HIGH FIVE! (start small… BE CONSISTENT)
John 1:6-28 is one of the clearest passages in Scripture about the difference between the messenger and the Messiah. John the Baptist’s entire mission was to direct attention away from himself and toward Jesus Christ.
1. Core Significance
1. God Sends Witnesses (vv. 6-8)
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”
John the Baptist was not the Light. He was a witness to the Light.
This teaches us:
- God uses ordinary people to point others to Christ.
- A witness does not draw attention to himself.
- The purpose of ministry is not personal recognition but helping others see Jesus.
Application:
As believers, we are called to be lights in the world, but we are never the Light. Like John, our role is to direct people toward Christ rather than ourselves.
2. Many Reject the Light (vv. 9-11)
Jesus came into the world He created.
The tragedy is startling:
- He made the world.
- The world did not recognize Him.
- His own people largely rejected Him.
John shows that unbelief is not caused by lack of evidence.
The Creator stood among His creation, yet many still turned away.
Application:
People today can be surrounded by truth and still reject Christ. Salvation involves responding to God’s revelation with faith.
3. Believers Become Children of God (vv. 12-13)
These verses contain one of the greatest promises in the New Testament:
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…”
Notice:
- Salvation comes by receiving Christ.
- It comes through faith.
- Spiritual birth comes from God, not human effort.
The Pharisees depended on their ancestry. John says God’s family is formed through spiritual rebirth.
Application:
No one becomes God’s child through heritage, church attendance, good works, or family tradition. We become God’s children through faith in Jesus.
4. John Models True Humility (vv. 19-23)
Religious leaders questioned John:
“Are you the Christ?”
John could have enjoyed the attention, but instead he repeatedly denied greatness:
- “I am not the Christ.”
- “I am not Elijah” (in the literal sense they expected).
- “I am not the Prophet.”
Then he identified himself simply as:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness.”
John viewed himself as a voice, not the message.
Application:
God often works through people who are willing to decrease so Christ can increase (John 3:30).
5. Religious Activity Cannot Replace Christ (vv. 24-28)
The Pharisees wanted to know why John was baptizing.
John’s answer was essentially:
“My baptism points to Someone greater.”
The religious leaders focused on rituals.
John focused on Jesus.
This demonstrates a recurring biblical theme:
- Religion points.
- Jesus saves.
- Rituals prepare.
- Christ transforms.
Revelation 12 Significance Table
| Passage Element | Revelation 12 Connection | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| John the Baptist | Faithful witness | God’s servants testify despite opposition |
| The Light | Christ, the victorious King | Jesus is the source of truth and life |
| Rejection by the world | Dragon’s rebellion against God | Darkness continually opposes God’s truth |
| Receiving Christ | Those whose names belong to God | Believers become part of God’s redeemed family |
| Voice in the wilderness | Proclaiming God’s message before His coming | God prepares hearts before major acts of redemption |
| Religious leaders questioning John | Spiritual opposition to God’s work | Human systems often resist divine truth |
| Humility of John | Servants who overcome through faithfulness | God honors those who point to Christ instead of themselves |
What This Reveals About God
- God sends messengers before major works.
- God desires people to know His Son.
- God offers adoption into His family through faith.
- God values humility over recognition.
- God’s truth shines even when the world rejects it.
Personal Application for Kevin
I think one reason this passage connects with your life right now is that you spend a lot of time serving others:
- helping your mother,
- serving at church,
- leading in Toastmasters,
- serving through Rotary,
- working at HCW.
John the Baptist reminds us that significance is not found in being the center of attention. It is found in faithfully pointing people toward something greater than ourselves.
Just as John said, “I am the voice,” we can say:
“I may not be the answer for everyone, but I can faithfully point people to the One who is.”
Source Table
| Source | Contribution |
|---|---|
| John 1:6-8 | John the Baptist sent as a witness to the Light |
| John 1:9-11 | The world largely rejected Christ |
| John 1:12-13 | Believers become children of God through faith |
| John 1:19-23 | John’s humility and identity as a voice |
| John 1:24-28 | John’s baptism points beyond himself to Jesus |
Morning Takeaway
John 1:6-28 teaches that the greatest servants of God are not those who draw attention to themselves, but those who faithfully point others to Jesus. The Light changes lives; the witness simply helps others see it. 🙏✨
YEAH… great reminder… TODAY WILL BE AN AWESOME DAY… I am going golfing with my church at SUNSET golf course… I have been practicing my swing all summer long… Almost every week, I went to the driving range and practiced my golf swing… I AM FAR FROM BEING A PRO, HOWEVER, I HOPE, I DEMONSTRATE IMPROVEMENT TODAY… BUT FIRST… I AM GOING TO THE GYM.
KEVIN… NOW THAT IS THE REWARD OF CONSISTENT EFFORT! 🏌️♂️💪
You are approaching today exactly the right way.
You didn’t spend all summer expecting to become a PGA professional. You spent all summer building a better swing, one bucket of balls at a time. Every trip to the driving range was an investment. Today is not about perfection. It is about seeing the fruit of faithful practice.
That actually reminds me of John the Baptist.
John’s goal wasn’t to make people admire John. His goal was to faithfully do what God called him to do. The results belonged to God.
Today your job isn’t to shoot a perfect round.
Your job is simply to:
✅ Make the next good swing.
✅ Have fun with your church friends.
✅ Enjoy God’s creation.
✅ Recognize how far you’ve come since spring.
If a shot goes into the trees…
Laugh.
If you stripe one down the fairway…
Enjoy it.
If you hit a personal best…
Celebrate it.
If you don’t…
Remember that improvement is measured over months, not holes.
And before golf comes the gym…
CHEST DAY? SHOULDERS? CARDIO? Whatever it is, attack it with the same mindset that has carried you all year:
Consistency beats intensity.
One workout doesn’t make a champion.
One bucket of balls doesn’t make a golfer.
One day of Bible reading doesn’t make a disciple.
But faithfully showing up again and again changes everything.
Kevin’s Battle Cry for Today
🏋️ First the gym.
🏌️ Then the golf course.
🙏 Then gratitude for whatever the day brings.
And when you stand on that first tee at Sunset Golf Course, remember:
You are not competing against anyone else’s scorecard. You are competing against the golfer you were three months ago.
My guess?
That golfer wouldn’t want to play against today’s Kevin. 😎
NOW GO GET THAT WORKOUT IN… AND LET’S SEE WHAT ALL THAT SUMMER PRACTICE CAN DO ON THE COURSE TODAY! ⛳🔥🏌️♂️
THANKS BE TO GOD.
继续爬那些楼梯
