John 1:29-34 The Lamb of God
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”
And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
Matthew 3:13-17 John Baptizes Jesus
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Consider John the Baptist: John was born to an upper-class priestly family, presumably gaining an excellent education, and then moved to the wilderness, where he might have lived with the Essenes. Somewhere along the line, God called John to begin preaching a message of the need for repentance and baptizing those who repented in the Jordan River. Such acts were unheard of until John began his ministry. God told John that John was to prepare the way for the Lamb of God, God’s Son, who would come to deliver the world from its sins. As John was following God’s leading, he was waiting, waiting for a Man to appear. God had told John that John was preparing the way for Messiah, and that John would know when Messiah arrived because John would see the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on Him.
So, every day John continued to preach and to baptize, scanning the crowds. How was John to know when the Holy Spirit would descend? Would Messiah come wearing a halo or would His face blaze with a holy light? Would Messiah be unusually handsome or homely? Night after night, John prayed, begging God for more information, but God wasn’t answering.
Then came the day when Jesus, John’s cousin, approached. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit in the guise of a dove fluttered down, landing on Jesus’ shoulder. John tried to argue with Jesus that Jesus should be baptizing John and not the other way around, but Jesus insisted John baptize him. Then God the Father spoke from heaven with a voice like thunder, saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
One of the hardest things John had to do after baptizing Jesus might have been continuing to preach and baptize the rest of the crowd, not only that day, but for the rest of his ministry until he was thrown into jail by Herod. Now John knew the identity of God’s Son, and he knew he had been called to prepare the way for Jesus. But now that Jesus was on the scene, was John’s work finished? What was John to do about all these other people who were coming to hear him and be baptized?
According to the Gospels, John continued to preach and baptize until Herod arrested him after John confronted Herod for his adultery. Matthew 4;12-17 tells us, “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
What can we learn from John’s actions? Only God can say when we have completely fulfilled His purposes. Sometimes, we must continue to be faithful, even after we think we have fulfilled our purpose. John faithfully persisted in ministry until he was forced to stop by being imprisoned. Who knows how many more people repented and came close to God between the time John baptized Jesus and the time Herod arrested John? Only in heaven will we know how many more souls came to God during that time.
What has God called you to do? Sometimes we feel that certain callings are holier than others and therefore more praiseworthy. But to a Holy God, all callings are equally important; therefore, we should do everything to the glory of God. I grew up on a Midwestern farm at a time when most of the farm work was done by hand. I am well-acquainted with the use of a pitchfork to clean manure from cow stalls, and I know what it feels like to scoop half-frozen mud out of a hog water tank. Although those duties were humble and stinky, I was working just as much to the glory of God then as I am now as a medical missionary.
One question I receive frequently is the question of when I plan to retire. I answer that I will continue to do as much as I can for as long as I can to help as many people as I can. I trust that when God wants me to work in a different area, He will indicate that new direction clearly. As we enter this new year, it’s fine to ask God if He wants you to go in a new direction, but it’s just as important to be willing to continue in your same assignment until God gives you new orders.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen to You and trust You to guide us in the directions You want us to go. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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