“John testified about him and shouted out, ‘This one was the one about whom I said, “He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.”’” —John 1:15
Here we have John the apostle expressing for us the continuous testimony of John the Baptist. The Old Testament prophets constantly cried aloud pointing people to an awareness of their sins, yet John the Baptist came crying aloud pointing people to the awareness of their Savior.
Not at all blending with the world, dining on wild honey and locusts, donned in camel’s hair and leather, John came preaching repentance in the desert, proclaiming the kingdom of heaven was near and baptizing in the Jordan. He was a clarion call to the Lord’s people in the driest desert of life to prepare them for the coming of their Savior. Just as Isaiah the prophet had prophesied:
“A voice cries out, ‘In the wilderness clear a way for the LORD; build a level road through the rift valley for our God.’” —Isaiah 40:3
Are we well assured of the truth to which we bear witness and are we well affected toward it? This is how John the Baptist impacted his world for Jesus. This is how we impact our world for Jesus. We who know the truth must proclaim it to those who may be in the driest desert of life.
John the Baptist constantly pointed to Jesus. Our verse for today marks this truth: “He who comes after is greater than I am.”
John emphasized this truth in John 3:30 when he said: “He must become greater; I must become less.” It is not about us; rather it is all about Jesus. And as he pointed to Jesus, John did not try to blend with the world. He was in the world but the world was not in him. Jesus prays for His disciples in the same way:
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.” —John 17:15–18
John knew the truth and he was not afraid to speak it.
“Taking a stand for Christ is increasingly unpopular in our pagan and pluralistic society. If you believe that God created the world, that He is a God of both love and holiness, that Jesus died and rose again for our sins and is the only way to heaven, and that we have a responsibility to take that message to a needy world–those beliefs will vilify you in many segments of our society. Our world is determined to intimidate, marginalize, and silence Christians. But our goal isn’t popularity; it’s to know Him and make Him known. We shouldn’t be needlessly offensive, but we shouldn’t be afraid of the ‘offense of the cross.’ These are exciting days in which to bear a witness for our Savior!” —Robert J. Morgan
John the Baptist was zealous, constant, and passionate. We are to be likewise! Paul tells us in Romans 12:11: “Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.”
Become More
“If you keep in step with God, be out of step with the world.” —Anonymous
“The true Christian cannot be hid, he cannot escape notice. A man truly living and functioning as a Christian will stand out. He will be like salt; he will be like a city set on a hill, a candle set upon a candlestick. But we can also add this further word. The true Christian does not even desire to hide his light. He sees how ridiculous it is to claim to be a Christian and yet deliberately to try to hide the fact. “Christ has told us He will come, but not when, that we might never put off our clothes, or put out the candle.” —William Gurnall
Proclaim the truth of Jesus today!
Further Reflections
“A man who truly realizes what it means to be a Christian, who realizes all that the grace of God has meant to him and done for him, and understands that, ultimately, God has done this in order that he may influence others, is a man who cannot conceal it.” —Martin Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
“Our identity as Jesus’ followers should define and dictate our lives.” —Joseph Stowell, III
“We have the truth, and we need not be afraid to say so.” —John Charles Ryle