The man called John the Baptist

Apart from Jesus Christ, one of the most interesting characters in the Bible is John the Baptist. His birth was mysterious and his death was a painful testimony and a sincere witness to the truth. From his birth John seemed to have been sure of his destiny and his mission was undoubted. He was committed to his cause and defended it till the end. Jesus said of John, “I assure you, there is no man born of a woman greater than John” Lk. 7:28. There are many reasons for this statement of fact from Jesus. Let us examine some of them.

John the Baptist was the voice personified. At the announcement of his birth, his father doubted, and rightly so, and he was struck dump by the Angel. Reason: “Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this?  I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel said to him in reply, “I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” Zechariah’s voice was only restored when the Voice was born, “Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.”

Material things meant nothing to John. Matthew said this of him: “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.” He lived in the wilderness in preparation to preach repentance and to baptize people so that they may be ready to receive the Messiah.

What can I tell you about John’s humility? He told the Jews who wanted to know who he was: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord.”’ When the Pharisees asked him why he baptized if he was not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet. His answer was, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” John did not even think he was good enough to undo the strap of Christ’s sandal. And yet John was a relation of Jesus. He was older that the man Jesus and his job description included preparing the way for Christ.  John was truly the one who pointed the way to Jesus, and he was contented with doing that noble task. When he saw Christ walking passing him one day, he pointed Christ to his disciples. He said to them, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” His disciples left him and followed Jesus. What was John’s reaction? He was over joyed. He was not jealous, he did not throw tantrum; he did not go around telling people that Christ had deprived him of his disciples. He knew rather, that his job was coming to an end. He pointed the way to Jesus and he wanted Christ to take over the mantle of leadership while he, John, faded into the background. But wait, that is not all. The greatness of this man is unquantifiable, his humility unimaginable and his joy in the success of Jesus immeasurable.

In John 3:22-30, when John was told that Jesus was himself baptizing people in the region of Judea and that everyone was flocking to him, John’s answer truly reflected his character. He is indeed humility personified. Listen to these words of wisdom from the mouth of John: “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.” Just imagine this for a while and tell me honestly, would this be the kind of answer you would have given if you were John? I doubt it!

When it came to speaking the truth, John had no revival. He was a fearless preacher and a great defender of the truth even when he knew that would cost him his head. John was not afraid to confront Herod and told him point blank that it was not lawful for him to marry his brother Philip’s wife. Herod was upset at this and had John thrown into jail. Herodias on the other hand was secretly looking for a way to get ride of John. You can read the rest of the story in Matthew 14:3-11. John lost his head due to a stupid oath made by a fickle minded king to please a spoilt child at the instigation of a demented mother. What a tragedy! But then John paid the ultimate price in defense of the truth.

 The truth of matter is no one will ever take what is yours from you. Your destiny can only be delayed not denied. Be patient with yourself. Be happy with what God has given you. Everyone has been given some gifts, some talents and we must seek to know what those gifts are. Your gifts are to be used to build up the body of Christ. The problem is not to recognize your gifts but to be jealous at the gifts of others, as if they are better than yours. Look at the man called John. Pray honestly to see life in John’s eyes. Remember these words once again and take them to heart: “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.” Whatever gift we have comes from above, and everyone has been given something from above. If you look well, you will discover what your own gift is. Please be humble, be honest, be sincere, and use your gift for others. Your gift is your mission on earth, and you must accomplish that mission. Let your mantra be, I will rather do the right and receive no reward than do the wrong and receive no punishment. In working to discover your mission, do not forget that your no. 1 task is to point the way to Jesus. Once that is done, please step aside so that Jesus may grow tall in those who seek him.