The Testimony Of John The Ba..

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com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. Verse 19, and this is the testimony of John. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you?

He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, what then? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the prophet?

And he answered, no. So they said to him, who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? He said, I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.

Make straight the way of the Lord as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, then why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ nor Elijah or the prophets? John answered them, I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know. Even he who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.

These things took place in Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. This is the word of the Lord. Well, it's taken us almost six months to work our way through the first 18 verses. of the 4th Gospel, the Gospel according to John. Known as the Prologue, this section is the masterpiece of Christological truths that ought to bring us to a place of awe and wonder at the beauty of the Eternal Word.

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John's intention for these first few verses is to introduce for us the Son of God, Messiah, Jesus Christ, in all his glory and in all his splendor. for his readers to recognize that the one who is from all eternity holds the universe in the palm of his hands and yet humbled himself and became a man in order to reconcile mere sinful human beings just like us to the triune God and give them life in his name. The Apostle John's focus is clear. He wants to keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is Christ.

His writing is detailed and it's precise. No empty words from beginning to end. All that Jesus said and taught and the signs and the wonders leading to his brutal death and his glorious resurrection. Every last detail is purposeful. And that purpose we find in the 20th chapter in verses 31 and 32 for John writing this gospel.

Those verses read, Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written so that, hear this, you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Beloved Christ is the main thing. And John's goal for writing is so that lost sheep would come to know this Christ. And as we saw last week in our study on verse 18, to know Christ is to know God, because Jesus makes him known. And to know God is to know eternal life.

This is the testimony of the Apostle John. And now as we move on out of this prologue, out of the introduction, we recognize that the Prophet John the Baptist has the exact same purpose for his life and ministry. It's all about Christ. So the rest of this chapter is dedicated to the testimony of the forerunner to Jesus Christ, the voice in the wilderness announcing the arrival of the hope of Israel and indeed the hope for the world. A business article addressing company workers written not long ago had noted specific practical recommendations, key drivers, to help corporate-minded individuals get ahead, basically endorsing techniques to adopt in order to accelerate one's career development and growth.

A number of tips were given to hard-working employees who find it a struggle for whatever reason to get ahead in their workplace. Pointers for career-minded individuals to make a name for themselves and to be noticed it said. Employee share price will increase so to speak and by doing so it'll give the boost needed to climb the corporate ladder. For me the article Well, the title of the article says it all and it reads, Don't let humility humble your career growth. The article goes on to suggest that humility will only get in the way of you achieving your career goals.

The humble don't get ahead because they don't blow their own horn. In other words, if you don't attract attention to yourself, the article suggests no one else will. You'll be forgotten in no time. In essence, the advice given is to make yourself noticed by learning how to subtly brag about your own achievements. Quote, if people are rarely shouting praises about you, then you have to take that responsibility upon yourself.

Get noticed. Now we find ourselves beyond the introduction in chapter one, which concentrates on the ministry of John the Baptist. Even with a simple understanding of this prophet's ministry, it's evident that he acted in exact opposite to the endorsements in the article just mentioned. John had no interest in blowing his own horn, and we'll soon see that the baptizer had no intention in being noticed or making a name for himself. That's not what he's about.

His whole ministry was about taking second place to the one who is to come, the one who will take away the sins of the world. But what a human temptation it would have been. This man was a big deal. And I'm afraid we as modern day Christians may not realize how big a deal he actually was. Think about the words of Christ in Matthew 11.

Let's be honest. How many times in Christian circles have you heard it said, apart from Christ, who would you love to meet? The Apostle Paul seems to make it up there on the list. Some would choose Moses, Abraham, others possibly the Passionate, Peter, some maybe the Apostle Paul, but John the Baptist? Well, it seems he's always overlooked.

This is the person that Jesus says was the greatest among all Old Testament people, and that includes all the prophets. He had an incredibly important ministry. Think about it. This man ushered in the arrival of the Savior of the world, and yet, it seems for the most part, has been all but forgotten. According to the article I referred to earlier, John's life And John's ministry was a failure.

Christ comes on the scene and he disappears from the limelight, it seems. In fact, we don't have a book to his name. There's no gospel according to John the Baptist. And many Christians don't understand this man and see him as being rather strange. Listen to how Matthew describes him in chapter three.

In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. Then he goes on to say, Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he ate, or his food was locusts and wild honey. If you think that was strange, so did they. John was a peculiar man. He was with an incredibly important ministry.

He was to base himself in the fruitless, desolate wilderness, a picture of the spiritual state of Israel, to preach repentance in preparation to the coming of Messiah. And upon Messiah's arrival, he was to declare Him as come. In the verses we'll unpack this morning, we'll see that the prophet's life and ministry, empowered by God's Holy Spirit, contrary to human opinion and human wisdom, was a remarkable success. Because this humble prophet knew who he was and what he was meant to do. This is why he is able to say of Christ, upon completing his own mission, he must increase, increase, and I must decrease.

Humbly, he would take the backstage and be completely content that his work is done. being noticed and making a name for himself was not even on this man's agenda. The passage for the evening begins in verse 19 by telling us that the priests and the Levites were sent from Jerusalem to find out about this character in the wilderness. This unusual man from the tribe of Levi, his father we know to be Zechariah, the priest, So John, by birthright, could have been trained for the Levitical priesthood, to accomplish the duties in the Jerusalem Temple, as his father once did. He could have been part of the religious establishment, but that was not the case.

Instead, he was filled with the Spirit of God from his mother's womb to accomplish the mission God had set before him, to be the voice the voice preaching repentance in the wilderness and baptizing multitudes of people in what would have been seen as an unprecedented revival in the first century, just prior to the advent of Messiah. What John was doing, beloved, was a big deal. Yet, although he was empowered by the Spirit of God, John 10 tells us he didn't perform a single miracle. The crowds were drawn to this barren land, not to see a spectacle of signs and wonders, but the powerful preaching and declaration of the truth of God with boldness and conviction that they had never seen before. And he attracted many, Matthew tells us.

Jerusalem and all Judea and all the regions about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. And in verse 24 we're told that this commotion had drawn the attention of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day. They weren't happy. You see, John hadn't asked permission to conduct this religious activity. How dare him?

After all, the Pharisees had the right to control what the people believed, and only they were entitled to regulate religion, so they thought. But Jesus didn't condone this behaviour at all. Actually, He rebuked it. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte. That's a Gentile who becomes a Jew.

And when he becomes a proselyte, you make him, hear this, twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. Matthew 23. So seeking to regain control, the Pharisees send the priests and the Levites to the wilderness to get some answers about what's going on. Why were so many flocking into the wasteland to hear the words of this baptizer? So these men question John's identity.

Who are you? They asked. Or probably more to the point, I think, who do you think you are? Now, beloved, as we'll see, these men are well versed in scripture. They don't go on and probe for answers by asking silly questions.

That's not the case. They know precisely what they're saying. The character possibilities given to John's identity that we see in the next few verses are all prophecies waiting to be fulfilled. As honorable as that sounds, and knowing the scripture is definitely a good thing, judging by the interactions between John and the Pharisees, we can comfortably say that the purpose for their interrogation was far from noble. Now it seems the first thing on these men's mind is to see if John thinks he's the Messiah.

John, we're told in verse 20, he confessed, I am not the Christ. John wanted to get that fact straight real quick. I'm not the Christ. I'm not the Messiah. I'm not the Anointed One of God, the long-anticipated Savior of Israel, the one you've been expecting.

That's not me, says John. The Apostle John, the author of this book, made that clear a few verses back, if you remember, in verse 8, where he says, he, speaking of John the Baptist, he was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. But in the context of this passage, one must think, how profound was John the Baptist's ministry for them to think he was indeed the Messiah? And it wasn't just these men, because we're told in Luke chapter 3, as the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ. Of course, Christ is the Greek word for Messiah.

But John confesses that truth real quick. I am not the Christ. How could he be? He's not the one who laid down the foundations of the earth and precisely determined all its measurements. He's not the one who set the mountain ranges in place, setting the boundaries for the hills and the valleys and the forests and the rivers and the streams.

John's not the one who made the sun and placed it in the heavens, commanding it to shine its lights. He's not the one who created the waters of the ocean and commanded them, thus far you come and no further. Beloved, anything short of this type of power is insufficient to bring wicked, vile, wretched sinners from death to life. Don't you dare think small thoughts of the Messiah. For Messiah to be anything apart from God in flesh, you would be of no hope for us.

Don wasn't about to accept that title for himself. He knew who he was and what he was meant to do. So he quickly refutes that claim and says, I am not the Messiah. The curious men go on and probe him further and they say, then are you Elijah? This was a good question actually.

The last prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi, had foretold the return of Elijah 400 years earlier. He wrote in Malachi chapter 4 verse 5, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with the decree of utter destruction. The Jews knew the Bible. And they knew in second Kings that Elijah was taken into heaven.

by a whirlwind. So in anticipation of the return of Elijah before the great and awesome day of the Lord, John was asked, are you Elijah? His response again, no. Now this seems to be a contradiction of the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 11 verses 13 to 15. See there Jesus clearly says that John was Elijah.

And he says he is the Elijah that was foretold to come. Jesus' words precisely were precisely true. Yet John's answer was also true. How could that be? The answer is found in Luke chapter 1.

So open your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 1 and we'll be reading from verses 14 through 17. Luke chapter 1 from verses 14 through 17. Speaking of John the Baptist too, this is the angel Gabriel speaking to Zechariah about his son to be born. And you will have joy and gladness, and many rejoice at his birth. For he will be great before the Lord, and he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will 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 and he will 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 for the Lord a people prepared although over 800 years separate these two great prophets They served the same God and ministered in the same power and with the same spirit. These Jews didn't see the spiritual aspect of the prophecy and were awaiting the physical return of Elijah. Knowing what these men were asking, John, of course, denied that claim. He denied that he was the physical Elijah, and rightfully so. But the similarities are incredible, beloved.

Both men were commissioned by God to a people who had departed from holiness and departed from truth. A people had been duped by their religious leaders into idolatry in Elijah's day and rank legalism in the day of John the Baptist. These prophets were a wake-up call, a warning and a plea for the supposed covenant people of God. John and Elijah had similar lives and they had a similar zeal. Both ministered in the wilderness and preached boldly the truth despite harsh consequences.

They dressed alike. They both demonstrated a lifestyle of separation and devotion to the Lord and both were known to rebuke evil kings despite being persecuted for it. Their ministry summed up with a warning to their native brethren of the impending judgment of God on unrighteousness, and with an appeal to repent and return to Yahweh. So as far as John, the words of Jesus, He is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears, let him hear.

Those words were true. The anticipated turning of the hearts of the fathers to their children in the ministry of John is accomplished by the restoring of both by faith to the Lord. God worked through these men to wake his people up from the deception of the day and restore them to himself and it's the same spirit and power that is at work today. God is still in the restoration business But now the substance of the Spirit and power has been revealed in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. These prophets are no longer required for that duty because the anticipated great prophet like Moses has come, which is where our passage takes us next.

So knowing their Bibles, these priests and Levites now ask John if he is the prophet. Now it's easy to miss this one if you're not careful. The definite article, the, is very important. They're not asking John, are you a prophet? Because, of course, he is.

They're asking him, are you the prophet? You see, they're alluding to Deuteronomy chapter 18. All the Jews knew that the prophet and lawgiver, Moses, foretells of a great prophet to come. He proclaims that the Lord's words to his countrymen, this is Moses speaking to his countrymen in Deuteronomy 18, and he says, I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I have commanded, and whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I will myself require of him. Beloved, the prophecy speaks of Christ.

He is the Great Prophet, the mouthpiece of God. As the Eternal Word, He is the full and final Word of God. God speaks no other language. God only speaks Son language. Long ago, at many times, and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in His last days He spoke to us by His Son, whom He has appointed the heir of all things through whom also he created the world.

So what's John's response going to be to that? No, I'm not that great prophet. I'm not the one you've been anticipating. I know who I am and I know what I'm meant to do. And that privilege is not mine.

Who are you? We need an answer, is their reply. You can almost feel the tension and the frustration in their voices. John hasn't let on about his identity and they're none the wiser. I love John's response though.

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord as the prophet Isaiah said. There's no doubt in John's mind that he is the fulfillment of this prophecy. We're not told how he knows. But judging by this humble character, one would never assume that John would presume to be a fulfillment of Holy Scripture without divine confirmation.

There is so much in the response that is telling of John's character. It's such a simple answer for such a great man. Beloved, to remind you once again, John was a big deal. He's been followed by swarms of people, But it doesn't seem to have got to his head. And it's not false humility, because we know John doesn't beat around the bush.

We know this from other passages and his interactions with the authorities, both religious and civil, in brutal honesty. He truly has zero interest in elevating himself or emphasizing his importance to these men. In true humility, he recognizes his God-given duty and he's faithful to pursue it. Friends, John knows who he is and he knows what he's meant to do. Attention is not what he seeks.

He has no desire for self-glory. It's clear pleasing people was not on this man's radar. His mission is to be a signpost, one pointing to someone greater than he. And so this meek response takes attention away from self and places it where it ought to be placed, on Messiah to come. Do you notice?

Do you notice that he doesn't even refer to himself as a person, but a voice? It's as if he's saying, don't look at me, I'm a nobody. You won't be impressed by what you see because I'm not here to impress. anyone. I think it's fair to say that this man has only one being he seeks to impress and with him no facade is necessary because he knows the secret intentions of man's heart.

Oh brothers and sisters if only we lived our lives with the sole purpose of pleasing God. If only we could tear away the burden of living our lives to please others. Forever we'll be chasing our tails because it's impossible to please everyone. It'll drain you and leave you empty and unsatisfied. May God give us the concern only to be God-pleasers.

Everything we say Everything we do, everything we think about, to impress Him only. Beloved, is this the way you live? Because that's freedom. The priests and the Levites questioned John. The thing is, they just don't get it.

How straightforward does this baptizer have to be for them to understand what he's about? Does he need to look them straight in the eye and spell it out for them? Fellas, you've been asking all the wrong questions. You've been so interested in who I am and you've missed the whole point. It's not about who I am, but about what I have to say.

And what I have to say is not about me, but about the one who is to come. Look beyond the rough, wild looks, past the smelly, tattered clothing, and hear my voice. Listen to what I have to say, because Messiah is coming. Are you ready? The Baptist is calling everyone within the sound of his voice, including these men, to respond.

Have you made straight the way of the Lord? See, the picture in his response is that of a king. A king who is coming to visit a town or a region under his rule. The town people, for weeks in advance, maybe months, prepare for his visitation. Not only would they sweep the town clean and repair and restore anything necessary to make it presentable for royalty, but they would also envisage the route and the path that the king's horse would walk upon.

and that would make sure it's clean and clear of rocks and debris that would impede or disrupt the King's journey. The eager, joyful anticipation of the King's arrival comes with concern to make his visitation comfortable and pleasurable as possible. You see, a crooked, unprepared path would be of discomfort to the King, and the lack of concern on the townspeople's behalf would indicate that they just don't care. And the king will know it. See, John's message is that king is coming.

Have you prepared your hearts for his arrival? What does that even mean? Our hearts can be so easily cluttered with things that are not of true religion. Jealousy, lies, idolatrous hearts, lustful eyes, covetousness, deceit, fill in the blanks. John's appeal is, wake up.

If the king arrives, will he be impressed with what he sees? Or do you need to put your lives in order? What's needed is genuine sorrow over your wickedness. Repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Upright and holy living is indicative of straight hearts that welcome the King in joyful expectation.

Now to be clear, these things are not humanly possible. Obviously, the divine work of a sovereign God is necessary, but they are indicative of grace upon grace that is given by God through the preaching of truth. And so, John's preaching is that truth. His message, people, you've lived your lives in sin for too long. Your lives are fruitless and desolate, just like the wasteland around you.

Acknowledge it. Confess it before the Lord who is able to forgive because the King is coming. Are you ready? Verse 25 and the interrogation continues. These men just don't get what John is saying.

If you've denied being the Messiah and you said that you're not Elijah and you confess that you're not the prophet that we've been waiting for, then why are you baptizing? This is an interesting question. It seems the action of John were more concerning to them than what he spoke of, or what he's preaching. The very opposite, I believe, of what John is trying to emphasize. He just called himself the voice in the wilderness.

But I think for these religious leaders, it was the newness of baptism that concerned them, rather than the action itself. You see, it's not like they were unaware of baptism. It's largely agreed among scholars that the rite of baptism was practiced in this day. But what was concerning them, you see, was John was baptizing Jews. Jews don't need to be baptized.

They're covenant people. unclean, uncircumcised Gentiles converting to Judaism needed to be baptized. They needed to be cleaned of their filth. But God's chosen people, the ones Yahweh called His Son when He brought them out of Egypt, the covenant people of God, why are they being baptized? If John was Messiah, Elijah, or the expectant prophet, then his credentials would prove him commissioned by God.

And this new baptism, which may have been alluded to in Zechariah 13 or Ezekiel 36, would most likely have been accepted, possibly, by the religious authorities. But John denies to be these men, and they just don't understand that John's message in the wilderness is for both Jew and Gentile alike. His message, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Don't think for a moment that because you're circumcised Jews that you have a ticket into heaven. Unrepentant Jews or Gentiles, no matter who you are, are under the wrath of God.

There is no ethnic favoritism to achieve automatic entry into the kingdom of God. Only sinners saved by grace, of which John's baptism is only a symbol. The Pharisees in Matthew 3 didn't like John's inference, especially when he said, hear this, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. In other words, don't you see yourself as special? If you've hardened your hearts, you're still under the wrath of God, no matter what ethnicity you are.

So John confesses neither to be Christ, neither to be Elijah, neither to be the prophet. And therefore, as far as the religious rulers are concerned, he was at risk of being deemed a false prophet. But John's answer in verse 26 and 27 again takes the emphasis off himself and puts it where it should be placed, on the Messiah. You do not know, even who comes after me, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." In effect, John's response to these men shows that there is a vast difference between what he's doing in the Jordan River, in the Judean wilderness, and what Messiah will do when he comes.

Next week, we'll look into what it means for Christ to baptize with the Holy Spirit. But here, John highlights his baptism is with water. It's a symbol of repentance and the cleansing that comes from those who have already been forgiven of their sins. It's a sign that signifies the reality that only the Messiah can do. The language John uses is as though he is nothing compared to the Messiah.

I baptize with water. So much can be said about verses 26 and 27, but for the sake of time I'm going to make two points in closing this evening. Starting with the second point first, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. Even at a surface level we can understand John's meaning. He's saying that the Messiah is so precious It is so holy, it is so good, that his worth far surpasses that of himself.

Incredible humility, but his interrogators would have probably understood his deeper meaning. You see, a well-respected rabbi among the Jews, by the name of Joshua ben Levi, had some of his teachings from the 3rd century BC preserved and collected in the Jewish Talmud. The collection of Jewish law and theology, Ben Levi, well that's the, I'm sorry my apologies, the Talmud is the collection of Jewish law and theology. Ben Levi writes, now hear what he says, all manner of service that a slave must render to his master, the pupil must render to his teacher, except that of taking his shoes or except that of taking off his shoes. In other words, a rabbi can ask of his student whatever he will, and the student must respectfully oblige.

But the bounds are set in the menial task of taking the rabbi's shoes off. You see, in John's statement, he brings out the very action that the Jews deem as worthy only of a slave, and declares that he is even undeserving for that task towards the Messiah. But isn't that the very message of the Christian faith? Humility? Isn't it a surprise that a student only does what his master would do?

If it's beneath the disciple to take off the shoes of his rabbi, then how about a rabbi washing the feet of his disciples? No, how about the God-man wrapping a towel around his waist and washing the feet of his followers like Jesus does in John 13? We begin to understand that the response of Peter a little bit clearer when he says, you shall never wash my feet. And then Jesus answered him, if I do not wash you, you have no share with me. I love, I love John the Baptist.

I truly believe he's a remarkable, humble man. But in every area of his humility, he fades in the background in comparison to Jesus Christ. But this is his goal, isn't it? To point to Christ and then to be Last week when we examined verse 18 In the prologue of John, I said that the greatest privilege for mankind is to know God and to be known by God. And the greatest horror is not to know Him.

Therefore, the words of John, but among you stands one you do not know, are chilling words that ought to caution our hearts. Why? Because apart from knowing Christ, you die in your sins. Christ alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He's the only sacrifice for sin that the Father accepts.

There is no other Savior. My question to you this evening is this. Do you know Him? I'm not asking if you've heard of Him or if you know of Him. I'm asking, do you know Him with the intimate heart knowledge?

Not just head knowledge. Is Christ the treasure of your soul? Is He your greatest reward? Jesus stood amongst the priests, the Levites, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Jews, and many common folk. They saw Him and they heard Him, but many, if not most, never knew Him.

He was among them, but unknown to them. Friends, do you know Christ? And does He know you? Has He reconciled you to the Father? Because only He can.

Many will claim to know Him, only to be cast out on the last day. The most unnerving words in the whole of Scripture, I believe, are found in Matthew chapter 7. verses 21 through 23. Not everyone who says the words of Christ, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. on that day many will say to me lord lord did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name and then i declare to them hear these words i never knew you depart from me you workers of lawlessness does do you know christ and are you known by him When the Bible is opened and the truth is expounded by His Spirit, Jesus stands before you this evening.

Will it be said of you, but among you stands one you do not know? Friends, there is no other that can rescue you from your sins. A superficial head knowledge won't do it. The religious elites in the first century had Christ stand among them speaking words of truth, words of salvation. What was their response?

They plotted to kill him because they did not know him. Aren't you Joseph's son, they said? Aren't you the carpenter's boy from Galilee? We know who you are, Jesus. No, you don't know him.

You know of him. but you don't know him. Had you have truly known him, you would have known that he is the sovereign of the universe. You would see him in his holiness and his goodness, and your sin-saturated heart would be exposed to reveal your wretchedness. If you really knew him, you would have been undone, realizing your utter worthlessness, even to untie his sandals to clean his feet.

In this broken state, there's nothing one can do other than cry out for mercy. And beloved, this is the beauty of the gospel in its most simplest form. When you cry out for mercy, you receive mercy. This is the repentance John calls for. The repentance without which no one will know God.

precisely because John the Baptist knew Christ and was known by Christ. He was able to know who he was, a faithful voice in the wilderness. He was able to know what he was meant to do, preach repentance of sins and point to this Christ. Because he is the only, or Jesus is the only rescuer of the soul. For John, Unlike the article I referred to earlier, success in ministry was not found in blowing his own horn in attempt to become noticed, but rather in humility to point to Christ and then fade away in the background.

Because contrary to the view of his interrogators, it's not about who John is, but it's about the Messiah, the only hope for all humanity. All glory belongs to Him and to Him alone. May the Lord also give us an understanding of who we are and the humility to know what we are meant to do. Of course, as I said earlier, this is only possible if you and I truly know the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Amen.