The Word of God will come to us who are in the wilderness.
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness” (Luke 3:1–2).
As I meditate on this passage, I want to receive the lessons God gives through it.
(1) The Word Came After Centuries of Silence
(a) When I reflect on the words, “The word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the wilderness” (Lk. 3:2) three meaningful insights arise:
(i) First, this marks the moment when God’s word broke through four hundred years of prophetic silence. After centuries without revelation, the living Word once again spoke—this time, not in a temple or palace, but in the desolate wilderness.
· I am reminded of Amos 8:11: “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign LORD, ‘when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.’”
- Even in an age like ours, when sermons, podcasts, and online resources overflow like a flood, I sense that Amos’s prophecy has come true. We are surrounded by the information of God’s Word, yet starved for the hearing of it in our hearts.
n At such moments, I remember the hymn “I need Thee every hour”: “I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.” Indeed, there is no greater joy than hearing the voice of our Lord.
(2) The Word Came in the Wilderness
(a) Second, I am drawn by the place where the Word of God came—“the wilderness.”
(i) The Greek word “ἐρήμῳ” erēmos) means “a desert” or “a desolate place.” This barren setting is not accidental; it powerfully underscores John’s message. While the grand highways of Rome displayed imperial power, John stood in the barren wilderness to proclaim a greater kingdom—the Kingdom of God (Internet).
· His ministry fulfilled Scripture: “John came preaching in the wilderness of Judea” (Mt. 3:1). Yet it also symbolized a separation from the corruption of Jerusalem’s priesthood. The crowds who left the city to seek John show that genuine repentance sometimes requires leaving the familiar centers of culture and religion in order to encounter God afresh (Internet).
- In Luke 3:2, the high priests Annas and Caiaphas represent this spiritual corruption. Annas, the former high priest, persecuted Jesus and His followers, while Caiaphas, his son-in-law, plotted Jesus’ crucifixion. Amid such religious decay, God’s voice was not heard in the temple—but in the wilderness (Internet).
n And yet, paradoxically, Scripture teaches that the wilderness is often the very place where God’s presence and provision abound. As one reflection beautifully states: “In Scripture, a ‘desert’ (érēmos) is ironically also where God richly grants His presence and provision to those who seek Him. The limitless Lord shows Himself strong in the ‘limiting’ (difficult) scenes of life” (Internet).
(b) The wilderness is where God reveals His strength in our weakness. It is there we learn that “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deut. 8:3). Therefore, we must be willing—sometimes even intentionally—to enter the wilderness.
(i) It is there, before God’s holy presence, that we bow low, listen to His gentle voice, and are transformed. In the solitude and stillness of the wilderness, our souls are renewed and made alive again.
· There, we drink deeply from the streams of living water that flow from Jesus, our Rock (Jn. 7:38). There, we are filled afresh with the Holy Spirit. There, we discover that even the wilderness can become a place of joy.
(3) The Word Came as a Call
(a) Finally, the word that came to John was not merely a word of comfort—it was a word of calling.
(i) Luke 3:4 quotes Isaiah 40:3: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
· John’s divine calling was to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord by proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Lk. 3:3). His mission was to ready God’s people for salvation through repentance and renewal.
- Thus, John preached in the wilderness of Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” (Mt. 3:1–2)
(b) When I meditate on this calling of John the Baptist, I am reminded of how the Lord called me as well.
(i) During the 1987 college retreat of Victory Presbyterian Church, through the late Pastor Young-ik Kim’s sermon on John 6:1–15, the Lord spoke to my heart and gave me a mission.
· That calling remains: to meditate on His living Word day and night, and to share it with others.
- Unstoppable and unending calling—to meditate on His living Word day and night, and to share it with others. This is my calling.