"Magabautiso sia sa inyo sa Espiritu Santo kag sa kalayo"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 3:1-12)

Domingo (Disyembre 8)

 Sa sadtong mga adlaw nag-abot si Juan Bautista nga nagawali sa desierto sang Judea.

Nagsiling siya, "Magbiya kamo sang inyo mga sala, kay ang Ginharian sang langit malapit na!" 

Amo ini nga Juan ang ginahambal ni Isaias nga propeta sang magsiling sia: "May nagasinggit sa desierto, 'Amana ninyo ang alagyan Para sa Ginoo, Maghimo kamo sing tadlong nga dalan Nga iya pagaagyan!"

Ang bayu ni Juan nahimo sa bulbol sang kamelyo, kag ang iya paha panit. Ang iya kalan-on apan kag dugos sa talon.

Ang mga tawo nagdugok sa iya halin sa Jerusalem, halin sa bug-os nga probinsya sang Judea kag halin sa mga duog sa palibot sang suba sang Jordan.

Gintuad nila ang ila mga sala kag ginbautisohan sila niya sa Jordan.

Sang pagkakita ni Juan nga madamo ang mga Fariseo kag mga Saduceo nga nagkadto sa iya sa pagpabautiso, nagsiling sia sa ila, "Mga kaliwat sang man-og, sin-o bala ang nagsiling sa inyo nga makapalagyo kamo sa kaakig sang Dios nga madali na lang mag-abot?

Pamatud-i ninyo sa inyo mga buhat nga nagahinulsol kamo sang inyo mga sala.

Indi kamo magsalig nga si Abraham amo ang inyo amay, kay nagsiling ako sa inyo nga ang Dios makahimo sining mga bato nga mga anak ni Abraham!

Ang wasay handa na sa pag-utod sang kahoy sa iya gid puno. Ang tagsa ka kahoy nga wala nagapamunga sing maayo pagatapson kag ihaboy sa kalayo.

Nagabautiso ako sa inyo sa tubig sa pagpakilala nga nagahinulsol kamo, pero ang nagakari nga dason sa akon magabautiso sa inyo sa Espiritu Santo kag sa kalayo. Gamhanan pa sia sa akon, kag indi gani ako takos bisan pa sa pagbitbit sang iya sandalyas.

Ginauyatan na niya ang iya inugpahangin sa pagpain sang tinggas sa upa; dayon pagatipunon niya ang tinggas sa iya tambubo, pero pagasunogon niya ang upa sa kalayo nga indi gid mapalong!"

Prayers:

"Lord, let your light burn brightly in my heart that I may know the joy and freedom of your kingdom. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower me to witness the truth of your gospel and to point others to Jesus Christ."

***

Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

What kind of Messiah did God promise to send to his people and how would he bring God's kingdom to them? The prophet Isaiah forsaw the day when God would raise up a Messianic King long after King David’s throne had been overthrown and vacant for centuries. God promised that he would raise up a new king from the stump of Jesse, the father of David (Isaiah 11:1). This messianic king would rule forever because the Spirit of God would rest upon him and remain with him (Isaiah 11:2). Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be equipped with the gifts of the Spirit – with wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2 – for an explanation of the gifts see this helpful article). This king would establish the kingdom of God, not by force of human will and military power, but by offering his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. Through his death on the cross, Jesus, the true Messiah King, would defeat Satan, overcome death, and win pardon and reconcilliation for sinners. God's plan of redemption included not only the Jewish people but all the nations of the earth as well. Through his death and resurrection Jesus makes us citizens of heaven and friends of God. The Lord Jesus wants us to live in joyful hope and confident expectation that he will come again to fully establish his kingdom of righteousness and peace.

Why did John the Baptist prophesy that when the Messiah would come, he would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11)? Fire in biblical times was often associated with God's presence and with his action in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as the burning bush which was not consumed when God spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:2). The image of fire was also used to symbolize God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), his holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9), and his wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).Fire was also used as a sign of the Holy Spirit's power and presence (Matthew 3:11). When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Petecost, tongues of fire appeared over the heads of the apostles and disciples of Jesus (Acts 2:3). The fire of the Holy Spirit purifies and cleanses us of sin, and it inspires a reverent fear of God and of his word in us. Do you want to be on fire for God and for the return of the Lord Jesus when he comes again in his glory?

John the Baptist's life was fueled by one burning passion – to point others to Jesus Christ and to the coming of his kingdom. Who is John the Baptist and what is the significance of his message for our lives? Scripture tells us that John was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15, 41) by Christ himself, whom Mary had just conceived by the Holy Spirit. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth John lept in her womb as they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41). The fire of the Spirit dwelt in John and made him the forerunner of the coming Messiah. John was led by the Spirit into the wilderness prior to his ministry where he was tested and grew in the word of God. John's clothing was reminiscent of the prophet Elijah (see Kings 1:8). John broke the prophetic silence of the previous centuries when he began to speak the word of God to the people of Israel. His message was similar to the message of the Old Testament prophets who chided the people of God for their unfaithfuless and who tried to awaken true repentance in them. Among a people unconcerned with the things of God, it was his work to awaken their interest, unsettle them from their complacency, and arouse in them enough good will to recognize and receive Christ when he came. Are you eager to hear God's word and to be changed by it through the power of the Holy Spirit?

Jesus tells us that John the Baptist was more than a prophet (Luke 7:26). John was the voice of the Consoler who is coming (John 1:23; Isaiah 40:1-3). He completed the cycle of prophets begun by Elijah (Matthew 11:13-14). What the prophets had carefully searched for and angels longed to see, now came to completion as John made the way ready for the coming of the Messiah, God's Annointed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. With John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit begins the restoration to the human race of the "divine likeness", prefiguring what would be achieved with and in the Lord Jesus. John's baptism was for repentance – turning away from sin and taking on a new way of life according to God's word. Our baptism in Jesus Christ by water and the Spirit results in a new birth and entry into God's kingdom as his beloved sons and daughters (John 3:5). Jesus is ready to give us the fire of his Spirit that we may radiate the joy and truth of the gospel to a world in desparate need of God's light and truth. His word has power to change and transform our lives that we may be lights pointing others to Christ. Like John the Baptist, we too are called to give testimony to the light and truth of Jesus Christ. Do you point others to Christ in the way you live, work, and speak?