Slideshow image

December 20

The Wilderness

Text: Luke 1:80

I cannot imagine what it is like to be an older parent. I had my kids at 25, 28, 34 years old. I will have my youngest out of the house (hopefully) when I am 51. We are not sure how old Zechariah and Elizabeth were, but they had clearly passed the childbearing years. They were old. Because of this reality, it is logical to think that they died fairly early in John the Baptist’s life. The words of Luke are curious here.

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. (Luke 1:80)

Scholars argue whether John was raised by the Essenes, a group of ascetics. One scholar wrote this: 

The Essenes were a Jewish mystical sect somewhat resembling the Pharisees. They lived lives of ritual purity and separation. They originated about 100 B.C., and disappeared from history after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Essenes are not directly mentioned in Scripture. Interest in the Essenes was renewed with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were likely recorded and stored by the Essenes.

The question is often asked, "Was John the Baptist a part of this group?" Maybe. But what has always intrigued me is what “the wilderness” represents in the Bible. It is viewed as a desolate place, a dangerous place. It was the place where the Israelites wandered for 40 years and the place that Jesus fasted for 40 days. It was a place to wrestle with God, a place to find solitude. Every spiritual mission seems to be preceded by a time in the wilderness. Even Saul of Tarsus was blind for three days, trapped in the wilderness of his mind, being prepared to be the legendary apostle to the Gentiles. Is God beckoning you to the wilderness? You should go. A mission awaits. 5 more days till Christmas.