How to Point Others to Christ: Lessons from John the Baptist

The Glory He Refused

When the Jewish nation was anticipating the Messiah, public sentiment gathered strongly in John's favor. In John 1 the priests and Levites were ready to believe that John the Baptist was the Christ. Yet his response was humble and crystal clear: "I am not the Christ" (John 1:20).

Instead of seizing glory for himself, John made three profound declarations that reveal the heart of true humility:

1. He acknowledged Christ's pre-existence - "He was before me" (John 1:15)
2. He declared Christ's lordship - "Make straight the way of the Lord" (John 1:23)
3. He confessed his unworthiness - "I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal" (John 1:27)

The Desert That Shaped Him

I believe the time in the wilderness played a part in shaping John the Baptist into living a life of self-denial. The desert time, away from life's comforts, is where humility can be learned through:

• Life without luxury
• Character formed in solitude
• Self-denial through scarcity

Many Christians often avoid the "desert times" that could have developed in them the same character John displayed.

Cultivating John's Heart of Humility

Want to develop this same spirit of self-denial? Start with these practical steps:

1. Embrace your struggles as opportunities for character development
2. Be content being "just a voice" rather than building your own platform
3. Redirect praise immediately to Christ
4. Release pride in credentials and find identity in relation to Christ
5. Regularly acknowledge your dependence on God's worth, not your own

The greatest paradox of Christian living is this: those who consider themselves unworthy, like John, are the very ones Jesus calls the greatest (Matthew 11:11).

Want to Dive Deeper? 🎧 📖

This blog post offers just a glimpse of the powerful expository preaching found in the complete message. For the full verse-by-verse Bible teaching on John 1:19-28, click here to listen to the entire sermon and experience the depth of God's Word through clear, biblical expository preaching.