John 1:14-28
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and f is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders h in 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 Messiah.”
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 wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ” m
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, 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 straps 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. [1]
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What is striking in today’s passage is John the Baptist’s relentless pointing to Jesus, the “one who comes after me.” John refuses the attention directed toward himself, denying that he is anything more than the “voice of one calling in the wilderness.” Apparently the crowds were willing to label him as the Prophet or as Elijah or even the Messiah himself. But John refused all of this, and instead pointed them to the one coming after him.
Our daily lives bear little resemblance to that of John the Baptist. But the call to live a life that points to Jesus is the same. Our fallen nature exerts a powerful gravitational pull toward ourselves, directing our thoughts, feelings and actions in a self-centered direction. The culture around us provides ample distractions to draw our attention in numerous directions, little of it Godward. John serves as an icon, shouting in the wilderness that his life is not about himself. And neither are our lives. All that I am, all that I have, all that I hope for is a gift from my Savior. And having been redeemed, ransomed and claimed by Him, the purpose of my life is to glorify Him, to serve Him, to trust Him, and to proclaim Him.
How can I live this day for the glory of Christ? How can I keep the direction of my thoughts, words and deeds toward proclaiming Him? How can I resist the self-centered gravitational pull, and so continually turn my gaze upon Jesus, and so influence others to do the same?
Lord Jesus, let Your Spirit lead me this day to give glory to You in all that I do.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 1:14–28). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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