The Witness
The witness that John pulls to the forefront in John 1 is John the Baptist.
The coming of John the Baptist was predicted in Isaiah 40:3. So, those who had heard the words of God through the prophets of the Old Testament would have known God’s promise. That promise was to send one who would prepare a path and make the way straight to recognize the coming Savior.
John the Baptist was that voice. In fact, Matthew records for us in Matthew 3:1-3:
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”
God was using John the Baptist to prepare the people. Things were going to change. That which God had promised so long ago was about to happen.
John the Baptist was the one who recognized and proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. As he witnessed Jesus coming towards him, John the Baptist replied in John 1:29, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
And he went on to say in verses 30-31,
This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.
Then he said he saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and remain on Jesus (verse 32). John said he would not have known Jesus except that one who sent him (God) to baptize with water told him, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”
John the Baptist testified as an eyewitness, “I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One” (John 1:34).
This is in alignment with John 1:14 where we read,
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John the Baptist was the witness and the voice crying out, telling others that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, the only Son of God.
God the Father sent John the Baptist to prepare the world to believe in Jesus as the Christ. He was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.
And John’s witness should have led to joyous faith and the welcome of Jesus by the majority. So much so, that unbelief would have been impossible. However, this was not so.
Verse 9 says that the true light that gives light to every man and woman was coming into the world. But unfortunately, like verse 5 states, the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. Even after it’s been preached to them, they still choose to live in darkness, void of the truth.
And though we, like John the Baptist, are not the source of God’s light, we are to reflect the light of His truth that lives in us.
Light helps us to see things clearly and avoid disaster. It’s the same for a person who is living in darkness. The truth of God’s Word is the light they need to avoid the dangers of this world and the lies of the devil.
Every believer has a responsibility to reflect the light of God’s Word in their everyday life.
God’s Word is the light of truth given to us. And the Holy Spirit helps us see our way to God and shows us how to walk along that way. He then enables us to lead others in that way also.
So the question is: How effective is your light for Christ? Are others drawn to him through your witness or are they pushed away?
Remember, we all give an account of our witness to others before God on that great and mighty day!
Terri Hamman
Faith & Fitness Coach