“It Is Polite to Point”

“It Is Polite to Point”

John 1:19-28                       (New Revised Standard Version)

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Pointing out a person provides an opportunity for even a moment of humility.

It enables that person to whom the attention has been drawn to redirect it away onto something, or someone else.

John was in the ministry of pointing.

His calling was to draw people’s attention and to quickly divert it away from himself and onto Jesus.

His job is to get people ready so that when the Christ does come, he can redirect that attention onto He who “takes away the sins of the world.”

“Look!”

He is quick to point out that this is who he has been talking about.

This is the one that he has been pointing to the entire time.

This is the reason, “I came baptizing with water, so that he might be made known to Israel.”

I wanted to be the center of attention. However, it wasn’t for my own purpose but for that of building up the Kingdom of God.

When you point one finger out toward Christ, you are pointing three back at whose calling it is to build up God’s Kingdom.

You are pointing three fingers back at whose mission it is to get others attention focused on Christ Jesus.

It is polite to point, when the one you are pointing toward is God.

In what ways will you use the attention that is placed on you as a moment of humility? How will you make straight the path of Jesus? How will you point toward God today?