John 1 :29-34

 

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!

³⁰ This is He of Whom I said, After me comes a Man Who has priority over me [Who takes rank above me] because He was before me and existed before I did.

 ³¹ And I did not know Him and did not recognize Him [myself]; but it is in order that He should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel [be brought out where we can see Him] that I came baptizing ^[a]in (with) water.

 ³² John gave further evidence, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him [never to depart].

 ³³ And I did not know Him nor recognize Him, but He Who sent me to baptize ^[b]in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

 ³⁴ And I have seen [that happen—I actually did see it] and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!

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We recognize Jesus in the smallest things of the world.  If we take the time to look around us we will see God in everything.  We will see God in the flowers, the trees and the grass.  We will see God in the breeze that sweeps across our face.  We will see God in the beauty of the clouds and even in the darkness of a thunderstorm.  God is amongst us everywhere.  We just need to take the time to look for him.

 This is how John the Baptist was when he was called to Baptize in water.  He knew he was preparing the way but when Jesus came to him to be baptized John didn’t know him.  John recognized him in spirit but not in flesh.  He recognized that Jesus was Christ, God’s word become flesh.  He knew that this was the man that he was preparing world for. 

 John was almost like the groundskeeper at a baseball field.  They prepare the field for the game way before one seat is filled, before one pitch is thrown or one hot dog is sold.  The groundskeeper and his team are working on perfecting the field, the conditions of the dirt and the length of the grass before one player has entered into the stadium.  This is how John was.  John was preparing the people around him for the big game, meaning the coming of Jesus. 

 When Jesus entered into the river to be baptized by John he didn’t need to announce himself to the people that was John’s job.  John recognized his light and spirit before Jesus had greeted him.  Imagine the excitement of John for a moment.  Imagine how his heart skipped when he was able to connect with the savior of the world.  I am sure that his heart leapt in his chest and that the excitement overtook him when he announced here he is!!!  This is the Lamb of God!  This is the man that God sent to save the world, too save you and me!  I can almost feel the excitement of that moment for John. 

 We’ve all experienced a time when we saw someone that has meant so much to us that we haven’t been able to see for some time and could almost leap out of our skin to get to them faster.  We have all felt the thrill and desire to almost tackle our loved one because we missed them so.  This had to be how John felt.  John had to feel a sense of relief and completion in that moment.  Here he is!  Here is the man, whom I’ve been called to prepare the way for!  Here he is the son of God!  The Savior for our world!  I get to behold his image.  My eyes get to grace his being and be in the presence of a King and not just a regular King, the King of Kings. 

 I know I have desired to see the face of Jesus.  I have desired to stand before him and revel in his beauty, so John being so connected to Jesus, had to feel an overwhelming sense of love, joy and peace.   I would think to be privy to that moment in time had to be special for the people standing around them as well.  The people who trusted John’s word to be true, even without evidence of seeing it.  I would think that in that moment there had to be a revelation to the crowd that yes, indeed, this is the savior and I would imagine there was a sigh of relief that they were indeed on the right track.  

John had been told by God that the one whom the Dove descends upon that is the son of God.  That is the savior of the world.  I think John knew in his spirit before the Dove descended on Jesus that he was standing in the light of the Son of God.  The Dove was just a confirmation of what was already in the heart of John and fulfillment of God’s word to him. 

 Not only did John give confirmation to his own spirit but he also spoke confirmation to the believers around him.  This is the one.   He is the chosen one, the one whom will change the world, and we need to follow him and listen intently to what he has to say.   Can you imagine the humbling moment it had to be for John the Baptist to baptize Jesus the son of God?

 I know in my daily life I feel very ill prepared for what God is calling me to do, so I am sure there had to be a moment when John felt unprepared for his task at hand.  I am sure John probably thought shouldn’t you be the one baptizing me?  If I am not worthy to untie the laces on your shoes, how am I worthy of baptizing you in water?

 What I find amazing is that most of us would have looked at what we lack and what we have done wrong and how God must have called the wrong person, but not John, he proceeded with his task.  He proceeded with what he was called for.  If we each and every one of us would be as in tune to God as John was and then walked out the calling we have on our lives from God, this world would be a very different place.

Imagine for a moment that instead of telling God what you cannot do, you said, ok, God, I trust you.  I trust that you see me fully, you see my thoughts, my sins, my talents, my gifts and more importantly you see my heart.   And if you say I can do it, then I can do it!   Let me as this flawed human being grasp onto you with all that I have and take a step knowing that if God has called me to it, then I must be able to do it. 

 We can’t look at what we lack and then tell God, like Moses did, well God you know I am not an eloquent speaker.  You know that I stumble, and lose my train of thought, and I take uncomfortable pauses when I shouldn’t, so are you sure, that you want me to speak on your behalf?  Are you sure you have the right man? 

 Doesn’t that make you want to shake your head at Moses just hearing those statements?  I mean really, you are asking God.. GOD.. G-O-D if he has the right man!  But take a moment and think of all the times God has asked you to be kind to someone, or open the door for someone or help someone in their time of need and you gave an excuse.  That’s all that Moses did was give an excuse.  We give God excuses every day.  I am tired, I am too old, I am single, I am poor or I am too busy or I am a sinner Lord, and a sinner that is even too big for you to use.  They are all excuses from our flesh, mind and from the enemy.   That is us telling God.. You know G-O-D, that we are not equipped, able or maybe we don’t want to do what he is asking us to do.  This is exactly what Moses attempted to do and exactly what John did not do! 

When God asks us to step out he is not asking us to step out in our own ability he is asking us to step into him.  He is asking us to look beyond ourselves, lack of ourselves or even our circumstances and look at him.

 It’s like a child learning to swim.  Dad and Mom are in the pool and say to the child come to me, leap into my arms and I am going to catch you.  I will be right here not moving standing still and ready to catch you so you will not fall.  The beauty of this situation is the child leaps.  They leap into the arms of their parents because they trust that they will in fact catch them.  They are stepping out in trust because the parent has proven they are worth being trusted.  It’s a simple idea but one worth noting.  If we can leap into the arms of a flawed human being why can’t we leap into the arms of perfection?  Into the arms of our Almighty God?