Anchor My Faith

Title: A Man Sent from God (John 1:6-8)

So far we know that Jesus was the Word that was in the beginning with God. Jesus spoke everything into existence and provided life in its various forms. “In him was life and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4 ESV). Jesus, the Son of God, was sent by his Father. John now tells us about another person who was sent from God: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John” (John 1:6 ESV).

In Malachi 3:1, we learn that God is going to send a messenger who will prepare the way for Jesus. This messenger is not an angel or the Messiah, but is a man. While Zechariah was serving as priest before God he was chosen to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense and as he did “there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John”” (Luke 1:12 – 13 ESV).

“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” (John 1:7 – 8 ESV). John, called the Baptist, came as a witness to give testimony about the one who was coming who was the true light that was to be the light of men. John came to prepare the minds of the people to receive him and to lead them by repentance to God. The Jews have been waiting for the coming of the Messiah and part of the mission of John was to point him out when he came.

We will say more about this in future lessons when we then cover the topic of the Lamb of God in the following verses: “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”” (John 1:29 – 31 ESV).

Prayer

Father, you sent John the Baptist to tell people about Jesus; to prepare them to accept him. Have you not sent us to tell people about Jesus so that they might believe? Just as John came to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through Jesus, we must be a similar witness. John gave his life as a witness and many who live in countries of persecution are giving their lives also. Father, have mercy on us in the west for being so lukewarm in our witness.