He must increase, and we must decrease—understanding our Jesus mission
By Dean Collins
Celebrity status seems hard for some to manage. Because of social media now more than ever, it is hard for a public figure to have a humble moment. Everything about the life of a celebrity can be instantly known. And honestly, some gain notoriety for just a moment or longer through TikTok or some other app.
Not the way
Today I’ve been thinking about what would happen if John the Baptist lived in our social media age. Imagine the TikTok videos of his wardrobe, lunch menu, or YouTube clips of his messages on repentance. He would have surely gone viral. Maybe in our current moment it would have been harder to be humble and let go when it was time for another to take center stage.
John the Baptist was clear that while he was sent to prepare the way, he was not the way. John’s understanding of his role offers us a reminder concerning the roles we play in the kingdom of God. How John carried out his assignment might also provide a litmus test for how to tell when we slip into the dangerous temptation of believing that we are the essential ingredient in God’s mission of renewal and restoration.
Fulfillment of prophecy
When we read all four Gospel writers, we see clear agreement that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of one who would come to prepare the way for the Lord. Today as I reviewed these passages, it was Luke’s description that focused my attention and called for some self-evaluation.
Luke shares with us what scholars call “Benedictus” or the song of Zechariah at the birth of his son John who became the Baptist. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah described how God was fulfilling his promises to Israel while simultaneously offering a prophetic vision and blessing over his infant son. In verses 76-79, we read the prophetic blessing over John the Baptist:
”And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
John the Baptist lived a life that was consistent with the blessing of both his Heavenly Father and his earthly father. He did “go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” And he did clearly understand that his role was limited in scope and time. Mark’s Gospel demonstrates John’s clarity when he quotes from John’s preaching: “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.“
John knew he was clearing a path and making a way for Jesus to be front and center. John had no ambition to be the Savior. He wasn’t looking for a promotion or a title. He was simply and passionately fulfilling the assignment he had been given by God from before the time he was born.
John was determined to exult Christ even before he met him. Sometime after the baptism of Jesus, John said “I must decrease and he must increase.” Once Jesus began his ministry, John understood that his role in the mission would fade as the light of Christ became visible to the world.
Perpetual advent
While we celebrated Advent just weeks ago, the truth is we live in perpetual advent. We live in the time when the light of Christ has been revealed but not to the extent we will one day experience when he returns in glory.
In our season of ongoing advent, we must remember we point or prepare the way for others to see Christ. And we likewise must remember we are not asked to do the work that only Christ came to do. We must humbly and confidently point others to Jesus.
Father, thank you for breaking through the darkness of this world with the gift of your Son, Jesus! We pray you would use us to prepare the way for others to see and know Jesus and to receive his mercy and grace. Forgive us for the moments we act like we are the center of things at work, in our families, and in the communities where you have placed us. We want you to have all the glory. Help us always to find ways to move out of the light so that we might reveal the true light of Christ to the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-7; Luke 1:67-80
Photo by primipil at istockphoto.com
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