From yesterday where we talked about an unsung hero who hid his faith to protect others, we cannot be more diametrically opposed with today’s here: John the Baptist.
John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth and the cousin of Jesus. He spent his life preparing the way for his cousin and Saviour. The Bible says this about him:
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Matthew 3:1-4 [KJV]
He was imprisoned for speaking out against King Herod Antipas, who married his own brother’s wife, Herodias. Later, John was beheaded at the request of Herodias’s daughter in a despicable display of being a spoiled brat.
We don’t have much detail about John’s life in the Bible but clearly we can see that he went to prison standing on the word of the Lord and even gave his life for something he believed to be the truth. In this sense, John the Baptist was a hero to all who stand for truth, even when personal freedom and life is sacrificed for it.
John not only stood his moral and faithful ground, for which he later paid with his head, but he also sacrificed himself personally. Removing all personal luxuries to deliver the message he was born to give. To pave the way for Jesus.
I think we are all given a message to deliver. How we choose to deliver it is up to us. I’ve said many times to people, we can’t all be Billy Graham or Bill Hybels, some us are quiet and our personalities don’t lead to this level of vocalization.
Can you stand up and pave the way for others to follow Christ? Can you sing it from the roof tops?
Steve Fogo
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