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The Gospel of John introduces John the baptizer to us like this, “He himself was not the Light; he came only as a witness to the Light” (John 1:8).
- John had a similar birth announcement as Jesus had (Luke 1:11-14, 28-33)
- John’s birth prompted a Holy Spirit-inspired song from his father that resonates with Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55, 68-70)
- The early years of John are described in much the same terms as how Luke describes the early years of Jesus (Luke 1:80, 2:52)
- John quoted Scripture and taught with very similar authority as Jesus did (Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-19)
Yet for all their similarities, John knew that he was only a herald of Jesus (John 1:19-27).
John was not the Light—he was only a witness to the Light.
I am not the Light—I am only a witness to the Light.
You may think that this statement is pretty obvious, and I did too. But as I read these words from John 1:8 again, it caused me to reevaluate just how much I really believe this.
Do I remember this when no one compliments my sermon? Do I remember this when what I thought was an insightful comment on a verse of Scripture gets hardly any “likes” on my social media channels? Do I remember this when I am complemented and my posts are appreciated?
Who exactly am I trying to make look good: me or Jesus?
I want John’s desire to become my desire and my prayer: “Jesus must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
(Please check out all of the Scriptures I referenced in this post by clicking here.)
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Craig T. Owens 