Luke 7:30 “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.”
And why not? Why were harlots and tax collectors baptized while the spiritual leaders of the Jews were not? Was it just that they did not go to John? Did they simply shun him? No. They went. But they came to him as a show, and everybody knew it. John’s baptism was for the repentant. It meant that a person knew he or she was unprepared for the Messiah. The Pharisees and teachers of the law thought they were already prepared. They came to John, but he wouldn’t baptize them. Instead, he called them out for their unrighteousness.
So, against the will of Almighty God, the leaders of the Jews maintained their pride and did not take advantage of the opportunity to illustrate humble obedience. The ministry of John had been very successful among the mass of the people. Had the leaders of the Jewish nation validated his ministry, the preparation for the Christ would have been complete. As it was, they did not validate John because he identified them as the hypocrites they were. They refused to come to repentance for they felt they had nothing to repent for.
Heavenly Father, You alone are worthy of all praise and honor. I often forget that means You are worthy of repentance in my heart as I approach You. I need not know of a specific sin to ask of You forgiveness. A contrite heart is a condition happy enough to maintain at all times. I seek to glorify You by an attitude of repentance when I come to praise You. You are worthy of more than I can be on my own. I must come and bow and humbly say that only by the salvation that the Lord Jesus has secured can I even be seen before You. I will put my hand on my mouth and humble myself in awe. You cannot be compared to anyone or anything completely. I may understand You better by some things in Your creation, but nothing is a complete picture. You are always far above it all! Thank You for being the One Whom I may contemplate forever, and yet still be understanding better even then. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.