The water was cooler this morning. Or maybe it was just the air was warmer. Something was different today, although he couldn’t put his finger on it. People still came. Walking down, touching the water. Wondering at his words. Wondering about themselves.
John liked to watch their eyes when they finally understood. Surprise and terror exploded on the inside when they finally heard the words with their heart. Repent! He would say. And he could see it in their faces. He liked to say the hard things, confuse the self-righteous, explore the mysteries of God. That was his passion. Speaking the living Word of God.
But today, John was restless. Same words to the same people. Again? Today? As much as he loved what he did, John knew in his gut there was so much more. And he knew what he was not. Not the Elijah. Not the Messiah. He was just the Baptizer. But something was coming. Someone was coming. But even John the Baptist didn’t know exactly what he was waiting for.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” (John 1:29-31)
The Lamb of God! As an ordinary man walked down to the water that morning, John saw the piece of the puzzle that had been hiding. Jesus. That one. He is the one we’ve been waiting for! He is the one John was talking about. This guy. But there was nothing extraordinary about the way Jesus trudged to the river, just like everybody else.
So, John was the witness. He saw the things about Jesus that everyone else couldn’t see. He saw the stories from the prophets of old, culminating, singing, waiting for this Son of God. He saw the humiliating way in which this Lamb of God was birthed by an average woman, yet the miraculous fruit of a virgin. He saw the Spirit descend, he knew what it all meant. John had to speak the truth of what he saw, according to everything that he had heard from God.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1:6-9)
This great witness pointed to Jesus. Always. He was not the Light of the world. He knew it. So the words that he said were not a reflection of his inner light, his changed heart, his great ideas. Rather, John’s time was coming to an end. Because his great words were simply pointing at the eternal Word made flesh. The Lamb of God. The Savior that would take the sin of the world away.
May our witness and testimony do the same.
Come, Lord Jesus!
Listen to more on Family Style Theology Podcast “The Word Lives With Us” Advent Devotion. Our goal is to focus your family on the true meaning of Christmas. Each week, Family Style Theology will inspire kids of all ages to hear the Word of God, discover WHO is the Word, and understand that He lives with us! This week we have a conversation about John 1:6-9, John’s witness about Christ.