◄ What Does John 1:34 Mean? ►

In the beginning, God spoke the universe into being. The eternal Word was with God, and that Word was the true and living God. The Word was the eternal Son Who was true Light, and Life, and Truth, and Love. Through Him all things were created, and He became God incarnate by taking upon Himself the form of a man. He did this by being born into the human race and becoming part of His own creation.

The Lord Jesus was the eternal Word. He was the incarnate Word Who created all things. He was the Son of God and Lamb of God. He was the Anointed of God, the King of Israel, and Saviour of the World. He was Son of Man and the Word made flesh, and John the Baptist was the God's appointed prophet to witness that Jesus Christ is God's only, beloved Son: "In Whom I am well pleased."

And for thousands of years, prophets had foretold of Christ's coming. And for many generations, Israel continued to be warned to repent, turn from their wicked way, and return to worshipping the God of their forefathers. But finally we read that John the Baptist came striding onto the Judean scene in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to repentance, wisdom, and truth.

John was the greatest prophet ever born of a woman. He had been prepared from his mother's womb to be God's human witness, and he was to testify to a sinful world that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. John was the greatest priest to ever live, for he had been anointed of God to bear witness that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.

John was the one man who, before the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry, was able to testify: "This is the Son of God. This is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world."

The end, objective, the climax, and the reason for John's message and ministry, was that Jesus was anointed of God to be the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world. John was called as God's witness to humanity and he knew that Jesus must increase and he must decrease, and so he proclaimed of Christ Jesus our Lord: "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God."

John was called by God to testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and we who are members of His Body have been given a similar responsibility and privilege to testify to a lost and dying world that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who takes away the sin of the world.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You gave Your only begotten Son into the world to be my Saviour. Thank You for the truth of Your Word and the testimony that it contains. I pray that in word and deed, my life may be a testimony and witness to the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Saviour of the world. This I pray in Jesus' name, AMEN.