John 1

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” 

John 1:29

Lately I’ve been having a hard time “walking by faith.” I know what God has promised, but I’m having a hard time believing that I will one day experience it! My soul wants to believe but my mind wants the proof.

A while earlier as I was reading in the 1^st chapter of the Book of John, I was blown away by the faith that I read about. From the first verse of that chapter, John was declaring that Jesus is the Messiah. John goes throughout Jerusalem telling everyone that “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me” and “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.” And I mean, He told everyone.

He who comes. Do you realize how much faith it takes to declare that? Although John has not yet seen the Messiah (at least not that I can find in the scriptures) he is declaring, not that He will come or might come, but He comes!

As I read through this chapter, I was amazed at how persistent John was and how he put His own reputation on the line by declaring (or announcing officially) that Christ has come! If I was in John’s position, I’d like to believe I would act similarly, but I have a feeling my thoughts would be more like this: What if he doesn’t come? What if I tell all of these people He’s coming and He doesn’t show up?

Guess what happens next, though? He comes!

As John is baptizing people with water and assuring them that “One mightier than I” is coming, He sees Jesus walking toward Him.

Can you even imagine that? Seriously, imagine that while you are speaking of something you are absolutely sure will happen, it happens right before your eyes! This is faith coming to life.

I long for this kind of faith! A faith that is true to its definition… trusting with confidence without needing to see proof. I have already heard and read the promises. The people in the Bible had not yet seen, but still they believed.

After reading this, I can’t help but draw a parallel to John preaching about the coming of Christ, and our own responsibility to announce that Christ will come again. Do we announce His coming with a whisper? Perhaps we announce it with a maybe? Worse yet, we might not announce it at all.

 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

God, help us to announce with confidence that Christ comes. At the end of this road, I pray that while we are in the midst of declaring and baptizing, we would be met with Christ walking towards us as we walk in obedience.