One Voice for Di Wilderness

Di river full with people. People stand inside di brown water, e reach dem knee. And for di bank, one man wey im voice be like thunder dey shout: Make una ready! Somebody dey come!

Luke arrange di scene like historian. Na di fifteenth year of di emperor Tiberius. Pontius Pilate na governor of Judea. Herod Antipas dey rule Galilee, and im brother Philip dey rule di lands for north-east. Annas and Caiaphas hold di office of high priest. Names wey get power, for places wey get power. But di word of God no come to any of dem. E come to John, di son of Zechariah, for inside di wilderness. And John go round all di country wey dey near di Jordan River, dey preach baptism of repentance for di forgiveness of sins.

Luke say na exactly dis one di prophet Isaiah describe, plenty hundred years before. One voice dey call for di wilderness: make una prepare di way of di Lord, make una straighten im paths. Dem go fill every valley, dem go bring every mountain and hill down. Di crooked roads go become straight, and di rough ways go become smooth. And all people go see di salvation of God. Imagine workers wey dey prepare road because king dey come. John work na to build road. Only say di road dey pass through di hearts of people.

Crowds dey pour comot from di towns to come baptise. And John no dey sweet-talk dem. Una wey be children of poisonous snake! Who warn una make una run from di anger wey dey come? Like snakes wey dey run comot from bush fire. Make una show with di way una dey live say una don truly turn back. And make una no dey tell una self say, we dey okay, Abraham na our father. I tell una, God fit raise children for Abraham from dese stones. E point to di trees for di riverbank. Di axe don already dey for di root. Every tree wey no bear good fruit, dem go cut am down.

Di crowd shake. Wetin we go do then? And John answer na something wey person fit hold for hand. If you get two coats, give one to person wey no get. If you get food, share am. Tax collectors come to baptise. Everybody know say dem dey often collect pass wetin dem suppose collect. Teacher, wetin we go do? No collect pass wetin dem tell una. Even soldiers ask. And we nko? No collect money from anybody by force or by false accusation. Make una dey satisfied with una pay. Repentance, e come be say, no be only feeling. E dey show for your wardrobe and for your pocket.

People begin wonder. John fit be di Messiah? John answer all of dem. I dey baptise una with water. But Person wey get power pass me dey come. I no worthy to loose di rope of im sandals. Dat one na servant work, and John say e no even fit do am. Na im go baptise una with di Holy Spirit and with fire. With plenty other words, Luke say, John encourage di people and tell dem di good news. But John boldness go cost am. E rebuke Herod Antipas because e take Herodias, im own brother wife, and for all di other evil things wey Herod don do. So Herod add one more wrong to di list. E lock John for prison.

No be only di Bible dey talk about John. Di Jewish historian Josephus, wey write near di end of di first century, mention John, wey dem dey call di Baptist. E describe am as good man wey dey tell people make dem live right with one another and fear God, and make dem come for baptism. Josephus say Herod fear di way John get influence over di crowds, and e lock am for di fortress of Machaerus, for di east side of di Dead Sea. Luke give di moral reason. Josephus give di political reason.

One voice for di wilderness. You go find am for Luke chapter three, verse one to twenty. John no point to imself, e point to di One wey dey come. And e talk di truth, even to king. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. If you ask John, wetin I go do, which answer wey you fit do for real life you think say e go give you?