This is my Son (Matthew 3:1-17)

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. (Matthew 3:1-6 NIV)

The more we understand the clues God gave us about the Savior/Messiah, the more we see that only one person has fulfilled all the prophecies about God's chosen one.  Sometimes, the prophecies are about the people around the Savior/Messiah who will point to him.  John the Baptist fulfilled several of these prophecies.

Matthew does a nice job of quoting Old Testament Scripture for us so that we will recognize exactly how each person fulfills the prophecies about them.  John was being the "voice of one calling in the wilderness," as described in Isaiah 40:3 and following.  John was that voice.

"I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness...  (Malachi 3:1-3 NIV)

John fulfilled other prophecies about the one who would "prepare the way" for the Savior/Messiah.  Malachi, as you just read, prophesied that the messenger would prepare the way for the LORD to come.  When the LORD came, it would be a time of refiner's fire for the priests, leaders, and teachers of the law.  John told them that the time had come in no uncertain terms.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. "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."  (Matthew 3:7-12 NIV)

John wasn't just a "crazy man" who was living in the wilderness, eating locusts and honey, and yelling at people.  He was fulfilling the prophecies about the one who would prepare the way for the LORD.  The one preparing the way was actually the return of an Old Testament prophet.  That prophet was Elijah.

"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act," says the LORD Almighty. "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. "See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction." (Malachi 4:1-6 NIV)

When John fulfilled the prophecies about the return of Elijah, then Jesus came to fulfill more prophecies about the Savior/Messiah.  Jesus was the one John was preparing people to see.  Jesus was the Savior/Messiah.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, 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." Then John consented. As soon 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. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."  (Matthew 3:13-17 NIV)

When heaven opened up, the Spirit of God descended on Him, and the voice from heaven said, "This is my Son," the people of that day would have seen more and more prophecies being fulfilled right before their eyes.  We've already read Isaiah 42:1-9 (my Spirit upon him), Zechariah 12:10-14 (like a firstborn Son), so we won't read them again today.

Instead, today's focus belongs to John the Baptist, how he was Elijah returned, and how his part in God's plan pointed us right to Jesus.  Not only that, his part was to point us right to the LORD.  Jesus is the LORD - God in the flesh.

How about you?  Does God work through you to point people to Jesus?  Do you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh?  What is your part in His plan?