Tag Archives: John the Baptist

Prepare the Way, December 7, 2020

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

The second week of Advent began in the most interesting times I’ve experienced. Of course, we all deal with the effects of the coronavirus here in the United States and abroad. The disease is wreaking havoc everywhere. Our healthcare workers truly exhibit heroic efforts in combating the progress, but they are exhausted and seem to take two steps back with every step forward sometimes. The virus is just a horrible enemy for the world at large.

I thought we would have a more focused Thanksgiving this year with many stores closed because of the virus. More people staying at home and enjoying a more intimate setting with their immediate family. But I was wrong. Store closed, but we experienced record shopping – $4.5 billion in online sales on Thanksgiving Day. Covid-19 did nothing to curb our appetite for materialism. 

And although airports seemed a little emptier this year, I’m not so sure the roads were less crowded than I’ve seen them in years past. So, I think a lot of people headed for family gatherings away somewhere just to get away for a few days. We will find out in the next few days what that means for the multiplied spread of the virus. And please don’t blame the government for our failures to protect each other.

Here we are in a time of anticipation, but of what? More political upheaval? A miracle vaccine to stop the spread of the virus? An instant end to our economic woes? Christmas?

In our house, we definitely prepare for Christmas. To get in the mood, Carole starts watching Christmas movies in July. Decorations take a while. We might stop with the eight trees already up (I hope). Maybe there will be one or two more, but at least they won’t be the six-foot variety. Nativity scenes take prominent places in almost every room. Lights and garland go up on cabinets and shelves. Snow scenes and Victorian villages take shape as different rooms take on different themes throughout the house. Needless to say, our decoration preparation starts early in November and ends not many days before Christmas. 

Then there are presents to buy. Carole is the master buyer. She begins finding just the right gifts for everyone starting in January and buys throughout the year, so our shopping is done before most people start. It’s also a great way to find bargains and spread the cost of presents. Of course, when buying just the right present in January, it’s easy to forget you have it, so you find another just the right gift in July. I’m not sure how much that saves, then, but it’s great to watch the kids and grandkids open gifts selected especially with their personalities in mind. Carole could be a great professional shopper, but she says that would take the fun out of it.

Last week, we talked about advent being a time of both looking back to the time of Jesus’ coming. A time of celebrating the fact of his arrival and remembering his life and sacrifice for us. We also talked about advent being a time of looking ahead to the time of his return. He promised to come again to be with those who believed in him for salvation for eternity.

The huge question Christians in the first century and Christians today continue to ask is when? When will he come? Our adversaries point to the 2000 year delay and say it’s a hoax. He broke his promise. He never rose from the dead. He never could because when you’re dead, you’re dead. Our faith is a farse and we might as well admit it. As believers, we know otherwise. We know God’s delay demonstrates grace, not failure. 2 Peter 3 reminds us in these words:

But we look forward to what God has promised—a new heaven and a new earth—a place where everything that has God’s approval lives.

Therefore, dear friends, with this to look forward to, make every effort to have him find you at peace, without ⌞spiritual⌟ stains or blemishes.Think of our Lord’s patience as an opportunity ⌞for us⌟ to be saved. This is what our dear brother Paul wrote to you about, using the wisdom God gave him. (2 Peter 3:13-15 GW)

God’s patience in coming is an opportunity for us to be saved. Paul writes about it, Peter writes about it, John writes about it, Jesus says he will come as a thief in the night when no one expects him. So, we patiently await his coming. His delay is not failure or a broken promise, it is for us. God wants to rescue us from sin and delays his coming because when he comes the opportunity for rescue ends. When he comes again, he comes for justice and judgment. God delays his coming to delay his judgment against humanity.

How, then, should we wait? What should we do? Peter points to some of it in these verses. First, be patient. Remember, he will come, but at his choosing, not ours. In the meantime, make every effort to have him find you at peace. What does that mean? I think we need to find ways to engage our fellowman with love. Not what we see spewing out of Facebook and Instagram, but with the fruit of the spirit Paul enumerates in Galatians – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we exercise these characteristics in dealing with others, we will be at peace with others. 

We should also make every effort to be without spiritual stains or blemishes, Peter says. What does that mean to us? John reminds us we are all sinners, but we have an advocate who will forgive us and cleanse us from every sin. So, we do everything we can to follow in Jesus’ footsteps of righteousness, knowing that without his spirit in us it is an impossible task and even then, we are bound to err on occasion. But we have an advocate that will help us along the way and we can become more like him each day as we confess our wrongs, ask forgiveness, and strive to not repeat those same mistakes again. We can be better with his help.

Finally, as we wait, we have a mission to perform. Mark reminds us of that first Advent when John the Baptist went about the wilderness preaching about the coming Messiah. The gospel by his name begins this way:

This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The prophet Isaiah wrote,

“I am sending my messenger ahead of you

to prepare the way for you.”

“A voice cries out in the desert:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord!

Make his paths straight!’ ” (Mark 1:1-3 GW) 

That was John’s mission, to prepare the way for the Lord, the first time. But Jesus gave us the mission to spread the good news, too. And part of that good news is his promise to return. We, too, prepare the way for the Lord’s coming. We should share the good news that he came, but he is coming again to take those who believe in him for salvation to be with him forever. 

I don’t think God expects us to where camel hair clothes, eat honey, and live in the desert, but he probably wouldn’t mind us giving up some of the luxuries we gather around us. He probably would ask us to remember the poor and those who are unable to care for themselves. He probably would ask us to be more generous, think less about our earthly future, and more about our future with him. 

Advent comes around every year and it gives us an opportunity to stop and think about Jesus’ coming – past and future. We marvel at the nativity story and how God appeared on that first Christmas in those most humble beginnings. We should stop and think just as much about what his second coming will mean. It won’t be humble and quiet next time. He will come to rule the nations. He will bring justice and judgment to the world. 

Remember during this Advent, his delay is for us. As Christians, he gives us one more opportunity to share the good news with someone else who needs to hear the message. For those who have yet to believe in him, he gives one more opportunity for salvation. He is coming and it may be very soon. Be ready.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible-based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day. 

Scriptures marked GW are taken from the GOD’S WORD (GW): Scripture taken from GOD’S WORD® copyright© 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.

Be great by sharing the message (Luke 7:24-28) October 12, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 119

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:24-28
Jesus: When you went out into the wilderness to see John, what were you expecting? A reed shaking in the wind? What were you looking for? A man in expensive clothing? Look, if you were looking for fancy clothes and luxurious living, you went to the wrong place—you should have gone to the kings’ courts, not to the wilderness! What were you seeking? A prophet? Ah yes, that’s what John is, and even more than a prophet. The prophet Malachi was talking about John when he wrote,
I will send My messenger before You,
to clear Your path in front of You.
Listen, there is no human being greater than this man, John the Baptist. Yet even the least significant person in the coming kingdom of God is greater than John.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

It’s funny how we get our value systems all turned around in this world, isn’t it? We think big house, fancy cars, clothes and jewelry are the emblems of success. We consider multiple bank accounts, more than one house, long vacations in exotic places, and extravagant spending the things for which to strive in this world. But Jesus points to John in his camel skin cloak, his wild hair and diet of honey and locust and whatever else he can find to eat in the wilderness and says this scraggly looking prophet is the greatest human being on the planet. There is none greater than John the Baptist.

How can that be? He has nothing. He has no home. He has no means of transportation. He has no decent set of clothing. He doesn’t know where his next meal will come from. How can Jesus look at anyone with a straight face and say John is the greatest human being who ever lived? Doesn’t Jesus say that He knows Moses and Elijah and the other great prophets? Doesn’t Jesus talk about David and Solomon and Hezekiah, the great kings of the great nation of Israel? Doesn’t Jesus understand the history of men like these? How can Jesus say this homeless man who says this illegitimate son of a carpenter is the Messiah be the greatest human being who ever lived? Jesus must be crazy!

But Jesus looked into the heart of John and saw what he had done. John fulfilled his purpose perfectly. John took none of the limelight even though he had great opportunity to do so. John began preaching about the coming Messiah and scores of people flocked to hear his message. John had the people’s ear. He could have usurped the Father’s will and made himself out to be the long awaited One. But he didn’t. He stayed on the course God set for him.

That’s where John’s greatness lay. It certainly wasn’t his wealth or his oratory skill or his property or his beauty. The only thing John had going for him was the fact that God chose him for a particular mission and he carried out that mission faithfully. Even when it would have been easy to back peddle just a little and save himself from prison and the executioners axe, John still stayed true to his mission and called God’s chosen people to repent of their sins. He let them know that the kingdom of God had burst in upon the scene and the rules were changing. They had to make up their mind about who they would follow and they had to do it quickly. They must either follow or reject Jesus, but to make the wrong choice meant an eternity separated from the One who could rescue them from the bondage of slavery they felt every day.

Did John fully understand the message He shared with those around him? I’m not sure he did. I stand on this side of the cross’ history. You and I have knowledge John and Jesus’ disciples didn’t have when they received the message John shared. I share the message of repentance and Jesus’ forgiveness often. I try to share it with you in this podcast every day. But do I fully understand the message I share? Not on this side of eternity’s curtain.

There is so much I will not understand about how the triune Godhead works, yet I still believe it is true. I do not understand how Jesus’ blood, shed 2,000 years ago, acts as the payment for the sins I commit today, yet I believe it does when I ask for his forgiveness because I feel the burden of guilt lifted from my heart. I do not understand how God can extend His grace to me when I was His enemy, yet I know He did because I feel His presence in my life every day.

There is so much about the message I will not understand until I can sit as Jesus’ feet and ask Him about it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t believe His message isn’t true. I know His message is true. I’ve seen His hand at work. I’ve felt His presence in my own life and watched Him work His miracles in the lives of others. I know He is God and forgives sins when we ask. I know He can help us live the lives He purposed us to live when we give Him authority over us. I know He can make us greater than we can ever be without Him.

What made John so great? He shared the message unfaltering to a world who needed to hear it desperately. Can Jesus make you great as well? You bet He can. Just share what He has done for you. That’s the message we are to share with others. He commands us to be His witnesses. So go ahead and start today.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The evidence tells it all (Luke 7:22-23) October 11, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Chronicles 16-20

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:22-23
Jesus (to John’s disciples): Go and tell John what you’ve witnessed with your own eyes and ears: the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking again, the lepers are clean again, the deaf hear again, the dead live again, and good news is preached to the poor. Whoever is not offended by Me is blessed indeed.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I don’t know if you are old enough to remember the days when we joked with each other about each other. All of us were the brunt of jokes. Every religion, every race, every socioeconomic group, every school, every age, both sexes (we didn’t talk about transgender, transsexual, gender identity, and such back then). We told funny stories and jokes about everyone. We laughed a lot at and with people, including ourselves. And we didn’t get upset about it. We all joined in and no one seemed offended by the stories. We enjoyed life.

I wonder what happened to those days? Now we get offended by just being titled American instead of African-American or Asian-American or Hispanic-American or Native-American. We get offended by not being recognized by a transgender or lesbian or gay title. We get offended if someone tells a joke about our school or our race. We get offended if someone doesn’t agree with our political views. We get offended if someone doesn’t agree with our religious views. We get offended about anything and everything.

I’ve just about come to the conclusion that in our society we’ve decided that we live for the opportunity to be offended and we look for ways to be offended. It’s almost like we want to be offended by something or someone so we go out of our way to find things to offend us so we can complain about it.

John’s disciples came to Jesus to find out if Jesus really was the Messiah. John had been telling everyone that He was, but now he found himself in Herod’s prison because of his preaching. He told everyone the Messiah had come and they needed to repent. He told Herod about the sins he committed and that even as king, Herod would be accountable for the wrongs he had done. His position and power would not stand against God. Herod in response to John’s accusations, imprisoned him.

Now, John asked the question, “Are you really the Messiah, as I have been telling everyone?” It’s a reasonable question considering the position he was in and the fact that everyone thought the Messiah would free them from Roman rule. John was Jesus’ herald. He proclaimed His coming. But now he found himself in jail with no prospects of escape or release.

Jesus didn’t answer John’s question directly, though. Just like He doesn’t answer directly for us. He says look at the evidence and make up your mind. He told John’s disciples to go back and report what they had see, the blind made to see, the lame made to walk, lepers cleansed, the deaf made to hear, the dead raised. Go tell John what they had seen and then let him make up his mind whether Jesus was the Messiah as John proclaimed.

Jesus asks us to do the same. Look at the evidence. Read His word. Let Him forgive your sins. Let Him act in your life and see how He acts in the world around you. Recognize His handiwork around you and weigh the evidence of what you see. Your heart will tell you the truth about Him. You can try to cover it up and say He is not divine. That’s what the Muslim religion does. They recognize Jesus as a great prophet who said good things and could perform great miracles, but they don’t recognize Him as divine, the son of God.

Many of those around Jesus didn’t accept Him for who He was. They saw the miracles, but didn’t believe. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and other church leaders didn’t accept Him as Lord. They looked at the evidence, but didn’t put it together. It’s all there. We must just exercise the faith necessary to know it to be true. How much faith does it take? As much as it takes to believe your light will come on when you turn on the light switch. As much as it takes to believe the car will start when you turn the key. A much as it takes to believe the sun will rise in the eastern sky in the morning. Just that much faith and you can know that Jesus is the Son of the living God.

When you know Him as Lord, you will be blessed beyond anything you can imagine. Not in this world, perhaps because this world doesn’t know Him or understand Him. But there is coming a day when everyone will bow to Him and those who live for Him now will continue to rejoice with Him forever.

So look around at the evidence. Do you know Jesus is the long awaited Messiah? It just takes a little faith to be sure. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

What should we look like? (Matthew 11:16-19) March 9, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 27-29

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 11:16-19
Jesus: What is this generation like? You are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out, “When we played the flute, you did not dance; and when we sang a dirge, you did not mourn.” What I mean is this: When John came, he dressed in the clothes of a prophet, and he did not eat and drink like others but lived on honey and wild locusts. And people wondered if he was crazy, if he had been possessed by a demon. Then the Son of Man appeared—He didn’t fast, as John had, but ate with sinners and drank wine. And the people said, “This man is a glutton! He’s a drunk! And He hangs around with tax collectors and sinners, to boot.” Well, Wisdom will be vindicated by her actions—not by your opinions.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What do you look for in a Christian, a real follower of Christ? Many today look for an always somber, downcast demeanor, someone who looks like they have a perpetual case of indigestion or who lost their kitten and can’t find it. Some think Christians must always be frowning and wearing this mask of sorrow and grief because of the ills and evils present in the world today. Perhaps that’s the picture Jesus painted of John in the wilderness. His was not an easy life wearing camel skins and eating locust and the honey he could find in the trees and bushes in the wild.

But Jesus came and He wasn’t like John. He didn’t stay in the wilderness eating locust and wearing the skins of animals He killed in the brush to survive. He didn’t walk around with a sour disposition preaching doom and gloom. He didn’t keep His head bowed and His eyes on the ground groveling in false humility. Jesus loved people and embraced life everywhere He went. If He didn’t, I don’t think He would have gathered crowds of thousands around Him when He spoke. Think about the charasmatic speakers you see today. There are few that can surround themselves with thousands of listeners. And today they have the advantages of multimedia advertising to help draw their crowds. Jesus had word of mouth to let people know He was coming, yet scripture records events in which He spoke to multitudes…often.

So what should Christians look like and act like? Jesus had fun. He ate with prostitutes, tax collectors, who everyone considered thieves, sinners. He conversed with outsiders, the most poverty stricken who sometimes did unscrupulous things to survive. He ate with the wealthy who sometimes did unscrupulous things to gain and maintain their wealth. How could He associate with such people if He were the Son of God? In those settings, too, He had a crowd around Him. He laughed, He smiled, He told stories, He listened to other people’s stories. He enjoyed life.

The religious leaders of the day, thought Jesus should fit their mold. They thought He should look and act a certain way. They thought He should fit into their picture of what a righteous person looks like. The problem with their thought process, though, they didn’t know what righteousness was. They assumed they were righteous because they kept the rules. But we cannot be righteous just by keeping rules. Remember what Paul says? “We have all sinned. All our attempts to reach out to God have failed.” We cannot become righteous through our actions. It’s not possible.

But God made it possible for us to wear His righteousness. We can wear His likeness and when we do, we won’t look like the crowd. We won’t act like the crowd. We won’t worry about what others say about our actions, either. We will do what Christ would do because He will be directing our actions. We will act like He acts and look like He looks because we will be more interested in pleasing Him than pleasing others. We will want to go where He would go and say what He would say. We will be His emissaries and represent Him in all we do.

So what should Christians look like and act like? Sometimes we will look and act like John the Baptist. Sometimes it’s necessary to be the prophet with the message of repentance. When Christ asks us to take on that role, it isn’t always pleasant and our countenance will probably reflect the difficulty of confronting others with the truth of the gospel. We will sorrow for those who refuse to listen and continue on their selfish path to ultimate destruction and eternal punishment.

But most often, we will be like Jesus was as He drew crowds around Him. Welcoming the children. Singing. Laughing. Telling stories of God’s grace and goodness. Helping others understand the good news of God’s salvation and His empowerment in our life, now, in this place, in the middle of all the evil that surrounds us. Our lives as Christians today are certainly no more difficult than that of the early followers of Jesus. In fact, we probably have life too easy. Maybe a little persecution would help us understand just how much we need to rely on Him instead of ourselves.

The leaders in His day couldn’t understand how Jesus fit it to their religious formula. Because He didn’t. He didn’t come to uphold or create a religion but to create relationships. That’s what God wants from us. So He was just Jesus, the Son of Man, the Son of God. What should we look and act like as His followers? Him, that’s all. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Who do you want to hear? (Matthew 11:7-15) March 8, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ruth

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 11:7-15
John’s disciples left, and Jesus began to speak to a crowd about John.
Jesus: What did you go into the desert to see? Did you expect to see a reed blowing around in the wind? No? Were you expecting to see a man dressed in the finest silks? No, of course not—you find silk in the sitting rooms of palaces and mansions, not in the middle of the wilderness. So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes. Yes, a prophet and more than a prophet. When you saw John, you saw the one whom the prophet Malachi envisioned when he said,
I will send My messenger ahead of You,
and he will prepare the way for You.
This is the truth: no one who has ever been born to a woman is greater than John the Baptist. And yet the most insignificant person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. All of the prophets of old, all of the law—that was all prophecy leading up to the coming of John. Now, that sort of prepares us for this very point, right here and now. When John the Baptist came, the kingdom of heaven began to break in upon us, and those in power are trying to clamp down on it—why do you think John is in jail? If only you could see it—John is the Elijah, the prophet we were promised would come and prepare the way. He who has ears for the truth, let him hear.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Who do you look for to learn about spiritual things? Jesus pointed to John the Baptist and asked the crowd following Him what they thought of John. What were they looking for? Someone soft that would bend in the political wind of the time? That wasn’t John. He was in prison for speaking out against Herod’s marriage. John saw Herod, who proclaimed to have a Jewish heritage, do something well outside the bounds of the moral code of the Jewish faith. The priests wouldn’t say anything about it for fear of reprisal from the king, but John had no such fear. When he saw wrongs that needed righting, he jumped in with both feet and let them be known whether the perpetrator lived in a hovel or sat on the king’s throne.

That’s the kind of person I want as a spiritual teacher and leader. Someone unafraid of the politically correct. Someone who stands for what is right regardless the consequences of that stand. John was such a person. I’m afraid many that we see in our pulpits today, may bend with the political climates instead of standing firm on God’s word.

Jesus next asked, “What about his comfort level?” Did you think John would live in a big house, drive a big car, wear $1500 suits as he talked to people about repentance? Not John. He just needed a place to lay his head and clothes to wear. Just any clothes. He wasn’t about creature comfort. He was about getting the message out. He was about telling as many people as he could as fast as he could that the Messiah was breaking in on the scene. It was time to change their ways because God touched His feet onto the earth and His kingdom had arrived.

That’s the kind of person I want as a spiritual teacher and leader. Someone more interested in sharing Christ and getting His message out than climbing the church ladder or making a name for himself. More interested in seeing lives changed by the power of God’s word than his eloquence from a fashionable pulpit in a high-styled church. See, God doesn’t care about any of those external trappings. None of those things go with us when we die. He sees past all that to our heart. So I want someone to teach me that will challenge my heart. Someone that digs into the deepest parts of my soul and makes me look inside myself because he shines God’s light on me.

Who do you want to hear? Who do you want to teach you the ways of God? Jesus pointed to John and shared with the crowd he was more than just a prophet. He was the prophet foretold by Malachi who would herald the coming Messiah. That’s the kind of teacher and spiritual leader I want. Someone who will declare the truth in a world that doesn’t want to hear it. Someone who understands the events of time as they relate to the scriptures God gives us. Someone who is not afraid to declare God’s word with boldness and authority. Someone who will serve as a prophet in a time we sorely need prophets.

Are there any around today? I think so. I think there are some really godly men and women who listen to God and break open His word with boldness and power and grace and compassion. But always with the truth of His word. I think there are men and women who preach and teach without frills and fancy footwork to make their congregations feel good, but to convict and convince them of their need for a Savior. That’s the kind of teacher I want to sit under. I want to be reminded I’m a sinner whose only hope is through believing in Jesus, the Son of God, who died on the cross for my sins, who defeated death and hell and the grave. I want to grow in my knowledge and understanding of my Savior under the teaching of a solid disciple of His making.

Who do you want to hear? Someone to tickle your ears, or someone like John? 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Best man or the groom? (John 3:22-36) December 18, 2015

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – John 3:22-36

Set – John 3-4

Go! – John 2-4

John 3:22-36
22 Not long after, Jesus and His disciples traveled to the Judean countryside where they could enjoy one another’s company and ritually cleanse new followers through baptism. 23-24 About the same time, Jesus’ cousin John—the wandering prophet who had not yet been imprisoned—was upriver at Aenon near Salim baptizing scores of people in the abundant waters there. 25 John’s activities raised questions about the nature of purification among his followers and a religious leader, 26 so they approached him with their questions.
John’s Followers: Teacher, the One who was with you earlier on the other side of the Jordan, the One whom you have been pointing to, is baptizing the multitudes who are coming to Him.
John the Baptist: 27 Apart from the gifts that come from heaven, no one can receive anything at all. 28 I have said it many times, and you have heard me—I am not the Anointed One; I am the one who comes before Him. 29 If you are confused, consider this: the groom is the one with the bride. The best man takes his place close by and listens for him. When he hears the voice of the groom, he is swept up in the joy of the moment. So hear me. My joy could not be more complete. 30 He, the groom, must take center stage; and I, the best man, must step to His side.
31 If someone comes from heaven above, he ranks above it all and speaks of heavenly things. If someone comes from earth, he speaks of earthly things. The One from the heavens is superior; He is over all. 32 He reveals the mysteries seen and realities heard of the heavens above, but no one below is listening. 33 Those who are listening and accept His witness to these truths have gone on record. They acknowledge the fact that God is true! 34 The One sent from God speaks with the very words of God and abounds with the very Spirit and essence of God. 35 The Father loves the Son and withholds nothing from Him. 36 Those who believe in the Son will bask in eternal life, but those who disobey the Son will never experience life. They will know only God’s lingering wrath.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin knew about miracles. He was a miracle himself. His mother, Elizabeth told him the story of his birth many times before he began telling the story of his cousin, Jesus. John’s mother trained him well and he knew his mission to herald the coming King, the Messiah, God incarnate. When his followers tried to touch some spot of jealousy for the crowds Jesus began to draw away from him, John’s retort is noteworthy.

John understood his mission as the best man compared to the groom at a wedding. His job was to remain close by, but the bride and groom were the center of attention, not him. John held no jealousy for the notariety Jesus gained at his expense. It was why his mother told him he was born in the first place, to pave the way for the promised Messiah. John fulfilled his mission.

How about you? Do you stand in the shadow of someone? Do you feel jealous toward someone who has taken the limelight you once had? Did you ever consider that I have given that person their mission and I have something else in mind for you? John ultimately found himself in Herod’s prison and beheaded for preaching the truth to Herod and his wife. I probably won’t ask you to await execution for Me, but I might. Are you willing to stand the test for Me? The day might come when you must do just that, you know.

The real issue, I have plans for you that are yours and yours alone. I have plans for those around you that belong to them. I give each person responsibilities and task fit for them. You cannot carry their cross and neither can they carry yours. Together, though, My ultimate plans for this world are completed so that My children find eternal rest in Me and the wicked never plague you again. Instead, as John says, they will experience My wrath.

So, examine your life, your thoughts, your actions. How do you react to those who seem to gain promotions you think you should have? How do you feel about those in the limelight? How do you treat those who get the recognition after you put in the effort? Do you behave as John? Or do you turn green with envy and wish it were you getting the spotlight, the headlines, and the recognition? Beware of what you ask for, you never know what goes along with it. Remember, John was beheaded and Jesus was crucified!

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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