27th Dec, 2009
Written By Rev Law Hui Seng
Posted By Teresa Han
John 1:19-28
Main idea: Know your own identity and live your life full potential.
Objectives: a. To help the congregation to realize our identity in Christ. b. To teach that we must live according to our identity in Christ.
A. Introduction.
- In life, you have to know who are you everyday. You have to be conscious of your identity everyday. If you don’t you cannot live properly as a person.
- You do what you are doing because of your identity. You are a mother, so you always wake early in the morning when the school reopens to prepare the breakfast for your children and husband. You are a father and husband, so you give part of your salary to your wife and children to feed them. You are a student, so you make sure you go to school and follow all the rules in school to make sure you study well. You are a Christian, so you come to church on Sunday. You are a manager, so you mobilize your staff to execute the trading policies and principles of your company.
- You behave according to your own identity. Know who you are is so crucial in everything. Know who you are, your own identity, you will do your roles in all circumstances. You live as the society and the church expects you.
- In our passage of concentration this morning/ evening, we see that John the Baptist knows who he is and he performs all his roles as desired by God.
B. How John the Baptist knows who he is?
- We see from the passage there is a need to for the Jews of Jerusalem to know who the John Baptist is (verse 19). Brothers and sisters, it is very normal for people to know who the other people are. So, you need to find out and you need to find a way to know so and so.
- In the case of John the Baptist, he might have behaved like a messiah, a saviour, the Jews who believe in the concept definitely want to confirm whether he is the one or not. It is through such effort of the Jews (Levites, priests) who are the authoritative figures in Judaism, that John revealed his own identity. Only when he himself knows his own identity, only then he can reveal.
- From the passage, in verses 20 and 21, you can see he knew who he was, so he could confess he was not the Christ and Elijah. He honestly told the Levites and the priests he was neither Christ nor Elijah. He was not the messiah and also not the Elijah of the Old Testament whom the Jews believed.
- John the Baptist knew his own true identity, he never tried to be someone else. A point of application for you here, you should never try to be someone else by behaving like that person. And so, the young people here, do not try to be Michael Jackson, an entertainer.
- When John the Baptist was challenged to give an answer about who he was, to help the Jewish questioners, he based the authority of his answer on the Old Testament, and quoted Isaiah the prophet in verse 23, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, Make straight the way for the Lord.” In another words, he knew his own identity with certainty. He even claimed that he was the one whom prophet Isaiah of the OT meant. He believed in himself he was raised and sent by God as prophesied by prophet to make the path of Christ straight. He knew what role God had given him. Can you imagine, when he was asked who he was, he claimed that he was the one as prophesied by Isaiah? What made him so sure? If you read Luke chapter you will find the answer. Zechariah, John’s father, after he was delivered, he was filled by the Holy Spirit to prophesy that John were to play that role for Jesus. I believe both the mother Elizabeth and father, Zechariah, raised up John according to the prophesy, and so John the baptist knew for sure his identity.
- But the Pharisees were not satisfied with his answer, they continued to hard press for more explanations. In verse 24, they asked why he baptized people if he were not the Christ, Elijah or the Prophet. He further insisted he was not anyone of them but emphasized he baptized with water and, he was just coming before Jesus to prepare people for His coming and he was not even qualified to untie the thongs of Christ’s sandals. He further defined his role.
C. Applications.
- I pray that the certainty of John the baptist’s own identity will inspire you to know especially your identity in Christ. You have lots of identity in this world but what is your one precious identity in Christ? Children of God/ disciple of Jesus/ saved with eternal life, etc. Let us apply this identity in Christ into your life now.
- Firstly, when you know you are a disciple of Jesus and see yourself as a disciple of Jesus, you will do what Jesus require you to do, right?
- Secondly, how you perceive yourself will decide whether you live the full potential in your life.
- Thirdly, don’t be somebody whom you are not created to be. Be the person whom God desires you to be.
- Fourthly, know who you are and you know your roles in life.
D, Conclusion.
- Do not a person whom the devil desires.
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