We human beings like to be the one who breaks good news, who share good news with other people. I'm watching my granddaughters and they come in, having experienced the same thing, and one begins to tell the story, and the other one says, "But I wanted to tell that story. I wanted to give the good news. You always do this. You always say it before I get a chance." That is so human to do.
But imagine what it was like to be John the Baptist. Imagine what it would be like to be chosen by God to break the best news ever. But imagine, for John, the intersection of awesome honor and devastating humility. See, John had to face the fact that although he was a well-known and provocative preacher, he was now called to surrender the great stage, to surrender recognition, focus, honor, and praise, to someone greater than him. And although we're not in the position of John the Baptist, we are called to do the same, to recognize that we're never on center stage, that the great spotlight is never on us, that life, at its core, is not about us. Like all of us, John the Baptist, to do what he was called to do, had to confess to himself and others that life was not about him. He had been chosen, not for his own glory, not for his own power, not for his own recognition, not for his own prestige, but for the glory of another.
I love how the Apostle John, a different John, introduces to us John the Baptist. Hear these words. "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light." That's John 1: 6-8. John wants us to be clear, that although John was ministering outside of the religious system, he had been sent by God. That is, he wasn't some self-appointed, self-aggrandizing messenger. He wants us to know that John's mission was to be a witness to the most amazing event in human history.
John had been appointed to tell people that what God had promised so very long ago, what they had longed for and prayed for, and what humanity desperately needs, had come. What an incredible honor to make the most important announcement and introduction that had ever been made. The Messiah had come! The Word was here! Light now shone in darkness!
The mission of John was to announce the beginning of the earthly part of the redemptive mission of Jesus. So, people would believe in Jesus because of John's announcement. Then in case there is still any confusion, this is a bit humorous, John reminds us that John the Baptist is not the light, but a witness to the light. That means what every human being needs cannot be found in John the Baptist or any other human witness, but is theirs for the taking in Jesus.
Well, you know, there's no better news than what John the Baptist had been called to communicate. But I want to go back to what I said earlier. Today, will you act as if life is about you, that nothing's more important than your wants, your needs, your feelings? How will you respond when you don't get your way or something is in your way? The center stage belongs to one, and his name is Jesus!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. Who first broke the good news of the gospel to you? How did you respond to the good news of the gospel when you truly understood it for the first time? Take a moment now and come up with a plan to thank the person who introduced you to Christ--it could be through a phone call, text message, email, etc., but be sure to thank the messenger who broke the good news to you.
2. What does it mean to be a witness to something? How was John the Baptist a witness about the light? Why was his announcement the most important introduction that had ever been made? Why was John the Baptist's posture of humility such an important part of making the most important announcement in human history?
3. Why is it so important to recognize that life is not about you? How do you normally respond when you don't get your way or something is in your way? If you are willing to change your posture and respond to life like it's not about you but about Jesus, take some time right now to ask God to change your heart. Ask the Lord to work in you and mold you into someone with a posture of humility. Ask him to change you and make you eager to put Jesus center stage while you take a back seat to only one who deserves to be in the spotlight--the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• Why is it important for us to think of God as more important than ourselves? Why is it hard to be friends with people who struggle with being self-centered all the time? Are we people who sometimes struggle with self-centeredness? How can we make some changes in our lives so that we think of Jesus and others first instead of ourselves?
• Let's pray right now and ask God to help us be people who are humble and think of Jesus and others as more important than us.
For Older Children:
• Do you have friends or do you know people who are kind of obsessed with themselves? Why do you think it's so hard to like people who are constantly thinking and talking about themselves?
• Do you think anyone would describe you or me as someone who's obsessed with ourselves? If so, how does it make you feel to think that other people might have that opinion about us?
• What can you and I do to change and ask God to help us with, in light of the fact that both of us struggle with putting ourselves first instead of putting God and others first? Let's keep each other accountable for praying that God might make us more humble and more intentional about putting Christ first in our lives.
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