John the Baptist is frequently portrayed in early Christian art and iconography. He is always pointing – sometimes at the figure of Jesus, sometimes at nothing in particular. On Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic, a large statue sculpted in 1857 by Joseph Max shows John holding a cross with one arm and with the other arm extended, pointing at no one in particular.
John’s life’s mission was to point to the greater one who would come after him, the one “the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (Luke 3:16). Today, thousands of years after his life, the legacy of John’s mission continues. He is still remembered for pointing beyond himself to the coming Messiah who came and will come again.
Although John passionately focused his life on the Messiah rather than on himself, he has played an influential role in the history of God’s people, particularly during his own time. Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, wrote an extensive account of John’s life and work, especially his death at the hands of Herod Antipas. In addition, the Dead Sea Scrolls have provided insight into the religious and cultural context of first-century Jewish life. It talks about the practice of the baptism of repentance, referring to John’s message. It had such a powerful impact on his world.
John’s movement became so popular that it initially may have spread earlier and more widely than the community of Jesus-followers. On reaching Ephesus nearly twenty-five years after Jesus went to heaven, the Apostle Paul met people who belonged to the movement of John the Baptist (Acts 18:24 – 19:7)
John’s life was completely focused on pointing toward the Messiah who was to come and on preparing the people to receive him. His calling was not glamorous, but it was monumental. His message was not gentle, but it was transformative. He stood as a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament, between prophecy and fulfillment.
John called himself simply “a voice” (John 1:23). He wasn’t the Word. He was a voice pointing to the Word. His whole identity wrapped around someone else, the One he was preparing the way for.
His calling extends to all of us. As John prepared the way for Jesus’ first coming, we are called to prepare the way for Jesus’ second coming.
John didn’t come to make people comfortable; he came to make them ready. Our mission as a Church of God is the same. Let’s get busy preparing a way for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again. Let’s use all the resources available to be the voice, the light, the bridge, and the testimony that the world desperately needs.
Your servant,
David Gunardi