The Great Sending, Chapter 8
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… full of grace and truth.
– John 1:14
STUDY 8: Born Again… To Bear Witness to the Light, pp. 77-79
Scripture: Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:3-6; John 1:6-28; John 3:1-8; 22-36
John 3:5
Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
by Reverand Dr. Dean Nadasdy
Our home has a number of flashlights. Some work. Some don’t. The ones that work shine in the darkness, enabling us to see without stumbling and falling. The ones that don’t work are useless. They do nothing to help us see in the dark.
John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Jesus, to bear witness to the light, who is Jesus, the Son of God. John was the messenger of Christ, bringing light to people in darkness.
John’s methodology was proclamation, in the wilderness. Sound familiar? People today live in the wilderness of sin, despair, hopelessness, worry, and wonder. We wonder: What is life’s meaning? and, Why are we even here to begin with?
John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin, always taking care to point to Jesus, the one to come after him. John was also careful to call his baptism a baptism of repentance and to emphasize that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. “All flesh shall see the salvation of God,” John said (Luke 3:6).
A different John wrote the Gospel bearing his name. One of the sons of Zebedee, this John confirmed that John the Baptist came to bear witness to the light – Jesus. John’s Gospel clearly says that not everyone received the light of Jesus, but “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). One of the most beautiful passages in the Bible is John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John’s audiences endeavored to figure out who John the Baptist really was. The Christ? Elijah? The Prophet? John’s answer: Nope. Just the one crying out in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord.”
John the Baptist was sent to point to Jesus, the one God had sent. This John also clearly spoke of his unworthiness. He was unworthy to even untie the sandals of Jesus; he was unworthy to even speak of Jesus.
In the secrecy of night’s darkness, the Pharisee Nicodemus asked Jesus to confirm that he had been sent by God. Jesus said: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
What does this mean for you and for me? One of the reasons we were born from our mother’s womb is to bear witness to the light of Christ. Our life is not just about working, eating, sleeping, and playing. It’s about pointing people to Jesus, the Jesus who was sent to earth by God to be the light of the world.
Questions to ponder with
yourself and others
- What sources of darkness surround you and the people in your life? How does the light of Christ shine in your darkness and the darkness of those you know and love?
- What is the importance of repentance and forgiveness in your personal, family, and professional life and relationships?
- How do you as a Christian overcome any feelings of unworthiness to be a representative of Christ Jesus, Savior of the world, and Lord of the universe?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, all thanks and praise to You for being light, for sending light, for giving light. Help me be a witness to the light every day, every way, to everyone I meet, that all may see the salvation of God. In the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.