Psalm 16, 17; Dan 3:1-18; 1 John 3:1-10; Luke 3:15-22
Nebuchadnezzar sets up an image and commands the people to worship it. Who is the god being worshipped here, the image or the one who commands worship of it? The failure or refusal of the three men to worship the image is an affront to the king and a rejection of his authority. They know that the image is not a god and the gods of which the king speaks are also not gods to be feared or worshipped. They have a covenant with the God of all that is and that covenant precludes their worshiping any other so called gods. They trust the Lord’s protection that He is able to deliver them from the fiery furnace but even if He does not they are unwilling to bow the knee to anything else.
John knows who he is and who he is not. He refuses any suggestion that he is the Christ. He points to the one who is coming as so much greater than he that he is not fit to serve even as a slave. Unfastening the sandals was something even Jews who had sold themselves into slavery to other Jews could not be asked to do, it was too demeaning. John says that with respect to the one who is to come this is too exalted a task for him to perform. John’s great humility comes from understanding who Messiah truly is. When he speaks to men, even religious leaders, John’s words are not cloying they are bold and accusatory, but Messiah is a different matter. Do we understand how incomprehensibly great Jesus is and therefore how great His mercy and love are in calling us brothers and sisters?
John understood how great God’s love was in allowing us to be His children. We take that for granted sometimes and it is important that we always keep perspective on the matter. In the proper perspective we will be restrained from sin in order to show love to the Father for that great mercy He has shown us in Jesus. The great condescension of the incarnation, God becoming man, is unfathomable and no other religion in history has God coming down in love to dwell among human beings for their salvation. Mythology can have gods coming down because they fell in love with a woman or coming to wreak havoc but never becoming like us in order to save us that we might be like them. We become like Christ in practicing righteousness rather than sin. Our natures are to be changed and in that we become like the one who loved us enough to die for us. John warns, however, that this isn’t the way to popularity, the world didn’t recognize Him in Jesus and it won’t recognize Him in us either. Conviction of sin rarely wins popularity contests but it should point to the need for a savior. The illusion of goodness is shattered in the face of true righteousness.
Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
We soon shall hear th’archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!
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