Chapter 11

John Readyim Way

SEVENTIN year hem go past finis from taem wea Jesus olsem 12-year-old pikinini hem askim kwestin long olketa teacher long temple. Distaem hem year 29 C.E., and evriwan they story abaotem John, kasin brata bilong Jesus, wea preach long evri ples raonem Jordan River.

Lukluk and toktok bilong John hem narawe stret. Kaleko bilong hem from hair bilong camel, and hem wearim wanfela leather strap raonem bele bilong hem. Hem savvy kaikaim grashopa and wild honey. And wanem nao message bilong hem? “Repent, from kingdom bilong heven hem kam klosap nao.”

Disfela message mekem pipol wea herem they interest tumas. Planti they luksavvy they need for repent, for change-im tingting bilong them and lusim no gud living bilong them bifor. So from evri ples raonem Jordan River, and from Jerusalem tu, staka pipol kam long John, and hem baptaesim them, putim them under long wata bilong Jordan River. Why?

John baptaesim pipol olsem wanfela saen, or way for luksavvy, hao they repent from heart bilong them for way wea they sin againstim Law covenant bilong God. So, taem samfela Farisi and Sadducee they kam long Jordan River, John hem tok strong long them. “Iufela pikinini bilong poison snek,” hem say. “Showim aot fruit bilong way for repent; and no say long iufela seleva, ‘Abraham hem father bilong mifela.’ From mi talem long iufela hao God hem savvy mekem olketa stone hia kamap olketa pikinini from Abraham. Ax hem stap finis long root bilong tree; so, evri tree wea no garem gudfela fruit bae they katem and torowem insaed long fire.”

From planti pipol interest long samting wea John duim, olketa Jew sendem olketa priest and Levite long hem. Olketa hia askim hem: “Hu nao iu?”

“Mi no Kraest,” John hem say.

“So hu nao iu?” they askim hem. “Waswe, iu Elijah?”

“No moa,” hem say.

“Waswe, iu nao Datfela Profet?”

“No moa!”

So they ask strong moa: “Hu nao iu? mekem mifela savvy talem olketa wea sendem mifela kam. Wanem nao iu savvy talem abaotem iuseleva?”

John hem say: “Mi voice bilong samwan wea singaot long wilderness, ‘Mekem road bilong Jehovah hem stret,’ olsem profet Isaiah hem talem.”

“So, why nao iu baptaesim pipol,” they laek for savvy, “sapos iuseleva no Kraest or Elijah or Datfela Profet?”

“Mi baptaesim pipol long wata,” hem ansa. “Midlwan long iufela wanfela hem stap wea iufela no savvy, dat wan wea bae kam bihaen long mi.”

John hem readyim way taem hem mekem pipol garem gudfela heart for acceptim Messiah, wea bae kamap King. John hem say olsem abaotem disfela Man: “Dat wan wea bae kam bihaen long mi hem moa strong winim mi, and mi no fit for tek-aotem sandal bilong hem.” Yes, John hem say tu: “Dat wan wea kam bihaen long mi hem winim mi, from hem stap laef bifor mi.”

So, message bilong John, “kingdom bilong heven hem kam klosap nao,” hem for talem pipol abaotem way wea ministry bilong Jesus Kraest, King wea Jehovah appointim, hem ready nao for start. John 1:​6-8, 15-28; Matthew 3:​1-12; Luke 3:​1-18; Acts 19:⁠4.

▪ John hem wanem kaen man?

▪ Why nao John baptaesim pipol?

▪ Why nao John savvy say Kingdom hem kam klosap nao?