John 1:19-23 (ESV): 19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John’s primary role was to be a witness of the coming messiah. In order to ascribe authenticity to himself, he sets himself within the context of Isaiah 40:3 when he says, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’” He makes clear that he is a prophet that was spoken of in the scriptures and so John is a herald announcing that the kingdom has arrived. The messiah is upon us. A message of this nature would of course bring crowds as there was much anticipation of the messiah at this time. However, John would have been forgotten if it had not been for the fact that the messiah actually did come. John was the opening act of the grandest story in all of time — the truest story of all time!
There is also one thing especially that I take from John the Baptist more than any other figure in the New Testament. John was a man called for a very specific purpose. He had a very short ministry. He had no glory for what he did. And as we find out in the other gospels, he would pay with his life for being a prophet. John forsakes it all for the gospel. In our rather cushy time in America, it is John who reminds me of so many things that get lost.
First, we cannot expect anything materially in this age. We are not all going to be as wild as John, but we need to avoid being in chains for our materialism.
Second, we need to focus on doing what we are called to do, no matter how small it may seem and no matter the cost. Our focus should not be on what we get out of this world, but on the Kingdom of God.
Third, we have to be prepared to pay the ultimate price. We may not pay physically as John did, but we might. But, either way, we need to die to this world and follow Christ.
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Walking through the Bible is a verse by verse study of the Bible. A small segment of verses will be looked at each time and a brief, but relevant study of the text will be conducted.
I hesitated to address this issue because of the many reactions to this issue, for which it has quickly become a very divisive issue. However, now that I have had more time to think about it, I feel it warrants a few thoughts. I will not get too lengthy, however, so if you would like a more detailed analysis, check out the twitter feed for some links to some well written articles on this matter.
At the heart of man, we find a near constant hunger for glory. It can be seen in almost all of our activities, from stadiums full of people watching a sporting event to a president displaying his bravado as he confidently gives a speech. We can be found seeking glory on the battlefield, or in the office, in the boxing ring, or in the classroom — and many other places. Isn’t that in the end one of our greatest sins? We are made to display the glory of God, but we subvert it to seek our own imitation glory instead. And yet, in the end, we will all display the glory of God.
