8. the best man (John 1:20-23)
Posted by:
SeLahGirl on
October 25, 2007 at
2:18PM EST
the best man
(John 1:20-23)
20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."
I
love that John was quick to point out that he was just as plain and
average as any other man. That he was not the Christ, he was not the
one who would represent God or the Messiah. Today in the church world,
it seems that power and influence and fame have eaten up the integrity
of many leaders and prophetic people and ministries. Any credit or
glory added to a man's name is quickly grabbed like we were greedy dogs
or something. God have mercy on us. May he open our eyes and teach us
to discern between false humility for a show -- and true humbleness
that zealously seeks the will of God above our own.
21They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."
It
had been predicted that Elijah and/or Enoch or some other great prophet
was to appear on the scene. The reasoning was that Scripture teaches,
"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment
(Heb 9:27). It was believed that since Elijah and Enoch were taken to
heaven in a chariot of fire and a whirlwind (escaping physical death)
that they would return at some point. Because of the anointing that
John seemed to carry as he taught the Scriptures, and the miraculous
events surrounding his birth, some wondered if he was Elijah come back
to earth.
Jesus alludes to this later in the Book of John. For
now, the point is that John denied being any such great prophet or
messiah. He kept himself as simple and as human as possible.
22Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23John
replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one
calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "
John
knew his destiny and purpose. No doubt he spent much time in prayer and
conversing with God as he sought direction for what he was to teach and
preach. He didn't just appear in the wilderness and start affecting the
hearts of men because he was zealous and simply decided to do it. No.
Rather, he was born, and called, and trained, and destined to prepare
the hearts of the people to be watching for the coming Messiah promised
from the beginning... promised way back in Genesis 3:15
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."
John was the messenger that God said would be sent (Isaiah 40:2-3)
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
In
the Jewish wedding ceremony, their was a huge celebration announcing
the engagement/betrothal. The couple was considered as committed to one
another as tho they were already married. The bridegroom would return
to his father's house and prepare a home for them (either building a
room onto the father's home or adding an apartment).
The bride
would remain with her family constantly watching and waiting for the
bridegroom to return to whisk her away for the wedding ceremony. She
had to keep all her things packed and in a state of readiness, she had
to keep herself groomed and in the right frame of mind.
Suddenly
without warning, the bridegroom would send his best man and groomsmen
ahead of him. They would sound the alarm and yell "the bridegroom is
coming! the bridegroom is coming!" The Bride would have to drop
everything, grab her things, and her procession would stand ready to
meet the bridegroom who arrived just behind the groomsmen.
John the Baptist is like the best man. The guy who shouts the alarm that the BRIDEGROOM COMETH ^_^
He
is quick to point out that he is not the bridegroom. He is merely the
friend of the bridegroom who has been sent as the messenger. In so many
ways, on a personal level we are to be like Christ. But here is a
picture of where we should be like John the Baptist, in that we must
never lose sight that we are mere messengers and friends. Jesus is the
Bridegroom. He is the focus, the one worthy of praise, the one the
world and the church waits for to deliver them and to enter into
covenant with them for LIFE.
Allow me to get a little ahead of myself, as John himself expounds on this analogy later in the book of John.
28You
yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent
ahead of him.' 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who
attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy
when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now
complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:28-30)
No wonder Christ states that he loved this John so much <3
If only we could serve and love with such pureness of heart and complete devotion to Christ.
Help us Lord.
