The Clarity of John the Baptist's Record John 1:19-34

Text:  “And this is the record of John (the Baptist), when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.”

John 1:19-20.

          “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him (the Lord Jesus).”

John 1:32.

Good morning, clear Christian witness!  Your witness for Christ is a most powerful witness indeed.  Why?  Because you bear clear record of historical facts; you set forth the irrefutable Biblical evidence for your Christian belief; you give a resounding account of the ‘…faith once delivered unto the saints…’  More power to you, beloved Christian friend!  (Jude 3)

“But sanctify the Lord in your hearts; and be ready ALWAYS to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”  (1 Peter 3:15)

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me (Christ Jesus) both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8)

When a regenerate, ‘born from Above’, Christian is forthright in declaring God’s truth in the spirit of God’s heart-melting love - wondrous things happen:  Souls ‘dead in sin and trespasses…’ receive God’s gift of faith; they believe the Gospel message of Salvation in Christ alone; they are granted God’s gift of repentance; they confess their sins to God; and they are gloriously SAVED for time and for Eternity.  Wow!  Now, that’s what I call exciting activity! (John 3:3-8)

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

“Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine…do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”  (2 Timothy 4:1-5)  

Precious souls will respond!

‘But I have no special talents, or handsome looks, or extra resources with which to make any impact on the countless unsaved souls around me!’, I hear some readers cry. 

‘Nonsense!’ I reply to such defeatist bleating.  Use the truth that you have, wherever you can use it, to whomever you find opportunity to use it! Trust me, you shall prevail in the power of God the Spirit, and win souls for the Master!  (Proverbs 11:30)

Precious souls are perishing because of the inactivity of Christians!

Take a look for a moment at this man we call John the Baptist.  What had he that made him such a powerful instrument of the Living Lord God?

John the Baptist was not some well groomed, nattily dressed, TV evangelist.  John was not in the business of building a ministry like many we see today.  John was being truly faithful as he was, with what he stood up in, to whomsoever had ears to hear his message of the coming Messiah Jesus.

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.”  (Mark 1:3)

John had a God-given message to preach, and he preached that message with all his heart, with all his might, to whomsoever he possibly could.  That’s faithfulness!  Praise God for clear and faithful Christian witnesses!

“I am the Lord (Jehovah) thy God, which brought ye out of the land of Egypt; open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.”  (Psalm 81:10)

God’s strong assurance to Moses at the commencement of his ministry to lead the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, is exactly the same assurance to Christian witnesses today in the 21^st Century .

“And the Lord said unto him (Moses), Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord?  Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”  (Exodus 4:11-12)

John’s message could be bottom-lined in these words, “…Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” - Jesus Christ has come to suffer and die on a cruel Cross to save all sinners that repent.  That’s our message, dear friends.  Let us go forth and preach it with all our might.

Thought:  The Record is straight - Jesus saves repentant sinners!