john the baptizer

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JOHN THE BAPTIZERWhy Did Jesus Call Him Great?

PProvocative. Outrageous.Nonconformist. John

didn’t get high marks frommany of the social and religiousleaders of his day. Yet Jesusreferred to him as a model ofgreatness. Why?

And what can we learn fromsomeone whose life was shapednot only by the barrenness of theJudean wilderness but also byhis role as the forerunner of theMessiah?

In the following pages, Bill Crowder, RBC Director ofChurch Ministries, helps us findthe timeless significance of this“voice crying in the wilderness.”Now, as much as in the past,significance is found not byfollowing the crowd but byhearing the call to a new kind of greatness.

Martin R. De Haan IIManaging Editor: David Sper Cover Photo:Terry BidgoodScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.© 2006 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

A Portrait Of Greatness . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

A Great Expectation . . . 4

A Great Beginning. . . . . . 8

A Great Focus. . . . . . . . 13

A Great Humility . . . . . 17

A Great Danger . . . . . . 22

A Great Model . . . . . . . 29

True Greatness . . . . . . . 31

Q0725 John the Baptizer pp 8/23/06 4:01 PM Page 1

Copyright © RBC Ministries

A PORTRAIT OFGREATNESS

TThe word great hasbeen attached to awide range of persons,

events, and conditions.• In history. Alexander

the Great was a Greekgeneral who hadconquered the world by his 33rd birthday.

• In nature. The GreatLakes are in the uppermidwest of the UnitedStates, and the GreatBarrier Reef is off the coast of Australia.

• In architecture. We havethe Great Wall of Chinaand the Great Pyramids.

• In film. One of my all-time favorite movies isThe Great Escape,which chronicles themassive escape by alliedsoldiers from a Naziprisoner of war campduring World War II.

• In economics. Few events could rival the

Great Depression of the 1930s—an eventthat shaped the values of a generation.

• In literature.Shakespeare said, “Some are born great,some achieve greatness,and some have greatnessthrust upon them”(Twelfth Night, Act II,Scene V).If you type the word

great into Google, theInternet search engine, you are likely to come up with close to 3 billionoccurrences. That’s 3 billionmore examples than any ofus are interested in. Yet, ascommon as the word is,there is one place that theword great deserves ourcareful attention.

A HIGHERSTANDARDThe Bible uses greatness inthe ultimate sense. In one ofhundreds of occurrences, aJewish song declares, “The

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Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods” (Ps. 95:3).

Further, in the Bible we are called to respond to the great commission (Mt. 28:19-20), arecompelled to love by thegreat commandment (Mt.22:36-38), and are warnedof the judgment of the greattribulation (Mt. 24:21).

Even though theseexamples rise to a higherlevel of importance, they aresimilar to the way great isused outside the pages ofthe Bible. There are otherplaces, however, where the Bible uses the worddifferently. Jesus used theword great in a way thatseems to turn the ideaupside down. Referring to a world that is looking for natural superiority of one person over another, He said to His disciples:

Yet it shall not be soamong you; but whoeverdesires to become great

among you shall be yourservant. And whoever ofyou desires to be first shallbe slave of all. For eventhe Son of Man did notcome to be served, but to serve, and to give Hislife a ransom for many(Mk. 10:43-45).The greatness Jesus was

referring to runs contrary toour natural inclinations. Itisn’t based on power, fame,or wealth. On anotheroccasion, He took anopportunity to give us anexample of the kind ofperson He had in mind.

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“Some are born great, someachieve greatness,and some havegreatness thrust

upon them.”—Shakespeare



A SURPRISINGDECLARATIONWith all the people of the Bible to choose from,Jesus selected one person to model for us a differentkind of greatness—amisunderstood greatness.His name? John theBaptizer. Of him, the Lord declared:

I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greaterprophet than John theBaptist; but he who isleast in the kingdom ofGod is greater than he(Lk. 7:28).There is mystery in those

words. Who was this John,and what made him so greatin the eyes of the Savior?And how does that greatnesscompare to the “least in thekingdom of God”? These arequestions worthy of ourattention as we examine thelife of the man Jesus calledgreat.

A GREATEXPECTATION

WWhen I think of great

expectations, Ithink of Joseph Kennedy, Jr.Joe was just a boy when his father dreamed that hewould become president ofthe United States. He wasgroomed, prepared, andequipped to eventually carrythe Kennedy name to theWhite House. But Joe, anavy pilot, was killed duringa World War II militaryoperation, and the mantle ofpolitical expectations fell toJoe’s younger brother, Jack,who would eventuallybecome the 35th presidentof the United States.

Imagine, though, whatyoung Joe must have feltgrowing up with the pressure to one day becomepresident. That’s not a targetyou can just get close to.There are no near misses.You either hit it in the bull’s-

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eye or miss it altogether. Very few of us face the

kind of expectations thatwere placed on young Joe. But the ones for John the Baptizer were far greater. He was born with the expectation ofpreparing the way for thelong-promised and long-awaited Messiah.

THE WORDS OF A PROPHETThese expectations began inthe Old Testament. Malachi,the writer of the final bookof the Old Testament,declared:

“Behold, I send Mymessenger, and he willprepare the way beforeMe. And the Lord, whomyou seek, will suddenlycome to His temple, eventhe Messenger of thecovenant, in whom youdelight. Behold, He iscoming,” says the Lord of hosts (3:1).In the earliest portions of

the Old Testament, God hadpromised a Deliverer whowould come and rescuehumanity from the sin thatentered the world in theGarden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-19). Now, in the closingbook of the Old Testament,we are given an importantpiece of information aboutthat Deliverer: He would bepreceded by a messenger, aforerunner. Malachi actuallyspoke of two messengers:• “My messenger”—the

forerunner who wouldcome to prepare the way.

• “The Messenger of thecovenant”—defined byMalachi as “the Lord,whom you seek.”The Messenger of the

covenant is Christ Himself,and the forerunner whowould prepare the way forHim would be John theBaptizer. Interestingly,Malachi’s prophecy of theforerunner is quoted in allfour New Testament gospelrecords, and it introduces

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John’s ministry to us:As it is written in theProphets: “Behold, I sendMy messenger before Yourface, who will prepareYour way before You. Thevoice of one crying in thewilderness: ‘Prepare theway of the Lord; make His paths straight.’ ” Johncame baptizing in thewilderness and preachinga baptism of repentancefor the remission of sins(Mk. 1:2-4).Mark quoted from

Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3to paint a picture of thepromised forerunner, a rolefulfilled by John. Imaginewhat it would be like togrow up with the realizationthat your life had been setaside for this extraordinaryresponsibility. John wouldprepare the way andproclaim the arrival of theSon of God in His missionto redeem a lost world—great expectations indeed.

THE ROLE OF AFORERUNNERWhat did it mean to be aforerunner? What would he actually do? In Mark’sintroduction of John theBaptizer (Mk. 1:2-4), hegives several significanttasks that John would beentrusted with as theforerunner of Christ.• Prepare the Messiah’s

way by announcing Hisarrival onto the worldscene.

• Cry out in the wildernessas a living parable ofcommitment to Christ.

• Call people to beprepared for Messiah’scoming by introducingthe key elements of themessage Christ Himselfwould deliver. Thatmessage included adeclaration of the King’skingdom, the danger ofthe sin that separatedpeople from their rightfulKing, and the hope offorgiveness to those who

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would turn to the King in repentance.This was a strong

challenge, and a seriousmessage. In the same waythat a herald announced

the arrival of a king, theforerunner would announcethe coming of the King ofkings. But it was more thanjust an announcement. Hispreparation would include acall to action that challengedthe people of first-centuryIsrael to look inward and tolook Godward. They were tolook inward and recognize

their failings, and they wereto look Godward for theremedy for those failings.

As such, it was John’srole not only to prepare theway of the King but also toprepare the people whowould be the recipients ofthe King’s message. It was amassive task. Bible teacherHerbert Lockyer wrote:

We seem to see [John’s] rugged figurestanding with armsoutstretched, as with onehand he takes the OldTestament and with theother holds the New, and who, through hisministry, makes thetransition from Law to Grace. He was theforeclosure of the old and the forerunner of the new (All The Men Of The Bible, p.195).The prophecies of the

forerunner of Christ wouldfind their fulfillment in thesolitary cry of a man markedby God for that role. And

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It was John’s rolenot only to preparethe way of the Kingbut also to prepare

the people whowould be the

recipients of theKing’s message.



even the way John wouldenter the world woulddemonstrate the special callGod had upon his life.

A GREATBEGINNING

IIlove the start of a newbaseball season. Everyteam starts fresh. Every

team and player has a blanksheet that they will fill withnumbers, achievements,wins and losses over thecourse of the next 162games. It’s a new beginning,full of promise and hope.

Beginnings are like that.They carry with them a deepsense of opportunity. WhenI was a pastor, I saw itwhenever I visited a hospitalmaternity ward to join in thejoy and celebration of thesafe delivery of a new baby.Compressed within thatnewborn’s tiny frame wasunbelievable potential andopportunity to make adifference in this world.

This was particularly truewith the birth of John theBaptizer.

AN EXPECTANTFAMILYInterestingly, the gospel ofLuke doesn’t open with thebirth of Jesus Christ but withthe birth of His forerunner,John. Let’s look at the storyin chapter 1:

There was in the days ofHerod, the king of Judea,a certain priest namedZacharias, of the divisionof Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And theywere both righteous beforeGod, walking in all thecommandments andordinances of the Lordblameless. But they had no child, becauseElizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years (Lk. 1:5-7).Here we are introduced

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to John’s parents and givenhelpful information. Welearn that:• They were of priestly

heritage (v.5), withZacharias (the father)serving as a priest, whileElizabeth (the mother)could trace her familyline all the way back toAaron, the brother ofMoses and the first highpriest of Israel.

• They were godly peoplewho had sought to live in obedience to God’slaws—so much so thatLuke describes them as “blameless.”

• They were childless and “well advanced in years.” This was asignificant issue in aculture that placed a highvalue on having children. Their childlessness was a

heartache that Zachariasand Elizabeth had come toaccept over the course oftheir lives. And, based onLuke’s description of their

character, it’s to their creditthat their disappointment in being childless did notimpact their love for God or their service for Him.Even in their emptiness, they remained faithful toGod—and that faithfulnesswould be rewarded.

As Zacharias wasperforming his priestlyduties in the temple, anangel brought him amessage that was, quitefrankly, beyond belief.Having never encounteredan angelic being, this faithfulpriest was understandablyrattled by the sight (v.12).The angel, however, hadamazing news to report toZacharias:

Do not be afraid,Zacharias, for your prayeris heard; and your wifeElizabeth will bear you ason, and you shall call hisname John. And you willhave joy and gladness,and many will rejoice athis birth. For he will be

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great in the sight of theLord, and shall drinkneither wine nor strongdrink. He will also befilled with the Holy Spirit,even from his mother’swomb. And he will turnmany of the children ofIsrael to the Lord theirGod. He will also gobefore Him in the spiritand power of Elijah, “toturn the hearts of thefathers to the children,”and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a peopleprepared for the Lord (vv.13-17).Okay, be honest. How

would you respond if youand your spouse were oldand long past the point ofbeing able to have children?Zacharias’ disappointmentmust have caused him to beextremely distressed by theangel’s words. Not only wasit not very funny, it wasn’tvery believable to this aged priest. So Zacharias

responded accordingly:How shall I know this?For I am an old man, andmy wife is well advancedin years (v.18).Whether Zacharias’

words were fueled by the pain of years ofchildlessness or rooted in an honest assessment of his situation, his doubtwas quickly confronted by the angel:

The angel answered and said to him, “I amGabriel, who stands in thepresence of God, and wassent to speak to you andbring you these gladtidings. But behold, youwill be mute and not ableto speak until the daythese things take place,because you did notbelieve my words whichwill be fulfilled in theirown time” (vv.19-20).Because of his doubt,

Zacharias would be muteuntil the birth of thispromised, long-hoped-for

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son. When he left thetemple, the people waitingoutside for him thought thathe had experienced somekind of a vision because hewas in the temple for so longand because he couldn’tspeak (vv.21-22). But theangel was real and hispromise soon came to pass.Elizabeth, Zacharias’ agedwife, became pregnant(vv.24-25). And the child she carried would be thepromised forerunner ofMessiah.

AN EXTENDEDFAMILYAfter Luke told the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth,he brought Mary, the motherof Jesus, onto the stage ofthis drama. And the eventswe encounter become apowerful foreshadowing ofJohn’s role as forerunner—even before he is born!

Mary received her ownmessage of miraculouschildbirth from the angel

Gabriel (vv.26-27) andconsidered the magnitude ofhaving been chosen by Godto bring His Son into theworld (v.38). She obedientlyaccepted this amazingdeclaration and submitted to God’s purposes.

During this time ofwonder and obedience,Mary left Nazareth and went to visit her dearrelative Elizabeth, who was in her sixth month of pregnancy. These twohumble, godly women were both the recipients of miraculous pregnancies,and both were anticipatingthe arrival of very specialchildren—one the son of apriest, the other the Son ofthe Most High.

When the women saweach other, the yet unbornforerunner of Messiah leaped in his mother’s womb(v.41). Elizabeth instantlyunderstood. No doubtZacharias had conveyed toher (in writing) the message

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of the angel Gabriel thattheir son would be theMessiah’s forerunner.Elizabeth immediatelyinterpreted the reaction of the child in her womb as an indication that it wasMary who was bearing theChrist-child. Elizabeth’spraise to God for the coming Messiah (vv.42-45)prompted Mary’s great“magnificat” of worship(vv.46-55). The stage was set for two births of two sonswho would rock their timesand change the world—forever.

AN EXCITINGANNOUNCEMENTThe time finally came forElizabeth to deliver herchild. Zacharias had beenincapable of speech for 9months and had to rejoice in silence during the firstdays of the baby’s life(vv.57-58). But on the eighth day, everythingchanged.

So it was, on the eighthday, that they came tocircumcise the child; andthey would have calledhim by the name of hisfather, Zacharias. Hismother answered andsaid, “No; he shall becalled John” (vv.59-60).

When questioned by his relatives about the boy’s name, Zachariasaffirmed, in writing, that his son’s name was John (v.63), in obedience to theangelic command (v.13).Immediately, speech wasrestored to the elderly priest,and he declared the mission

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The stage was set for two births of two sons whowould rock their

times and changethe world—forever.



God had given to his newson (vv.67-79)—a missionthat would prepare the wayfor Messiah (v.76), preparethe way for salvation (v.77), and declare the mercy ofGod to a people desperatelyin need of mercy (v.78). The next 30-plus years of John’s life would be spent in preparation for thefulfillment of his God-givenassignment as Christ’sforerunner:

So the child grew and became strong inspirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel (v.80).Quite an entrance into

the world, wouldn’t youagree? Yet, this greatbeginning was only thebeginning. The impact Johnwould have in his service forthe Savior would build onthe foundation of this greatbeginning. Old Testamentprophets had laid thegroundwork. A miraculous

birth had brought thoseprophetic words intohistorical reality. A godlyhome would plant the seedsof truth into his young heart.And the forerunner wouldstep forth with a dynamiclife to prepare the way of the Lord.

A GREAT FOCUS

WWhen I was astudent in Bible

college, I playedintercollegiate soccer. I wasthe goalkeeper, and, as such,I had one job: To stop theball from going into the goal.Simple, right? Well, notreally.

In soccer, the goalies are the only players with thegame in front of them all thetime. In spite of that, withplayer movement, defensivesets, and lightning-fastaction, the events before you can quickly blurtogether in a sea of motion.At that moment, the goalie

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is vulnerable. In a sense, the positioning of defensiveplayers and the strategy of the offensive playersbecomes secondary. Theonly thing that matters is theball. If your ability to focuson the ball is impaired bythe action of the game, beingscored on is inevitable.Ultimately, there is only onething that the goalie mustfocus on: the ball.

This is true in life as well. John the Baptizer could easily have gottendistracted and lost sight ofthe real focus of his life, buthe didn’t. He maintained his focus. This resulted in a clear sense of purpose that evidenced itself in twocritical ways.

BOLDNESS IN MESSAGEJohn is presented in thepages of Scripture as beingfearless. He attacked withfull force the mission thatwas entrusted to him,

undeterred by eitherhardship or opposition. In fact, hardship andopposition seemed to strengthen his determination rather than diminish it. Thisboldness is seen in at leastthree areas of his ministry:

Boldness ToConfront EmptyReligion. “When he sawmany of the Pharisees andSadducees coming to hisbaptism, he said to them,‘Brood of vipers! Whowarned you to flee from thewrath to come? Thereforebear fruits worthy ofrepentance’ ” (Mt. 3:7-8).

Boldness InAnnouncing Messiah’sArrival. “The voice of onecrying in the wilderness:‘Prepare the way of theLord; make His pathsstraight.’ John camebaptizing in the wildernessand preaching a baptism ofrepentance for the remissionof sins” (Mk. 1:3-4).

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Boldness InPointing People ToGod. Jesus said of John,“He was the burning andshining lamp, and you werewilling for a time to rejoicein his light” (Jn. 5:35).

Even though it wouldhave been a lot easier toblend in and not to standout as odd or different, Johnmaintained his boldness andkept his focus. The courageto stand alone and speakthe truth is a tremendousthing—and one that Johnembodied in his service forChrist.

PRIORITIES IN MINISTRYIn addition to his boldnessin message, John’s focus was exhibited in his clearsense of priority.

Simplicity OfLifestyle. John was notdistracted by many of thethings that can get in theway of our own service. Hishome was the desert. His

clothing? Well, it wasn’texactly Armani or Prada. Hewore a self-made garmentfashioned from camel’s hair.His diet was not somethingthat you would seerecommended on a televisedcooking show, unless thereare some new and excitingrecipes with locusts and wildhoney (Mt. 3:4).

Admittedly, a lifestyle likeJohn’s is not a requirementfor all followers of Christ, oreven for all spiritual servants.John had been placed atbirth under a Nazirite vow(Lk. 1:15), like Samson of the Old Testament. It was avow to live a life of absolutepurity and devotion to theLord (Num. 6:13-21), which actually made aperson something of aspectacle in appearance.We’re not all called to thatkind of lifestyle.

The principle thissimplicity describes, however,should have an influence onour thinking. The simplicity

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of John’s lifestyle allowed him to focus on his mission,and that’s something we canlearn from. The apostle Paul,writing to a young pastor,said:

You therefore must endurehardship as a good soldierof Jesus Christ. No oneengaged in warfareentangles himself with the affairs of this life, thathe may please him whoenlisted him as a soldier(2 Tim. 2:3-4).That’s a key passage.

Service can be derailed bythe distractions that upsetour ability to focus. John’ssimple lifestyle removedmany of those distractions.

Integrity Of Heart.John’s character was soshaped by spiritual focusthat even his enemies had to acknowledge the purity of his life. Mark 6:20 reads:

Herod feared John,knowing that he was ajust and holy man, and heprotected him. And when

he heard him, he didmany things, and heardhim gladly.This is amazing.

It was Herod who wouldeventually have Johnexecuted, yet there is nodoubt that John’s examplehad a great impact on him.Notice that Herod fearedJohn. Why? Because John“was a just and holy man.”

When personal integrityis recognized by one’senemies, it speaks to thequality and consistency ofthat person’s life. In John’scase, it spoke of someonewho had learned to keep hiseye on the goal and to strivefor spiritual authenticity.

John was able tomaintain his boldness and his priorities because he kept his focus on theChrist he served.

Important as thesequalities are, however,there is a potentialdownside. Boldness inmessage, if not properly

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manifested, can be mistakenfor arrogance. That’s why weare challenged not only todeclare the truth but to doso “in love” (Eph. 4:15).Truth outside the context of love can be seen ascondemning and angry.

Likewise, priorities in Christian service are vital. But if they are leftunguarded, what begins as agenuine desire for personalholiness can deteriorate intoself-righteousness.

How do we guard againstthese attitudes that candistort our hearts, minds,and testimonies? By keepinglife in perspective—theperspective of humility.

A GREATHUMILITY

AAt the beginning of thisbooklet, we listed a

variety of things andpeople that have “the Great”in their title. That list mademe curious, so I went onlineand did a Google search for“the humble.” After lookingat 50 pages of results, Ididn’t find a single case of aperson being referred to as“So-and-so the Humble.”There were plenty of “So-and-so the Greats,” but no one was referred to as “the Humble.” Such are the priorities of the world-system we live in.Being humble is okay, butonly if it helps you to getahead.

For John, humility wasnot a label to be worn or adevice to be used. It was acondition of his heart thatwas born out of a clearunderstanding of who hewas—and who he wasn’t.

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Truth outside the context of love

can be seen as condemning

and angry.



UNDERSTANDINGHIS ROLEJohn wasn’t confused about who he was or what he was to do. InMark’s introduction of John,we read what John saidabout himself:

[John] preached, saying,“There comes One afterme who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoopdown and loose. I indeedbaptized you with water,but He will baptize youwith the Holy Spirit” (Mk. 1:7-8). Notice the clear sense of

purpose John described. Hesaw Christ as greater andChrist’s mission as greater.He had no problem withplaying “second fiddle” tothe Messiah. John’s role wasthat of a servant. Nothingmore, nothing less. In fact,John’s clarity of mind on thiswas so thorough that he sawhimself as “not worthy tostoop down and loose” the

sandal strap of the Son ofGod. There was no room insuch a perspective for self-promotion, only for honesthumility. And for John, thiswas critical.

This attitude was alsodisplayed by John at thebaptism of Jesus (Mt. 3:13-15) as he publicly declaredthat he was unworthy tobaptize Christ—an act thatwould launch the Savior’spublic work.

What a contrast to Jesus’disciples! They regularlyjockeyed for position and power, seeking self-advancement and personalhonor. Notice:

Now there was also adispute among them, as to which of them shouldbe considered the greatest.And He said to them,“The kings of the Gentilesexercise lordship overthem, and those whoexercise authority over them are called‘benefactors.’ But not

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so among you; on thecontrary, he who isgreatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he whogoverns as he who serves” (Lk. 22:24-26).What the disciples

would struggle with, Johnhad readily embraced. Heunderstood his role, and as a result he displayed a heart of true humility. It was a genuine response ofsomeone who saw Christ for all He is, and willinglybowed before Him inworship and service.

UNDERSTANDINGCHRIST’S ROLEWhen John looked at Jesus, he saw the promisedMessiah and made Him thefocus. That’s how it shouldbe in the realm of spiritualservice. It’s not about themessenger; it’s about themessage. For John, this was a mission statement. He continued to place the

spotlight on Christ, taking it intentionally off himself.John displayed this in thefollowing passage:

The next day John sawJesus coming toward him,and said, “Behold! TheLamb of God who takesaway the sin of the world!This is He of whom I said,‘After me comes a Manwho is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He shouldbe revealed to Israel,therefore I came baptizingwith water.” And Johnbore witness, saying, “Isaw the Spirit descendingfrom heaven like a dove,and He remained uponHim. I did not know Him,but He who sent me tobaptize with water said tome, ‘Upon whom you seethe Spirit descending, andremaining on Him, this isHe who baptizes with theHoly Spirit.’ And I haveseen and testified that

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this is the Son of God.”Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. Andlooking at Jesus as Hewalked, he said, “Beholdthe Lamb of God!” Thetwo disciples heard himspeak, and they followedJesus (Jn. 1:29-37).Notice how John

continually deferred toChrist. He declared:

The Role Of Christ(v.29). “The Lamb of Godwho takes away the sin ofthe world!” John affirmedthat the mission of Christwas far greater thananything he or any otherman could accomplish. Itwas a mission of rescue andredemption that deservedthe attention of everyhuman being.

The Eternity OfChrist (v.30). “He wasbefore me.” Remember thatJohn was born monthsahead of Christ (Lk. 1). Sothis is not a statement of

chronology, but a statementabout the person of Christthat transcends time. Having existed with God the Father from eternity past(Jn. 1:1-2), Jesus was abovethe limitations of time.

The EndorsementOf Christ (v.32). “I sawthe Spirit descending fromheaven like a dove.” Thereality of Christ was not amatter of one man’s opinion.It was, in fact, a truth thatwas validated by the HolySpirit’s presence.

The Identity OfChrist (v.34). “This is the Son of God.” Johnrecognized Jesus andpublicly declared beforeanyone else had that Hewas, in fact, God in humanflesh.

The Priority OfChrist (vv.36-37). WhenJohn repeated his assertionthat Jesus was the “Lamb ofGod” (v.36), it came with aprice. Those words wereintentionally directed to two

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of his own disciples, Johnthe son of Zebedee andAndrew the brother ofSimon Peter. Those two disciples of Johnimmediately stoppedfollowing John, and followedChrist instead. It was right,necessary, and appropriatefor them to do so. But it alsorevealed how committedJohn was to advancing

Christ instead of himself. He was not interested in building empires orfollowings. His only

concern was pointing men and women to theSavior.

John the Baptizer’s clearunderstanding of the roleand identity of Christ madeit very easy for him to becertain of his own role in the drama.

So much of the time,humility is all aboutperspective. John expressedthe only perspective thatmatters when he said ofJesus Christ:

A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him fromheaven. You yourselvesbear me witness, that Isaid, “I am not theChrist,” but, “I have been sent before Him.” He who has the bride isthe bridegroom; but thefriend of the bridegroom,who stands and hearshim, rejoices greatlybecause of thebridegroom’s voice.Therefore this joy

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John was notinterested in

building empires or followings.

His only concernwas pointing men

and women to the Savior.



of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease (Jn. 3:27-30).That’s a true heart of

humility. To acknowledgethe greatness of another, toseek the advancement ofanother, and to focus theattention on another ratherthan one’s self is at the heart of humility.

What strikes me soprofoundly about John’scharacter, however, is that it was completely without

regret or resentment. It gavehim a sense of gain ratherthan loss, prompting him tosay, “Therefore this joy of

mine is fulfilled” (Jn. 3:29).He celebrated the fact thatthere was great joy inhumbly serving Christ. The more Christ wasexalted, the more John feltthe joy of God in his heart.It displayed the cry of hisheart that said, “He mustincrease, but I mustdecrease.”

A GREATDANGER

WWe live in adangerous

world filled with dangerous people. This reality was painfullydriven home to me in 2004.

During his growing upyears, our eldest son Mattmade a dear and lastingfriend in Jason. From youth group activities to whitewater raftingexperiences to mission trips, Matt and Jason hadgreat times together. As they

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The more Christ was exalted, the

more John felt the joy of God in his heart.



grew into adulthood, Mattjoined the Army and Jasonworked with his fiancée at a Christian camp as theyprepared for their upcomingwedding.

In August, while Mattwas stationed overseas,Jason’s mom contacted measking for prayer. Jason andLindsay (his fiancée) weremissing and their familieswere greatly concerned.Their disappearance wasradically out of character for these responsible young adults. The families’concerns proved to be well-founded. Several daysafter the search had begun,their bodies were found—murdered.

When my wife and Iwent to see Jason’s folks, his mom said to me, “Whowould have thought thatMatt was safer in Iraq thanJason was here at home.”Yes, we live in a dangerousworld indeed.

So did John the Baptizer.

He also encountered evilpeople in a dangerousworld. For him, however, itwasn’t just a general evil hefaced. It was a danger thatresulted from challengingwrong behavior and callingpeople to prepare theirhearts for Messiah. Thiscommitment to his callingexposed him to the kinds of dangers that sometimescome when we live forChrist in a troubled world.

DANGER #1:BEINGMISUNDERSTOODWhen John spoke, somepeople thought he was theMessiah because he spokethe message of God boldlyand truthfully. Even thoughhe repeatedly denied that hewas the Messiah, he wasstill misunderstood. In fact,after his death people werestill confused about who hewas. When Jesus asked Hisdisciples for the opinions ofthe crowds as to His own

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identity, He received thisreply:

Some say John theBaptist, some Elijah, andothers Jeremiah or one ofthe prophets (Mt. 16:14).Even after he was

dead, John’s message andmission continued to bemisunderstood andmisrepresented.

We too can bemisunderstood. When westand up for the things ofChrist, we must do so withthe realization that the worldaround us doesn’t have aframe of reference withwhich to understand ourcommitment. Paul warnedthe church at Corinth:

The natural man does not receive the things ofthe Spirit of God, for theyare foolishness to him; nor can he know them,because they arespiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14).We must be wise

in our response to such

misunderstanding. In asense, we should evenanticipate it and give ourbest efforts to ensure that if misunderstanding occurs,it’s not because we havefailed to live rightly orcommunicate clearly.

DANGER #2:BEING LABELED A FOOLIn our culture, commitmentto Christ usually results in a raised eyebrow and somechoice words. I’m convincedthat when John chose to livea life of devotion instead ofa life of pleasure, a life ofsimplicity instead of a life in the pursuit of creaturecomforts, he was the targetof no small amount ofridicule.

This is implied in thewords of Jesus. When thereligious leaders criticizedHim for associating withsinful people, He pointedout their previous ridicule of John:

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John the Baptist cameneither eating bread nordrinking wine, and yousay, “He has a demon”(Lk. 7:33).Even more than just

branding John a freak, or a fool, or a fanatic, theydrove the dagger deeper by accusing him of beingdemon-possessed becauseof the intensity of hiscommitment to God’s call.

Very little has changed inthe two millennia that havetranspired since then. WhenJim Elliot was wrestling withthe opinions of those whothought him foolish to enterthe field of world missions,he wrote, “He is no fool whogives what he cannot keepto gain that which he cannotlose.” Elliot lost his life inthe jungles of Ecuador whileattempting to reach peoplewith the message of Christ.But he gained so much morein the presence of his God.

John the Baptizer livedElliot’s creed long before it

was written. He gave up the temporal so that hecould impact the eternal.

DANGER #3:DEALING WITHDOUBTSDoubt can be terrible. It makes us vulnerable to our worst fears anddeepest disappointments. It can cause us to questioneverything we were oncemost certain about.

I believe that John began to have doubts after he was arrested and imprisoned by Herod.He had spent himself instrenuous, aggressiveministry and suddenly

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“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep

to gain that whichhe cannot lose.”

—Jim Elliot



been taken out of play. Inprison, John experienced anew kind of isolation. Thiswas not the isolation of lifein the desert that he hadpreviously experienced bychoice. It was a separationfrom the people and thework he cared for so deeply.I believe it took its toll onhis emotions and hisconfidence.

In Luke 7, some of John’sdisciples sent word to himabout the miraculous worksof Jesus. But John’s reactionwas not one of exclamationpoints. It was one ofquestion marks. He sent hisfollowers back to Jesus withhis questions:

John, calling two of hisdisciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look foranother?” (Lk. 7:19).John, who had once

boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God, nowstruggled with doubts of

Christ’s identity. This revealsthe power of our emotions todrive our thinking. It alsoreminds us of how humanJohn really was. Far toooften, we elevate biblicalcharacters to the status ofsuperheroes. John washuman and just as subjectto the danger of doubt asany of us.

DANGER #4:BEING BLAMED BY OTHERSThis danger is clearly seenin the encounters John hadwith Herod and his wife. In fact, Herod’s new wifeseemed to blame John for allthe problems in her life—inspite of the fact that theywere problems of her ownmaking. This danger was not just imagined, nor was itthe paranoid fantasies of a man who had been in thedesert too long. In reality,it resulted in John’s death.

The story is painfullyfamiliar. Herod, a political

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“king” ruling on behalf of Rome, had unlawfullymarried Herodias, who had been the wife of hisbrother Philip. John hadunyieldingly confronted this public adultery untilHerodias demanded thatHerod have him arrested for what she considered to be personal attacks.

This resulted in conflictin Herod’s household. Whilehe sought to protect John,his wife looked for ways tokill the prophet (Mk. 6:19-20). John held unswervinglyto his convictions, andHerodias finally devised aplan to manipulate her newhusband into getting rid ofJohn once and for all. Markrecounts the events:

Then an opportune daycame when Herod on hisbirthday gave a feast for his nobles, the highofficers, and the chief men of Galilee. And whenHerodias’ daughter herselfcame in and danced, and

pleased Herod and thosewho sat with him, theking said to the girl, “Askme whatever you want,and I will give it to you.”He also swore to her,“Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to halfmy kingdom.” So she went out and said to hermother, “What shall Iask?” And she said, “Thehead of John the Baptist!”Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “Iwant you to give me atonce the head of John theBaptist on a platter.” Andthe king was exceedinglysorry; yet, because of theoaths and because ofthose who sat with him,he did not want to refuseher. Immediately the kingsent an executioner andcommanded his head tobe brought. And he wentand beheaded him inprison, brought his headon a platter, and gave

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it to the girl; and the girlgave it to her mother (Mk. 6:21-28). Herod, whose moral

failings with his brother’swife revealed hisvulnerability to sexualtemptation, once againsuccumbed to his desires.Bible teachers consistentlydescribe this dance asinappropriate (a princesswould never be expected to dance for men like a slave girl) and sensual—exploiting Herod’s weakness of moral character. This weaknesscost John his head.

At the same time,Herodias’ willingness to use her own daughter in a diabolical plot to kill an innocent man cost herwhatever shred of personaldignity and honor she hadleft. Unwilling to acceptresponsibility for her choicesand their consequences,Herodias found it muchmore convenient to blame

John for her troubles. It was a tragic scene that

shows the very real dangersthat come when people seekto live for God in the midstof a dangerous world.

Yet, to the very end, Johnwas true to his mission andtrue to his message. He mayhave had moments when hestruggled with doubt, but hestayed true to his calling—even at the cost of his life.In spite of this, John theBaptizer was far from avictim and far from a loser.Jim Elliot was right: “He isno fool who gives what he

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John may have had moments whenhe struggled with

doubt, but he stayed true to hiscalling—even at

the cost of his life.



cannot keep to gain thatwhich he cannot lose.”

A GREAT MODEL

FFor young athletes, one of the methods

for learning a sport is tofind a role model to emulate.For young golfers it might be Tiger Woods. For young soccer players itcould be Brazilian superstarRonaldinho. For basketballplayers it could be MichaelJordan. Soon these youngaspiring athletes are dressinglike their heroes, walkinglike their heroes, andattempting to play the game like their heroes. We all need someone topoint the way and to be anexample that we can follow.

When it comes tospiritual living, Jesus is ourultimate example. But JesusHimself said of John:

Among those born ofwomen there is not agreater prophet than

John the Baptist; but he who is least in thekingdom of God is greaterthan he (Lk. 7:28).I can’t imagine anything

more humbling than to haveChrist Himself describe youas great. Yet, as we haveexamined the life of John theBaptizer, greatness seems tobe the last thing he wouldhave aspired to. He was farmore concerned about thegreatness of Christ—andperhaps that helps explainthe Lord’s words about him.

THE GREATNESS OF JOHN THEBAPTIZERWhy did Jesus describe John as the greatest of allprophets? Let me offer asuggestion. The prophets of the Old Testament, likeMoses and Elijah, weregiven the responsibility of taking God’s message to people’s hearts anddelivering it clearly andpassionately. Some, like

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Malachi, prophesied aboutthe forerunner of Messiah,John the Baptizer. Others,like Isaiah and Zechariah,prophesied about MessiahHimself. But John wasdifferent.

John the Baptizer’s role was not merely one of proclamation, he waschallenged with preparingthe way for Messiah. It wasa responsibility that couldeasily have caused him to lose his balance. But John’s greatness is perhaps best explained by his trustworthiness. Hecould be trusted with themost important missionbecause his heart was fullycommitted to the Christ ofthe mission.

This is what makesspiritual greatness so easilymisunderstood. We tend tolook for greatness in theform of talent or brilliance.We tend to measuregreatness by charisma or accomplishment. The

example of John theBaptizer forces us toreexamine and recalibrateour definition of greatness.

If greatness weremeasured by fame, Isaiah orDaniel might have been thegreatest of the prophets. Ifwonder and passion werethe measure of greatness,Ezekiel or Jeremiah mightwin the day. But as great asthey were, Jesus assignedgreatness to John. Hisprimary qualification? Hewas faithful to the messageand the mission of Messiah.So Jesus called him great.

THE GREATNESS OF THE LEAST INTHE KINGDOMJesus went on to say that the “least” significantmember of the kingdom was even greater than John.What does this mean?

Bible teacher WarrenWiersbe offers some helpfulthoughts. He wrote:

How is the least person 30



in the kingdom greater thanJohn? In position, not incharacter or ministry. Johnwas a herald of the King,announcing the kingdom;believers today are childrenof the kingdom and thefriends of the King (Jn.15:15). John’s ministry was a turning point in both thenation’s history and in God’s plan of redemption(Be Compassionate, p.78).

The fact that John wasthe herald of the kingdombut believers in Christ arecitizens of the kingdomdescribes the contrast ofposition well. Put anotherway, however, it becomeseven stronger. In John 3,Christ was describing Hismarriage to His bride, thechurch. John was thegreatest of the prophets andhad the privilege of beingthe “best man” at thewedding (“the friend of thebridegroom” in John 3:29).

The believer in Christ,however, is a part of Hisbride.

What a privilege it is tobe part of God’s family! Wewould be wise to respondwith the same grace,courage, and humility thatJohn exhibited in responseto being the forerunner ofMessiah. What greater waycould there be for us tohonor our King than to live our lives with thepassion of John the Baptizer, who said of Jesus:“He must increase, but Imust decrease” (Jn. 3:30).

That is true greatness.

TRUE GREATNESS

HHow can the theme of greatness impactour living and

thinking today? It dependson where we are on ourspiritual journey.

If you’ve never placedyour faith in Jesus Christ asyour Savior, it’s important to

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understand the greatness of salvation.

Jesus Christ, the Son ofGod, came in human fleshto give His life as paymentfor our sins—sins that createa barrier between us and the God who loves us. The forgiveness that Jesus’sacrifice secured is availableto all—a great salvation(Heb. 2:3) that can’t beignored. It’s the onlyavailable path to a rightrelationship with God and eternal life.

If you have notexperienced this greatsalvation, talk to the Godwho loves you. Admit yoursins and failures and askHim for the forgiveness HisSon purchased for you. It’sthe first step of a new lifethat lasts forever.

For those of us whoalready know Christ, there’seven more to consider—likeour trademark. What’s ourdistinctive characteristic?What example are we

setting for others to follow?John’s example to

us was one of consistentlyadvancing Christ ratherthan himself. And it’s anexample worth following. In a world driven by self-interest, we have theprivilege and opportunity of higher purpose. John’sdeclaration in John 3:30(“He must increase, but I must decrease”) findspractical description in thewords of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.Even in the most

basic things of life, we are challenged to chooseChrist and His honor. In all life’s circumstances, weare reminded to place Hisreputation in the forefrontof our thinking. In doingthat, may we, like John,seek to put Jesus first—andpoint the world to Him.

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