"There was a Man"

 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. (John 1:6-8 ESV)

John the Baptist was sent from God as a prophet to announce the Word that became flesh—a cousin of Jesus, but not a familiar cousin. There is no scripture in which they are known to have been close family or associated with each other, as much as some entertainment programs would have one believe.

Yet John had a purpose. He knew Jesus was the Messiah when he saw him and when the Spirit descended upon Him during the Baptist's baptism of Jesus. Just as our scripture says, John the Baptist was a witness and bore witness that Jesus is the Savior. Not once did John claim to be the Son of God, the Messiah, or a Savior. John knew his mission and humbly fulfilled it, always pointing to Jesus, not himself.

There is no scripture in which John tells anyone about who he was, how God spoke with him, or anything about His special relationship with God. It was not about John; it was about Jesus. Most likely, no one would have cared about John had he not spoken about Jesus.

Most people would not have been able to understand or comprehend John’s life and God’s intervention in it. The first-century Jew would have most likely called Him a blasphemer. In fact, did it matter to them at all? After all, it did not happen to them. It did not affect them, nor did it help them in their struggles. They did not even associate John with Isaiah, who wrote about him. (Isaiah 40:3)

However, when John spoke about the coming Messiah and the need for repentance and baptism, people listened. Not only did they listen, but they also flocked to hear John talk about the one they had anticipated throughout their history.

Can you see where I am going with this? God sent John to proclaim that the kingdom had come near. We, too, are sent by God to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, we do not often act like John. We speak about ourselves; it is our testimony. While we should testify to our salvation, most people cannot relate to what happened to us, and really, we did nothing, although we may somehow make it seem as though we did. All we did was sin, and do we really want to boast about our sinning? Martyn Lloyd Jones preached an excellent sermon on this perspective. Each story of salvation is different, and if we share ours, many may dismiss it, saying, “That did not happen to me.”

It is our passion for the Gospel, the treasure we find in Jesus, and the light we project that opens doors for God to save. We did not do anything to contribute to our salvation. We heard the word, Christ gave us His grace to understand it, and our need for a Savior, and we, because of His grace and mercy, believed. Just as John spoke of Christ, the need to repent and believe, people responded, knowing nothing about John. They speculated a great deal but knew very little about his life.

John was humble, very humble. How humble are we in our testimony? When engaging an unbeliever about Christ, we need not say anything except what the Spirit gives us. The Spirit guides our words, and when we speak about Jesus, it's not about us, but about God using us as His instrument. Have you ever started talking about Jesus to someone, and the words just come out? You might not even remember what you said, but God used it. Like John, it is not about us, but about God's work in us.

I am not saying we do not testify; what I believe is that we need not go into detail, embellish, or tell our entire life story. If you knew me before Christ, you would not believe the person that stands before you now. Simple enough for me. I am not who I was by the power of Christ.

Speak the Gospel. As Paul said, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” It is not about eloquence or grandeur; it is about sharing the simple, powerful message of the Gospel. Speak the word, speak the Gospel, and let God do the rest.

If you do not know Christ and have questions about Him and salvation through faith in the Lord, remember that you are not alone. Reach out to us here at In Messiah. We love to talk about Jesus and what He has accomplished.

Grace and Peace.