The End of Waiting, the Beginning of a New Era
(Luke 3:15–17, 21–22)
Our Gospel passage for this day invites us to reflect on the long wait the people of Israel endured for the Messiah. They lived under the yoke of the Roman Empire and local rulers, longing desperately for God’s promise of salvation. However, the weight of reality pressed down on them, and faith rooted too heavily in temple sacrifices and legal observances could sometimes drain their spirits. At that time, religious life largely depended on priests who oversaw temple sacrifices and enforced the Law. These sacrifices were sacred ways to stand before God and seek forgiveness. Yet people sometimes risked losing sight of God’s heart if they only focused on following rules and formal rituals. The poorest among them could barely afford the offerings required, and certain temple authorities—like the Sadducees—used their positions to hold power over the people.
In the midst of this difficult situation, a voice rang out in the wilderness. It spoke against legalistic thinking confined to the temple. It proclaimed true repentance and opened a new way for salvation. That voice belonged to John the Baptist. We know that, in Jesus’ and John’s day, there were three major religious groups in Jewish society. The Pharisees honored both the Torah (the five books of Moses) and oral traditions, believing in the resurrection and angels, yet they were sometimes criticized for formality and hypocrisy. The Sadducees were mostly made up of priestly aristocrats with strong control over the Jerusalem Temple. Because they only accepted the Torah, they denied teachings like resurrection and angels, and after the Temple was destroyed, they disappeared from history. The Essenes left the cities and the corrupted temple system, retreating to remote locations for strict purity and communal living—like the Qumran community, which is known for the Dead Sea Scrolls.
John the Baptist adopted a life that seemed similar to the Essenes—wearing camel’s hair and eating locusts and wild honey. However, unlike the Essenes, who tended to live in closed communities separated from the outside world, John stayed in the wilderness yet preached repentance publicly. This was his special calling. He was born to Zechariah, a priest serving in the Temple, and Elizabeth, who was related to Mary, the mother of Jesus. According to Scripture, John received a special calling even before his birth, and his very birth was miraculous. Although he came from a priestly family, John did not remain in the Temple system but went out into the desert. That wilderness was harsh and lonely, but there he devoted himself entirely to God’s Word. His camel’s hair garment and simple diet symbolized his firm commitment to focus on God alone, in a time he believed to be spiritually corrupt.
When we look at John’s choice to live in the wilderness, his modest eating habits, and his rough clothing, we see they were not just for show. He was determined to avoid worldly temptations so he could respond wholeheartedly to God’s call. A life of strict discipline is not its own goal, but rather a way to love God deeply and listen to God’s will. As we reflect on our own faith, we have to ask: “What truly comes first in our lives?” Like John, are we ready to put aside worldly success or ambition to remain faithful to God’s calling?
During John’s ministry, people who wanted forgiveness from sin normally had to go to the Jerusalem Temple and offer sacrifices. This burdened the poor, and the Sadducees and priests who controlled temple rituals profited from it. Such a system limited God’s grace to the privileged classes. John overturned this pattern when he began to offer a “baptism of repentance” in the wilderness. He insisted that genuine repentance and inner change mattered more to God than ritual alone. He taught that if people received baptism with water and turned their hearts to God, they would receive God’s forgiveness. This was a shocking idea at a time when the Temple’s authority was absolute. Yet it opened the possibility of grace to everyone, including the poor.
John’s ministry not only challenged religious authorities but also took on political power. He publicly condemned Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, for taking his brother’s wife—an immoral act. This bold prophetic stance put John’s life at risk. Herod feared the people’s respect for John and hesitated to harm him, but Herod’s wife, Herodias, resented John. Through her daughter Salome’s request, she had John arrested and eventually beheaded (Mark 6:17–28). This shows John was more than a religious innovator; he was a true prophet who spoke against corruption. He drew large crowds in the wilderness, and some even thought he might be the Messiah. But John was clear about his identity. He once proclaimed, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” signifying that Jesus should become greater while he became less. Thus, John accepted his role as “a voice” preparing the way for Jesus.
At this point, we recognize how John rose above ordinary human desires and focused entirely on God’s plan. We might recall Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: starting with physiological needs like food and water, then safety, then belonging and love, next esteem or honor, and finally self-actualization at the highest level. While many seek esteem—recognition, status, or honor—John the Baptist deliberately chose to forgo this fourth level of need, prioritizing instead his ultimate calling. He did not seek worldly fame but dedicated himself fully to revealing Jesus to the world. This was not merely self-denial but a conscious pursuit of his God-given mission, which led him beyond the need for esteem to a deeper self-actualization. To the world, it may have seemed as if he was lowering himself, but in the grand story of salvation, he was actually achieving the fullest realization of his purpose.
When Jesus came to be baptized by John (Luke 3:21–22), we see a powerful sign of a new age beginning. Even though Jesus was sinless, He entered into the very place where sinners repented, taking upon Himself the burdens of humanity. This action points to a new era. John’s call—“Repent and change from within!”—found its deeper completion in Jesus. Yet John’s humility and restraint stand out as well. Some believed he was the Messiah because he was so popular, but John insisted: “I am only preparing the way for the One who is far greater.” He knew how easily people can be tempted by success or admiration, and he was determined to remain faithful to God’s bigger plan.
Sometimes we also rely on rituals or outward forms for a sense of security. But John’s message is that without genuine repentance, these forms are empty. True repentance is not merely regret; it is a complete change of our life’s direction. Rather than just fixing one mistake, it involves moving the very center of our lives back to God. This kind of repentance shakes our inner being and leads us to act differently. Even though John spoke boldly about radical change, he never tried to be a hero. He always pointed people to Jesus and stepped back, so that God’s plan could be revealed more clearly through him.
In this way, John teaches us what it looks like to say, “I’m not the main character—God is the one directing the story of salvation, and I am just a humble servant.” When we understand our proper place and carry out the task God has given us, we too experience true repentance and a new beginning. Just as the Messiah came to an Israel weakened by formality and oppression, Jesus promised to baptize us “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). The first step to enter this promise is to turn our hearts back to God. And that repentance must include humility and self-restraint, like John’s, so that we do not glorify ourselves but reveal God’s work in our lives.
Even now, the voice crying out in the wilderness echoes in our hearts, inviting each of us to reflect on how we respond to this call. True humility allows God’s presence to shine more clearly in our lives, and as we open our hearts and turn to Him, we are led beyond formality into true transformation. May we follow the path of John the Baptist—not seeking to exalt ourselves, but finding true renewal as we take our rightful place in God’s grand design. Then, we will discover that the end of our waiting indeed becomes the beginning of a new era. Through genuine repentance and inner renewal, we will enter the gate of God’s kingdom.
Amen.
