Be Like John the Baptist

So he departed again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him and said, “John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there. John 10:40-42 CSB

I don’t like to tell anyone to try to be like someone except Jesus, but John the Baptist is a good one to be like. John is the cousin of Jesus (Luke 1:36). So, put that in real-world terms: all the birthday parties you went to, family reunions you went to, there was another kid that was God in human form… How can you ever compete with that person for the spotlight?!

“John knew what his purpose was…”

So, John comes on to the ministry scene in Matthew 3, Luke 3, and John 1 coming out of the wilderness wearing camel-hair garments, eating locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4, picture a 1st century Bear Grylls). This guy is teaching unlike anyone else is at that time: he’s calling out the religious and political hypocrisy of the time and gaining huge momentum and crowds. How tempting do you think it may have been for John to crave and love that spotlight that he may have never had growing up with Jesus? However, John knew what his purpose was: “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!” Luke 3:4 CSB

“… John knew he was to reflect the light of Jesus.”

By God’s grace, John knew that his life was not really about him: it was about Jesus, it was about God. Just like the moon reflects the light of the sun, John knew he was to reflect the light of Jesus. I can’t imagine how tempting it would have been to steal some of that spotlight, but we see him say in Luke 3:16 CSB, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John denies that he is the Messiah in John 1:20. John was constantly saying, “don’t look at me- look at Jesus!”

This is contradictory to our narcissistic culture of social media that we live in that is telling us to make people look at us: my family, my job, my cars, my perfect life. John’s life shows us to point to Jesus. So, fast forward in the Gospels to John 10:40-42. John in his ministry, who had every opportunity to steal the spotlight for himself, preached in such a way that when Jesus showed up to this region, “Many believed in him (Jesus) there.” John prepared the way for Jesus so that when He came, many believed. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Social media isn’t about me, it’s about Jesus. My job is about Jesus. My family, my money, my relationships… They’re about Jesus. So in a time where our culture is lying to us and saying life is about you, be more like John the Baptist: say to the world it’s about Jesus.

-Austin