'Did I really just read that? Did that really just say that? Can I really do that? Can I really believe that?' In the Scripture I read you, in Luke, chapter 7, it's interesting, because the person who is doubting is not one of the twelve disciples. Instead, we find a person who actually had a job that preceded and in some ways was priority above the twelve disciples. See, the twelve disciples you read about…Matthew, all of these guys you read about…Peter and Andrew…all of these guys you read about…they follow Jesus. This character came before Jesus. In fact, the Bible calls him a voice in the wilderness. We're talking about, I know that voice. Before the voice of Jesus spoke, the voice of John spoke. Here's what he said. "'Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight the crooked path.' In fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, he came, declaring, "'Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.'" That was John. It was John, you may remember, who baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Oh yeah, John's voice was powerful. He would stand out and preach with no microphone, no PA system, no screen support, and nobody really to give him an amen because what he was preaching was so controversial it challenged their lifestyle. As he preached, "'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' The people would stream out into the wilderness, into the desert, to be baptized by John." Imagine his shock when Jesus, the one whose voice was meant to herald into the earth as a human, when Jesus showed up to be baptized by John. Let's look at that for a moment in Matthew, chapter 3, before we go any further. When Jesus came to be baptized by John, he was already busy baptizing others. In Matthew 3, verse 11, John said, "'I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.' He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.' Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. How can he who had no sin be washed in the water for the remission of sin? That's what John is wondering. But John tried to deter him, verse 14, saying, "'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' Jesus replied, "'Let it be so now. It is proper for us to do this, to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was not being baptized so that his sin could be washed away. He was being baptized so that yours could.'" In other words, he's perfectly fulfilling all of the righteous requirements because he knows that we can't. Then John consented, and as soon… Verse 16. As Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. A voice from heaven, the voice of the Father from heaven with the Holy Spirit alighting, a voice from heaven said, "'This is my Son, whom I love with him. I am well pleased.'" John heard it in the Jordan. He heard the affirmation. I mean, you talk about confirmation, affirmation, knowing it's God. John heard a voice from heaven saying, "'This is the one.'" So how, in

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