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John the Baptist is our focus this year. John prepared the people for Jesus’ coming. And he can also prepare us as we get ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus and also as we await the second coming of Jesus .Today we focus on how John’s example of humility prepares us for the coming of Lord Jesus.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

John the Baptist was very humble in his work. He never boasted to be more than he was. He knew what God was asking hin to do and he did it to the absolute best of his ability. He put his whole heart and soul into honoring God. He knew that the Messiah was coming. He also knew that he was not even worthy enough to act as a house-slave to Him. His heart nees to be in the right place to be so humble. He knows that he is only doing God's will. He knows that God is personally directing his actions. I truly feel that a person can speak with tghe love of God and from God very powerfully and still be humble because he gives God all the credit for his words.

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  • 1 month later...

John takes no credit for himself, he states there is one coming after him who is far greater than him, that he was unworthy to untie Jesus sandals.

John knew that the "bigger picture" wasn't about him. He knew that he was just one piece in the big puzzle.

You can be confident in your words & beliefs and still have the understanding/true self feeling that you are a tool for God's use and be over joyed by it.   

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  • 4 weeks later...

Q3. (John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist?
 

 

John never sought after material things for himself.  Where he lived, the way he dressed and the things that he ate kept him humble.  John’s only purpose in life was to serve the Lord as His humble servant.  It’s only in our own humility that we can truly see ourselves as we really are.  John knew that for Christ to increase that he would have to decrease and that is the essence of humility.

 

John understood his role from birth, he knew what his mission was to be and that he had no righteousness of his own.  The righteousness that he had in his life came from God so fulfilling a prophecy was just another one of God’s truths in his life.

 

I believe that John only saw himself as God’s messenger bringing the news of Jesus’ arrival.  Once Jesus began his ministry he knew that would have to stand back and allow Jesus to grow while he became less.

 

Humility doesn’t equate to weakness, Moses was humble but he was a very strong leader.  Joseph was humble yet he became the second most powerful man in ancient Egypt.  You see the same traits in David and Solomon, John the Baptist and Christ Jesus.  The Apostle John was humble, so were Paul and Peter but they were also very strong leaders so yes, powerful, confident speech absolutely can co-exist with humility.

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  • 2 weeks later...

John the Baptist was humble because he was doing his job, to prepare the way for the Messiah. John didn't understand completely why he had to do what he did, but he immediately knew why when he saw Jesus Christ.

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  • 1 year later...

Q3. (John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist?

John shows humility very clearly. His message is about the preparation for the coming Messiah. John states very clearly his ministry is for Christ and John is not worthy to serve. John is humble much the same as Daniel because he places God and God's will first and never loses sight of his mission. Being humble but but having a powerful, confident voice in your mission for God is not contradictory. The faith of John in God's plan makes his humility evident and his confidence contagious. 

 

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  • 1 year later...

John showed humility when he was asked who he was. He could have claimed a lot of things but he didn’t. He may not have seen himself as fulling the passage in Isaiah even though he said he was making the way for the one to follow. He was just going about what he had been called to do. John saw himself as a servant or a slave because he said he was not even worthy to loosen Jesus sandals.

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John says that he is not worthy to untie the sandal straps (thinking of washing His feet) of the One who is coming. John said (in effect) I am not even going to compare myself with a lowly servant who washes peoples feet! John lived a frugal life in the wilderness.  He did not have an ego problem and spoke the Word of God without the fear of man.  God gave John the Baptiser a voice and God caused him to live in a humble environment.  He was a great man, a powerful preacher, and leader. This did not go to His head because he heard the voice of God clearly and constantly throughout his daily life in the desert. (How I need to spend lots of time alone with God!! It is the key to quashing foolish pride, and it is the key to learning the wisdom and fear of the Lord that comes through humility.

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John says that he is not worthy to untie the sandal straps (thinking of washing His feet) of the One who is coming. John said (in effect) I am not even going to compare myself with a lowly servant who washes peoples feet! John lived a frugal life in the wilderness.  He did not have an ego problem and spoke the Word of God without the fear of man.  God gave  John the Baptist  a voice, and God caused him to live in a humble environment.  He was a great man, a powerful preacher and leader. This did not go to His head because he heard the voice of God clearly and constantly throughout his daily life in the desert. (How I need to spend lots of time alone with God!!) It is the key to quashing foolish pride, and it is the key to learning the wisdom and fear of the Lord that comes through humility.

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  • 7 months later...

Q3. (John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist?

He did not claim to be the Messiah at all or Elijah. He did not claim to be the Prophet Moses spoke of in the Bible. Instead He said He was the forerunner of the Christ meaning The voice of one crying in the wilderness. He was the voice while Israel was the wilderness. He was a voice meant to be heard not to be seen. John was the voice while Christ was the Word. By realizing that God is the one who empowers him and gives him the words to speak to the public. He sees himself as the forerunner of the Christ. By realizing that he is not the reason that people are coming to repent but because of the Messiah. Yes it can when Christ is involved. 
 

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  • 6 months later...

Q3. (John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist?

John acknowledges that he was merely a messenger for the Message, a voice crying out to prepare the way of the Lord. He also says that he was only baptizing in water, but the one coming after him will baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire. He acknowledges that the Messiah is so much superior to him, and that he is not even equal to a lowliest servant before Him, because he says that he is not worthy to untie His shoe laces. Moreover when the ministry of Jesus becomes greater than John, he humbly says that He must increase and I must decrease. He was not competitive and did not want to have a superior ministry than Jesus. Even when his disciples forsook him for Jesus, it did not adversely affect him. He just considered himself to be the friend of the Bridegroom. No wonder Jesus called him to be the greatest man until then. Not Abraham, Moses or Elijah or other stalwarts of the Bible, but John the Baptist was the greatest man to be born till the time of Jesus.

He was aware of who he is and who he is not for he says I am not the Messiah, Elijah nor the Prophet. He declares that he is simply a voice. He became a powerful witness for Christ by being vocal of who he is and what his mission is. He was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb and hence he was bold, which enabled him to preach week on week, month on month at the Jordan River. He was not bothered about what the religious elite thought about him. And all his ministry, he simply pointed to Jesus. He knew the superiority of Jesus and he was pointing all who came to him to the Lord. Because he knew whom he represented and what his mission was he remained humble. But because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was bold and bore witness to the light. John is a model for us to show that humility and powerful, confident speech can co-exist in a person. For it is not about us but about Him.

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John was born from his mother's womb filled with the Holy Spirit.  He knew his purpose because it was revealed to him from God. We do not know much about his early childhood, we only know what God has revealed of him through scripture.  I do not quite know why the questions ask of our opinions.  We are to accept the word of God as truth whether we understand it or not.  Faith is believing in things seen and unseen. What I read of John the Baptist is that he was a humble servant doing the will of God.  It was never about him, but rather about what God did through him. He was born to prepare the way for Jesus and that is what he did. He was not acting on his own but acting on the will of God.  Just as Jesus did. Because of this, we are now to do the same thing.  We are to tell the world of the wages of sin and preach the gospel just as John the baptize it.  When we do the will of God, He equips us with what we need to fulfill His purpose.  We do nothing on our own but be a will vessel to be used for his glory.

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Q3. (John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist?

Phil. 2:8-11 comes to mind.  Jesus humbled Himself by being obedient to the point of death.  John the Baptist humbled Himself in the same way.   We humble ourselves by being obedient to God rather than man just as Jesus and John the Baptist did. 

"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!  Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:8-11)

 

 

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  • 7 months later...
  1. Q3. (John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? John is a spectacle of humility through and through. Mark 1:6 says John wore clothing woven of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his loins. He ate locusts and honey. He is content with his calling of being the voice of one calling in the desert "Make straight the way for the Lord."He categorically denied being a Prophet, Elijah, or the Messiah.
  2. How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? John focused on his God-given task of announcing the coming of the Messiah and he knew without a doubt the greatness and the Deity of Christ.  
  3. How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? John sees himself as unworthy to even untie the coming Messiah’s sandal-thongs.
  4. How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Maybe John being a Nazarene combined with his reliance on Scripture contributed to his remarkable humility.
  5. Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist? John the Baptist’s life is testimony that humility and powerful, confident speech can co-exist.


 

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Q3. (John 1:19-27)

How does John the Baptist show humility?

  • he denies he is one of the great prophets of the old testament, though he was very popular

How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it?

  • he understands his calling and maintains a close relationship with God

How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah?

  • he didn't see himself as worthy of the most menial task that a slave would perform, tying his shoes

How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble?

  • close communion with His God

Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist?

  • of course it can
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John the Baptist didn't accept the title of new Elijah or that of the prophet like Moses.  He simply claims to be the Isaian voice in the desert to prepare for the Grea ter One to follow.

It was by divine illumination that John the Baptist knew that Christ the truly the Lamb of God.   Due to the genuine work of grace in his heart; the virtue of humility was so evident in his demeanor and his witness. Therefore; he knew Christ must increase and he will decrease.   His ministry was transitional.

A true man of God will have the virtue of humility.  He is teachable and works out his salvation in trembling and fear.  It is very tragic when a revivalist preacher presumes to know it all.   God in His divine wisdom allows such men to go through the dark nite of the soul to purify them.   For some, periods of sorrow do occur to further the characters of such preachers.  God's boundless love is doing a hidden work; He wants the men of God to be purified.   The word "mortification" is in order here.   The saints of old knew that the flesh must be mortified.

Yes, humility can be a very important part of a good preacher or pastor.  The word 'parrheshia' comes to mind.   Apostle Peter and the early Apostles and the 70 including the Church on Pentecost, all had the boldness to proclaim the glory of God.  The virtue of humility was deeply impeded in their souls.   They went to the Temple each day and proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ.   

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  • 9 months later...

John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility?

How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it?

How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah?

How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble?

Can humility and powerful confident speech coexist? 

John the Baptist focus was never on himself. He knew and proclaimed openly that he was the Voice crying in the Wilderness , Prepare the Way of the Lord. His focus was fully on fulfilling his call to introduce the Messiah. 

John saw and knew who the Christ was. He understood that his own position was far lower than that. So he could remain humble as he pointed people to Messiah. 

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  • 9 months later...

Jesus is the example of all these. He showed humility, he had power, and confidence in speech. We are to follow in the example Jesus left us. We, too, have the same , as we stay in the grace of God. He said so..the Holy Spirit was promised to us ,to teach ,lead and guide us to do the will of the Father. He will strengthen us and help us. Jesus tells the disciples that he only does the will of his father who sent him. It is not about us, saints of God , so let us stop interjecting our thoughts and plans and will. We are to do God's will, Just as Jesus did, with humility, power and confidence. John the Baptist was born to prepare the way for The Messiah, his cousin, to tell the Jews to repent and return to God. I often wonder about the leaders of the Jewish people those who kept the law of Moses, those who had all the questions. They read the same scriptures and quoted the same scriptures and studied the same Scripture of Isaiah and all the other prophets which Jesus often quoted back to them that answers their own questions!; who did they think their law and scriptures spoke of??? They claimed to believe the scriptures but yet they did not accept the one the scriptures spoke of!! John the Baptist did what he was born to do . he preached reference of sin. He baptized by water which was to make clean and then you were to live a sinless life. You were reconciled back to God. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb whose blood was shed for our salvation. That was what God taught his people in the old law on how to worship and be forgiven of sin. When Jesus healed he would say "you are healed, ( forgiven) go, and sin no more". He preached the gospel of salvation, repentance from sin and be made right with God the father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other name or way to heaven, to God, then throught the Son.. Amen... Do you believe??? 

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