The True Light
John 1:7 – A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 – he came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. 8 – He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
The gospels of Matthew and Luke record Jesus as saying “I tell you…among those born of women no one…is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom…is greater than he” – Matthew 11:11, Luke 7:28.
John the Baptist was the man sent from God. He was the witness who testified about the light. His testimony resulted in many coming to repentance and baptism. John was the greatest among the prophets yet never promoted his own greatness. Read how John the Baptist saw himself: “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. He must become more important while I become less important.” – John 3:29, 30.
John the Baptist was the friend of the bridegroom. The bridegroom is Jesus – the most important person of all. John became less and less important finishing out his days in prison and finally being executed at the whim of people who loved darkness more than the light, while people who were weakest in faith were enjoying the benefits of being in the light of Jesus Christ Himself.
We can learn a lot about the ministry of John the Baptist. As a pastor, I am not called to become famous or popular, taking light that belongs to Jesus, but to point people to Jesus, the true light who has come into the world so that everyone might believe through Him.
May Jesus become the most important person in each of our lives for He is the author of our salvation!
Where two are gathered 