John 1:6-8 "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light."
We've talked about Jesus since we began this study of John, and we will
continue to talk about Jesus. But these passages tell us about a man who was
sent to announce the arrival of the Messiah. This man's name was John. This
John is not the same John who wrote this book; rather this man sent by God was
John, the Baptist. I bring this fact into the devotion now because while
traveling through the book, we will see that John (the writer) does not
identify himself until the very end of the book. And when he finally identifies
himself, it is not by name. He truly was a man of God who loved beyond words
the Lord Jesus Christ. Would that I could be more like John, the beloved.
The name John means "God is a gracious giver." Certainly we
know this is true for God gave His only begotten Son. It was John, the Baptist,
who declared, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the
world." He was sent to bear witness of the Son of God. He did that.
We also see humility in John the Baptist. When Jesus came to be baptized, John
said he was not worthy to baptize Him; rather he needed to be baptized of
Jesus. He also acknowledged that he was not even worthy to bend over and loose
the latches of Jesus' sandals.
"He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light."
To use a simple analogy, a flashlight is a tool used to shine light. It
is the vessel used to shine, but is not the light. John, the Baptist, was the
vessel used of God to point us to the true Light, Jesus Christ.
My question this morning for myself is this: Am I being a vessel used of God to
point others toward Christ?