John 1:19-31
19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."
21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"
24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." NIV
It has been said that John the Baptist was a strong, tough outdoors man who wore rough skins and lived on locusts and honey. Above all, he was a man of God, a man of integrity. The key verse in all of these is John's quote about Jesus coming after him, surpassing him because He was before him. John knew that Jesus was a distant cousin of his, that He was in fact the younger of the two. John's mother Elizabeth was already about six months along in her pregnancy when young Mary went up to stay with her in her early pregnancy. So when John said Jesus was before him that was profound and prophetic.
Jesus did come just as John predicted. Although none of us have ever been worthy to latch his sandals, Jesus washed His disciples feet to demonstrate genuine love and humility, then took our place on the cross for the sins of all humanity. This phenomenon is something I don't think any human being can fully grasp. I think sometimes we need to just sit and meditate on that.
That's what I will ask you to do today.
Sit quietly, put yourself at the foot of that cross as Mary did, on the day Jesus bled out for you, and see His suffering and purest love.
Immerse yourself in His blood as it spills from His wounds. Feel the warmth of it. Let His mother's tears wash over you.
Follow as Joseph of Aramathea, Nicodemus, Mary and His devoted followers carry his lifeless body to the tomb Joseph has given, all weeping and wailing. Allow your own tears to fall, cry out for your Lord, so unjustly murdered for us.
Repent. You are forgiven.
He lives!
You have been set free!
19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."
21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"
24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." NIV
It has been said that John the Baptist was a strong, tough outdoors man who wore rough skins and lived on locusts and honey. Above all, he was a man of God, a man of integrity. The key verse in all of these is John's quote about Jesus coming after him, surpassing him because He was before him. John knew that Jesus was a distant cousin of his, that He was in fact the younger of the two. John's mother Elizabeth was already about six months along in her pregnancy when young Mary went up to stay with her in her early pregnancy. So when John said Jesus was before him that was profound and prophetic.
Jesus did come just as John predicted. Although none of us have ever been worthy to latch his sandals, Jesus washed His disciples feet to demonstrate genuine love and humility, then took our place on the cross for the sins of all humanity. This phenomenon is something I don't think any human being can fully grasp. I think sometimes we need to just sit and meditate on that.
Sit quietly, put yourself at the foot of that cross as Mary did, on the day Jesus bled out for you, and see His suffering and purest love.
Immerse yourself in His blood as it spills from His wounds. Feel the warmth of it. Let His mother's tears wash over you.
Follow as Joseph of Aramathea, Nicodemus, Mary and His devoted followers carry his lifeless body to the tomb Joseph has given, all weeping and wailing. Allow your own tears to fall, cry out for your Lord, so unjustly murdered for us.
Repent. You are forgiven.
He lives!
You have been set free!
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