The bible seems to indicate the John the Baptist was a person of significance and influence in the time leading up to Jesus' appearance on the public scene. Whether by title or just his influence, he was a leader. Then Jesus comes along and John gives us an incredible picture of humility.
I was reading the end of John 3 and saw something in a new light. John's disciples were concerned that people stopped following John and followed Jesus. Wouldn't you be concerned? You are an influential person in your field (a leader) and all of a sudden people leave you and start following someone else. Humiliating, don't you think? Wouldn't you be filled with self doubt that you weren't good enough or maybe feel bitterness or envy towards the person that "took" your followers away? I think I would. Well John's response (as you probably already know) is "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, ans is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less." What a lesson!
2 comments:
I love it. For John to be able to know that is was Christ shows the depth of his relationship with God. We hold on to what we know and can't see when God is doing the new because he have missed seeing Christ and focus on what we are doing, not what God is doing
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