A Man from God
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “There was a man named John who was sent from God.” John 1:6 HCSB
John the Baptist is an important Biblical figure. He was a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He is often view as the last Old Testament prophet and the first New Testament prophet. He preached repentance and introduced this concept of “baptism” as sign of repentance and turning to a new life.
John was called by God. He was a man with a holy vocation. We see that before he was conceived the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and said of his prophesied son, “He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:16,17 NKJV)
Every believer in Christ can live life with a sense of fulfilling “God’s call” in a “holy” vocation. It may not be as a prophet or preacher, but I believe the Lord sets apart individuals to serve His purposes in a host of vocations. God’s people sprinkled throughout the various spheres of our society is what enables the church to be “salt and light” to others.
John was a man of vision. A prophet is one who both “fore-tells” and “forth-tells.” John called people to repentance, but He also pointed to the Messiah, Jesus, who was to come. When Jesus appeared on the banks of the Jordan River, he did not hesitate to point out, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
The Lord through His Holy Spirit enables us to see beyond this natural world and to lay hold of what eternity itself promises and has to offer.
John was a voice. When asked by religious leaders who he was, he responded, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord—just as Isaiah the prophet said.” (John 1:23 HCSB) In his “preaching” John reminded people of the words of the prophets of old. He spoke the truth, even when it wasn’t readily accepted and even brought him into trouble with the powers of the day. His “voice” became such an irritant and a source of conflict that he was eventually martyred by Herod.
We have the same responsibility to speak God’s truth, to remind people of what the “Bible” says. It is not our opinion or speaking ability that matters. What matter is the truth that we communicate to others, even when it is not popular.
John played a unique and special role in God’s plan of redemption. But what we observe from his life can be a challenge of all Christ-followers. A challenge to follow and see our purpose in “God’s call” to be a person of “vision” and to be simply be a “voice” of truth in our present world.
Prayer for today… Lord, thank You that we can see those who are uniquely used by You. Help us to understand that in Your sovereign plan You desire to use us all in a unique way, as we follow Your call, embrace Your vision and are faithful to be Your voice.