The premise in the book of John is that this life is not about us, it is about Jesus. The book of John, from the beginning, focuses on the who the essence and purpose of the Son, Jesus.

We are not the main characters. We get to leverage what God has given us for the main Character. In the second half of John Chapter 1, we find three important principles for our everyday lives.

Three Daily Reminders for Every Disciple of Jesus:

1. You must know who you are!  
John 1:19 says, “And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

John the Baptist was a preacher whose main message was “Repent!” 

His message is a reminder that most of our struggle is not with stuff we do not know, but the stuff we do know, that we are not doing. More often than not, the biggest struggle is with the things we know we need to allow the Lord to deal with us.  

John answered the question of the religious leaders, “He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”  

He knows who he is not. The word “Christ” means “the anointed one.” They thought John could be the perfect King they had been waiting for. John the Baptist understood he was not the answer to their problems.  

2. You must remember who you are not! 
Understand you are the I am not. You are not the answer to other people’s problems. You are just supposed to point them to Jesus.

Verses 21-23 contrasts the arrogance of the religious leaders and their pompous questions with the humility of John the Baptist, “And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

The religious leaders ask John a very important question, “Who are you?”, John could have made a big deal about the circumstances surrounding his birth, and the size of his ministry, his following, but he just said, “I am a voice.”

He got his humility and confidence and meaning in who he was in relation to Jesus. The most meaningful lives are those who derive their confidence and meaning in Jesus.  

How does the gospel give us a humble confidence?

• Our humility comes from realizing how bad and wicked I really am

In a world that says you can be anything you want to be, we need a dose of humility. Problems occur when we get away from the gospel and go to moralism.  

• Our confidence comes from the fact that we are valued  

Valued is different than valuable. You are valuable because of what you do, you are valued because of who you are.  

Verse 29 says, “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John the Baptist was talking primarily to a Jewish audience. Therefore, it is very likely that the first thing they thought when John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” was the Passover, how it started all the way back in Exodus and had been something taught to every Jewish boy and girl.

3. We must remember who He is.
The message of the Passover is that God is holy, sin is costly, God is merciful, and He provides an alternative payment.  

John proclaims that Jesus is the Lamb who is going to take away the sins of the world. Jesus fulfills John’s claim at the cross, when He says, “It is finished.”

Pastor Chris Williams
To learn more about Pastor Chris and his teaching, visit us on the web at fcfamily.org and make sure you subscribe to receive these weekly encouragements in your inbox.