John, the Baptist [the baptizer]. is paradoxically renown for uttering these words: “I must decrease” [John 3:30]. I call this a paradox because now he will always be remembered for it.He saw himself as the friend of the Bridegroom, Jesus, [John 3:29] and the privilege was afforded him to introduce Israel to the Savior and then—placing this account in a modern setting—step back into the shadows out of sight of the cameras.Few spiritual leaders of today probably would find this a joyous moment when the sum of their labors for Christ brought them, not to fame, but obscurity. At least 2 of John’s disciples became followers of Christ, instead [John 1:35-37]. Others would follow [Acts 19:3-5].
John’s greatness would be measured [Matthew 11:11] by his decreasing importance as a leader. When asked his name, he confessed “[just] a voice in the wilderness” [John 1:22-23] declaring a message and nothing more.
He cowered in front of true greatness [Mark 1:7] in the presence of He whom he was chosen to introduce to the world. And this, paradoxically made him memorable. This is the record of his greatness as a messenger of God [John 1:6].
And what was that message? John 1:29 “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The beloved disciple witnessed, “John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me” [John 1:15]. It is not the most welcoming news: “He [Jesus] came unto his own, and his own received him not” [John 1:11]. God, the Father, was planning to marry off His Son to a people who didn’t want Him—at least not yet, not then. And John, the Baptist, was His wingman. John would live out his final earthly moments in a prison cell because he dared to speak God’s truth and could not be silenced any other way.
And now, with John in the bosom of the Father, Jesus immortalizes him as a great man of God. John was not great in the eyes of his world—only in God’s eyes—but that is where it counts.
There are many others of us, just a voice with John’ s message, who will never be famous, but for that 1 or 2 persons who hear our message and chose to follow the Savior. We have no degrees [at least, not any that would seem important]; we have written no books [none worth reading!]; we have no great following [perhaps, none at all]; we will be little remembered once this life ends. Some of us with memories blurred, now in old age and less mobile, sit in silence and unaware of the miracles that the grace of God performed through us. We will probably be in the company of those whose joy, some day, will be mingled with surprise [Matthew 25:34-40] when the Lord congratulates us for all we have done for Him and some of us will ask, When was this, Lord!?”
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. – Matthew 10:42
Have you heard about the elderly missionary couple returning from Africa?
