What Jesus Did : John 1:30 - He is Greater by Far
by Phil Ware
He is Greater by Far - John 1:30
This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'A man will come after me, but he is greater than I am, because he was living before me—{he has always lived}.' (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
Sounds kind of like a broken record. It's similar to the way the press hounds stars and politicians today, hoping they will make a mistake or reveal a horrid ego in reaction to their constant badgering. John the Baptist, however, will not falter or fail. He remains faithful and true to his task of pointing other genuine seekers to Jesus. He praises Jesus' greatness and trumpets the need of all people to repent. He tries to prepare hearts for the Kingdom of God. John shows us faithfulness over the long haul—faithfulness to God, faithfulness to the truth, faithfulness to his mission, and most of all, faithfulness to the Savior and his Kingdom. May such faithfulness be ours!
Today's Prayer
Father, forgive me for my unfaithfulness. Renew a steadfast spirit in me and rekindle my resolve to live for Jesus faithfully throughout my days. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to John. The Jews sent them to ask, "Who are you?" John spoke freely. John did not refuse to answer. John said clearly, "I am not the Christ. " That is what John told people. The Jews asked John, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah ?" John answered, "No, I am not Elijah." The Jews asked, "Are you the Prophet ?" John answered, "No, I am not the Prophet." Then the Jews said, "Who are you? Tell us about yourself. Give us an answer to tell the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" John told them the words of the prophet Isaiah: "I am the voice of a person shouting in the desert: 'Make a straight road ready for the Lord.'" These Jews were sent from the Pharisees. These men said to John: "You say you are not the Christ. You say you are not Elijah or the Prophet. Then why do you baptize people?" John answered, "I baptize people with water. But there is a person here with you that you don't know. That person is the One who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie the strings on his shoes." These things all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. This is where John was baptizing people. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, "Look, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world! This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'A man will come after me, but he is greater than I am, because he was living before me—{he has always lived}.' Even I did not know who he was. But I came baptizing people with water so that Israel (the Jews) could know that Jesus is {the Christ} ." Then John said, "I also did not know who the Christ was. But God sent me to baptize people with water. And God told me, 'You will see the Spirit. come down and rest on a man. That man is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. '" John said, "I have seen this happen. I saw the Spirit come down from heaven. The Spirit looked like a dove and sat on him (Jesus). So this is what I tellpeople: 'He (Jesus) is the Son of God.'"-- John 1:19-34 (ERV)
URL: http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/john/0119-wjd.html
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