One among you!

John 1:19-28

19 When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest. 20 He didn't evade the question. He told the plain truth: "I am not the Messiah." 21 They pressed him, "Who, then? Elijah?" "I am not." "The Prophet?" "No." 22 Exasperated, they said, "Who, then? We need an answer for those who sent us. Tell us something-- anything!-- about yourself." 23 "I'm thunder in the desert: 'Make the road straight for God!' I'm doing what the prophet Isaiah preached." 24 Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. 25 Now they had a question of their own: "If you're neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?" 26 John answered them, I [only] baptize in (with) water. Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing. 27 It is He Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, the string of Whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose. 28 These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [ at the Jordan crossing], where John was then baptizing.

Food for thought!

Starting from this passage, and going step by step, day by day, we will follow Jesus’ first week in the public life; in today’s reading we have the preparatory events of the first day. Jesus was preceded by John, who told the people, “I am nobody; I am only a voice telling you to get ready for the coming of Jesus, for he is on the way.” 

John was what every true preacher and teacher ought to be, only a voice, a pointer to Jesus. The last thing that John wanted men to do was to look at him; he wanted them to forget him and see only Jesus. He is the great example of the man prepared to obliterate himself in order that Jesus may be seen. He was only, as he saw it, a finger-post pointing to Jesus. God give us grace to forget ourselves and to remember only Jesus.

John said something extremely important: "Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing." And as we said yesterday, the name Jesus means Saviour. So, John is as if he said, the Saviour is finally among you, but you don't recognize him; you are struggling alone, whereas your redeemer is among you unrecognized. 

The plain truth is that many people don’t know who they are; they have lost self worth, they have lost meaning in life, they have lost themselves. They have lost direction. Few people can say like John who they are; few people can answer these questions put to John: Who are you? "The Messiah?" "Who, then? Elijah?" "The Prophet?" "Who, then? We need an answer. Tell us something, anything, about yourself."  Tell the world who you are; give your best and be your best.

In each one of us stands one we do not recognize, and with whom we are not acquainted and of whom we know nothing; this is the man or woman that God created in his image and likeness; the best you, the best me. Unfortunately, many people are what other people tell them they are; they are using everyone in their experience as a mirror to show them what they have come to believe about themselves. You are not what people say you are. Your worth, my worth is in Jesus; it is only by seeing ourselves through the eyes of Jesus that we see our worth. The same with others; it is only by seeing them through Jesus that we see their worth.