Read: John 1:19-28
"John answered them, ‘I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.'"
John 1:26-27
I am horrible at seeing what is right in front of me. For example, let’s say I’m looking for the ketchup in the refrigerator. It’s common for me to ask Holly (my wife) where the ketchup is. She walks right up to the fridge and grabs the bottle of ketchup that was literally several inches from my nose. It’s strange–to be honest–that I can be so “blind” to what is right in front of me. And I suspect this problem doesn’t just apply to me; I bet several of you have the same issue.
When John was baptizing along the Jordan river, a group of religious leaders were sent to question him. Most likely these were men from the Sanhedrin that were sent to vet John. The Sanhedrin were religious leaders of the Jewish world. Their voice carried a lot of authority. If they were to claim that John was a prophet sent by God, then many faithful Jews would openly embrace his preaching and message. In verse 19, they asked John, “Who are you?” John’s answer was a bit surprising.
He claimed he was not the Messiah, rather he was a prophet–a voice crying in the wilderness. It is likely he learned of this designation from his parents or maybe even directly from God. The leaders are pretty frustrated it seems. They wanted to know: By what authority did John preach and baptize. Baptism started during the intertestamental period, but it was generally done by Gentile converts. Here we see John baptizing Jews. Many speculate that the act of baptizing people was a clear marker of the Messianic age. It was a declaration of the need for purity from sin. And it wasn’t just the Gentiles that needed purification—it was the Jewish nation as well.
A distinct marker of the spiritual lapse that existed in John’s day is shown in their blindness to what was standing among them. The Messiah had come. According to John, He was standing among them. Such a declaration is not only a testimony to their spiritual hardheartedness, but it is a truly horrifying reality. Jesus, the Messiah, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Creator, God of all was standing in their very presence and they did not “know him” or recognize Him.
My spiritual goal in life–at the very least–is to recognize Jesus when He is in my presence. Granted, the divine person of Christ is all-present; thus, Christ is always among us. But what if Christ is working among me? What if the manifested presence of Christ appears? What if Jesus is near but I don’t recognize Him? That is a scary hypothetical. How could anyone miss Jesus? The simple answer is: pride. We aren’t worthy to untie His sandals, but our sinful, fallen hearts are (at times) blind to the beauty and goodness of Christ. We can easily miss Him. Thus, we must be on our guard. We must clothe ourselves with humility and seek the face of God more than our own self-righteous ways. In His mercy, God will reveal Himself to those who truly seek Him and humble themselves before Him (James 4:10).
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Prayer: Father, I seek you! Forgive my prideful heart. Heal me of any spiritual blindness so that I may see the God who is near.