John's Testimony

Who Are You?

John was in the desert preaching and many were coming to hear him preach and get baptized. So many people were coming to see him that it drew the attention of the Pharisees. They sent some priests and Levites out to check on him and what He was doing.

The first question they asked him was ,”who are you?” this question needed to be answered because of what people were saying about him and what he was doing. People must have presumed that he was the Christ and word got back to the Pharisees. This is indicative of how he answered. He said, “I am not the Christ!” There were only 3 people that were suppose to baptizing Jews. They were the Christ, Elijah, or the prophet that Moses spoke about. This is why they asked him if he were any of these. He proclaimed that he was none of those.

They demanded an answer from John. I find it fascinating how he answered. He did not say that his name was John. He did not say he was son of Zechariah the priest. He did not identify himself by his profession. He did not say that he was a Jew. He identified himself based on his calling!

23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” John 1:23

Notice that he did say he was THE VOICE. He said he was a voice. He did not want the attention or the glory for what God was doing. He simply said that he was a voice that was telling people to repent and get right with God. He was one that was going to announce the coming of Christ.

This is a difficult question to answer.

How would you answer the question? Many may say I am teacher or preacher or doctor or nurse or entrepreneur. Some may say I am a republican or democrat. Some may say I am a baptist or Methodist. There are many ways that you can answer the question, but the one rarely given is God’s purpose for your life.

Have you ever took some time to find out your purpose. It can be multifaceted. It can be spouse, parent, occupation or any other myriad of answers. They can all be true, but have you ever thought why God allowed you to be a spouse, parent, or have a particular occupation. Who we are is a created being designed to bring glory to God and enjoy him forever.

Westminster Catchism says

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. Psalms 86:9

36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory [a]forever. Amen. Rom. 11:36

Wouldn’t it be amazing to answer ti question with the preciseness that John answered it. He knew his purpose and defined his personhood by it!

Why Are You Doing What You Are Doing

The only person that is suppose to baptizing Jews is the Messiah, Elijah, or the prophet Moses spoke of. Since John did not confess to being any of these they were questioning why he was baptising. There were two main reasons that they were asking the question. They were his qualifications and his reason.

Since he didn’t meet the qualifications, he should not be baptising. He was not qualified to do so. By him baptising without being qualified he was blaspheming. Blasphemy was not to be tolerated and punishable by death.

The second purpose for the question was a matter of reason. Jews didn’t believe they needed to be baptised because they were chosen by God. The only people that needed to be baptised were Gentiles that converted to Judaism. By John baptising Jews he was making a statement that Judaism was wrong.

John’s answer is more fascinating. He said they were wrong and that he was preparing a new way for the Messiah, who would do away with the law and usher in grace and salvation.

John’s message was “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” He was saying that you can no longer depend on Judaism for your salvation. You cannot be good enough to earn your salvation. Don’t think that just because you are a Jew you are in right relationship with God. Don’t think that because you are chosen that you will go to heaven. His message was quite the opposite. His message was you need to repent of your sins and turn back to God for a relationship.

He tells the priests and the Levites that were sent to question him that he only baptises with water, but there is one that stands among them that they do not know. He was telling them that the Messiah is here and they don’t know it.

John then goes on to tell them that he and his work are nothing compared to what s about to come. He says that the Messiah is one that is greater than he and has a more significant baptism.

Why do you do what you do?

God called John to go preach in the desert and baptise people. Based on the credentials of the pharisees he didn’t have the qualifications to do what he was doing. Now I am not one that discounts qualifications, but I am also not one that let’s qualifications get in the way of God’s calling.

Let me share with you my story. I was called to preach when I was 21 but was not ready to preach. The Lord needed to train me for 17 years as a lay person in the church to prepare me to surrender to full-time vocational ministry. I ministered in corporate finance for many years.

When God did call me to vocational ministry, I was reluctant to do so because I didn’t go the normal tract. I did not go to bible college or seminary so I didn’t feel I was qualified. This did not stop God’s call on my life to pastor. I surrendered to God’s call to pastor and Prospect was gracious enough to allow me to do what God called me to do without having go the regular route of a pastor.

Since then I have gotten a seminary degree and the training has benefitted me, but the best learning on how to be a pastor has come from you. I have had the joy of celebrating some of the best times with many of y’all. I have grieved and shed tears with many of you as I walked with you in the most dark times of your lives. I have experienced your grace when I don’t do things right and have learned as many of you have given me goo sound advice. You have been a much better teacher in preparing me for the calling of God in my life than any of my seminary professors.

God knew this and I believe that is why God led me here and has me here because I still have a lot to learn and a lot to give.

My point in sharing this is qualifications go out the window when God calls you to do something. Don’t be afraid to walk in God’s calling for your life. He is your qualifier!

Behold The Lamb

John takes the attention off of himself and rightly places it on Jesus. The Bible says that it is the day after he was questioned that he recognized Jesus was the Messiah. He proclaims that Jesus is the one who takes away the sins of the world, He is higher rank than him, baptizes in the Holy Spirit, and that He is the Son of God.

The first proclamation is that Jesus is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. The Jews were very familiar with the sacrificial lamb. They would have to bring a lamb to the temple for the sacrifice of their sins. The sacrificed lamb would cover their sins for a year. John proclaims that Jesus doesn’t just cover their sins, but takes them away. Not only for the Jews but the sins of the whole world.

John says that Jesus is the most important person in the world. He says that Jesus is such a high rank that he is not even fit to untie the thong of his sandal. This was the job of the lowest servant. John is basically saying that Jesus is so worthy of honor that he is not even worthy of the lowest position regarding him. This is helpful when we assess ourselves. We sometimes compare ourselves to others and this is the wrong measuring stick. We need to see ourselves in the light of Christ. It is very humbling.

John says that Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit. All John could baptise with is with water. It was just a symbolic gesture that your sins were being washed away. He says that Jesus literally takes your sins away and gives you the power of the Holy Spirit to live in right relationship with the Father.

Finally, John claims that Jesus is the Son of God. This is perhaps the most important thing John said. He said that Jesus is God.

We to are to use who we are and what we do to proclaim Jesus is Lord!

We must be willing to share how Jesus has taken away our sins. We are to proclaim that Jesus is the only hope for salvation because it comes by faith alone in Jesus. We must live in the power of the Holy Spirit. And finally, we must proclaim Jesus as our Lord and God!