John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

The first memory I have of hearing of John the Baptist in Sunday School was the he ate locusts! Can you imagine eating locusts? Talk about heartburn! Pass the Rolaids! A few years ago, a man from Bloomington, Minnesota, made national news by eating thirty locusts. He ended up in the hospital with a rash all over his body.

John the Baptist did more than eat locusts and wild honey. God appointed him to point people to Jesus. "He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light" (John 1:7). John uses the word witness fourteen times in his Gospel to refer to John the Baptist.

John's witness was straightforward. John wasn't the message; John was the messenger. "He was not the light" (John 1:8). "I am not the Christ" (John 1:20). "I am not Elijah" (John 1:21). Nor was John the Prophet (John 1:21). "His sandal I am not worthy to untie" (John 1:27). No wonder John the Baptist says, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). "He?" That would be Jesus.

Christ's cross demonstrates that God knows us intimately. God accepts us unconditionally. God loves us passionately. God has seen every tear that's fallen, every success we've had. He has witnessed our every joy, regret, jealous thought, envious thought, heartbreak, and sin. God knows the good, the bad, and the ugly; yet He still chooses us and redeems us. That's John's witness about Jesus - and ours as well!
--
 

Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,