22 Desember, 2007

JOHN THE BAPTIST , A FIGURE IN ADVENT


Tokoh Johanes Pemandi adalah salah satu tokoh dalam masa Adven. Ketika orang - orang Yahudi mengutus beberapa imam danorang - orang Leviuntuk menanyakan dia "Siapakah engkau?" Jawabnya: "Aku bukan Mesias". "Akulah suara - suara yang berseru di padang gurun : Luruskanlah jalan Tuhan! Seperti yang dikatakan nabi Yesaya". Joh 1: 19 - 23 , bandingkan dengan Yesaya 40 : 3 ). "Hiburkanlah, hiburkanlah umatKu, demikianlah firman Tuhan allahMu, tenangkanlah hati Yerusalem dan serukanlah kepadanya, bahwa perhambaannya sudah berakhir, bahwa kesalahannya telah diampuni". Katakanlah kepada kota - koya Yehuda : Lihat itu Allahmu , lihat itu Tuhan allah, Ia datang dengan kekuatan dan dengan tangannya Ia berkuasa. Lihat mereka yang menjadi upah jerih payahNya ada bersama - sama Dia, dan mereka yang diperolehnya berjalan dihadapanNya. seperti seorang gembala Ia menggembalakan kawanan ternakNya dan menghimpunkannya dengan tanganNya; anak - anak domba dipangkuNya, induk - induk domba dituntunNya dengan hati - hati (Yes : 1 - 11 ).

The prophet Isaiah spoke of John as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" telling the people to get ready for the coming of Jesus. John told them that Jesus would be greater and mightier than he, and that he was not worthy to loosen the straps or even carry the sandals of the Lord.
He was dressed in clothes made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. He lived in the desert and ate locusts and wild honey.
He went through all the country around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Crowds of people came confessing their sins and he baptized them in the Jordan River.
He told them that they must live right. They asked him what they should do. He said that if they had two coats, they should share with a person who did not have a coat, and if they had food, they should share with those who did not.
The tax collectors asked what they should do, and he told them to be honest in their collection of taxes and to not collect more than they were required to.
The soldiers asked what they should do, and he told them to not take money from people illegally, to always tell the truth and not falsely accuse people. They were to be content with their pay and not grumble about it.
John always spoke the truth, even when people didn't want to hear it. He fearlessly confronted King Herod with the evil things he had done. Eventually, this stand for the truth cost John his life.

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