Thurs.'s Devo -Are You a Forerunner?

Read John 1:14-27
Jesus was the divine expression of God who came to earth in a the flesh and resided with man. His glory was apparent to those who saw him and he acted graciously and spoke truth. John was his forerunner who testified of Jesus' coming. He said, "he that comes after me is above me; for he was before me." I wonder if the people got that. Jesus came on the scene after John but has always been so he was before him also. Jesus came to give us grace. In the Hebrew the word grace means: gratifying; the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, joy liberality, pleasure, thankworthy. Moses gave us the Law but Jesus gave us truth and a divine influence of joy and acceptance in our hearts. Jesus came down to reveal God to us.
The gospel of John is written to the church, those who would accept Jesus. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who he was claiming to be he quickly told them he was not the Messiah or Elijah. Then he quoted Is. 40:3 saying "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, "clear the way for the Lord's coming!'" They knew by the scripture that Elijah had to come back before Jesus came back again; they just got it confused. They thought the 1st and 2nd coming were all the same so if John was anyone legitimate he either needed to be the Messiah or Elijah. So since John wasn't claiming to be either of these men what right did he have to baptize they wanted to know.
Baptism was symbolic of ceremonial washing. A priest was suppose to do that so John is in trouble. He explains that his baptism is only water but there was a man coming who he was not worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal. John took the humble road which probably saved his life. The Pharisees were not known for humility so John's humble answer unarmed them and they left him alone for then.
John was a forerunner and forerunners always get misunderstood and persecuted because they bring much needed but much resisted change. It takes godly fortitude to be a forerunner but that is what God has called some of us to be. It is not the popular road but if you are called to it, it is the right road. Give us grace to be your forerunners and to do it with steadfast humility.