Today's text is John 1:14-34. Grab your Bible and let's go!
In this passage, the apostle John is relating John the Baptist's testimony about his first cousin, Jesus of Nazareth.
Do you have any first cousins? I have 10. Fortunately, although we don't all live near each other, we get to see each other once or twice a year at planned family gatherings. It's terrific! But, you know, I don't think that any of them are "divine", in the truest sense of the word.
John the Baptist was 6 months older than Jesus, using human conception as the beginning point. Yet, he had come to understand that Jesus "was before me" (vs. 30). No, John was not confused. He was not asserting that Jesus was "older" than he, in the physical sense. He was affirming that Jesus had existed long before either of them were born, that Jesus was and is eternal God. How and when did he come to know that? I'm not sure, as the Scriptures do not say. Perhaps this was revealed to him when he spent time in the desert before beginning his ministry. (Matthew 3:1-6). All the Bible says is that the One who called him to his ministry (John 1:33) had told him to watch for the man on whom God's Spirit would fall in the form of a dove. The point is that, after Jesus' baptism, when John was baptizing his followers and saw Jesus come walking by (John 1:29), he freely confessed that Jesus is the Messiah. I believe that Jesus' baptism had taken place shortly before, and that upon seeing God's Holy Spirit (not to mention hearing His voice!) John got the confirmation he was seeking.
When I was younger, and having to make those critical decisions about my future, I wished for such assurance. I'm not talking about having settled in my heart who Jesus is; I'm referring to the assurance of "knowing my place". John the Baptist "knew his place". He knew who Jesus was, and he knew what his calling was in service to Him.
I want you to consider that John the B. could have claimed the Messiah title for himself. He was the "flavor of the month" in a long line of men who had pretended to be the Messiah. The religious leaders who questioned him (vs. 19-28) were accustomed to asking these questions of men who embarked on misguided "messianic" exploits. John the B. was very popular with the people, even though he was constantly admonishing them to repent of their sins. This is evidenced by the fact that the Jewish religious leaders came to question him at all.
As "proof" of his testimony, to give it credibility, John told the leaders about having baptized Jesus, although he (John) did not feel worthy to do such a task. Here is the explicit account of Jesus' baptism from a parallel text, Matthew 3:13-16 - - - (NET Bible)
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Jesus "knew his place" too. Hallelujah!
While in human form, Jesus subjected Himself to God the Father. He limited Himself through putting on flesh and living among us. We need to follow his example in our resplendent walk. God has given us various authorities to which we should be subject. I'll bet you can name some of them. Here are a few, along with substantiating Scripture:
1. Jesus submitting to the Father. Luke 22:42
2. Believers submitting to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, by being obedient to His Word revealed in the Bible. James 4:7 1 Peter 5:6
3. Slaves submitting to their masters. Ephesians 6:5-8
4. Obeying the laws and governing authorities of your homeland. Romans 13:1 1 Peter 2:13
5. Wives submitting to their husbands, and husbands loving their wives as Jesus loves His Church. Ephesians 5:22-25 1 Peter 3:1
6. Children submitting to the authority of their parents. 1 Peter 5:5 Ephesians 6:1
7. Believers submitting to one another in their fellowship, interactions with one another. Ephesians 5:21
Rarely is it easy to submit to authority, nor is it a popular theme in our culture today. The opposite of submission is rebellion. Rebellion comes from self-centeredness and pride. The apostle Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5:5 - - -
"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because, 'God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble."
This does not mean that we should be "doormats", allowing the world to trample all over us! Sometimes, our earthly authorities are plain-out wrong. God does not say that we should violate His Word in submitting to those in authority over us. But, as often as we can, we must obey the hierarchy He has established.
And, for those other times? Pray for His leading as to how to approach the difficult situation. He will not lead you astray, if you diligently seek His will and listen...Sometimes, His will is hard to swallow; we'd rather act on our own authority. This always leads to a "bad end". According to the verses above, if we follow His divine hierarchy, we can more easily find our rightful place in his grand design. Following His design brings peace and order.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the examples you gave us in Scripture of those who did (or did not) follow Your grand design, Your divine order. At the root of submission is humility. As we put on our battle armor each day, Lord, help us to remember to clothe ourselves in humility so that we may follow hard after You, in Spirit and Truth, so that we may walk....resplendent! In Jesus' name, amen.
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