...witness to Jesus Christ...

“6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 John himself was not the Light, but he came to testify to the Light.”  John 1:6-8.

Here John introduces another John, the cousin of Jesus, John the Baptizer whose parents were Zechariah and Elizabeth, and juxtaposes him with Jesus.   John was a prophet whose entire life pointed to Jesus, and because he was the first prophetic voice of God heard in 400 years, John was held aloft by his disciples and the crowds who went into the desert to listen to John.   Our Gospel writer, John, was making the point that, as elevated an individual as John was, he was subordinate to Jesus.   Please notice how deliberate and careful John is to tell us in verse 8 that “John (the Baptizer) himself was not the Light, but he came to testify to the Light.”

Later in chapter 1 we see John clearly spelling out who, in fact he is:  

“19 When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John (the Baptizer), ‘Who are you?’ 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’  21 And they asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, 'I am not.’ 'Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ 22 Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ 23 John said,  ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’ as the prophet Isaiah said’”   John 1:19-23.

Most importantly John is presented by the author of this Gospel as a witness.  “Witness” is another seminal word and concept in the Gospel of John.  John writes that God the Father is Himself a witness to Jesus.

Jesus said: “The Father who sent me testifies on my behalf”  John 8:18,

“And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified on my behalf”  John 5:37.   Jesus also says that He Himself is His own witness.  “ I testify on my own behalf”  John 8:14 and 18.   In other words, Jesus was His own best witness, a fact proven in every page of the Bible, especially on Good Friday and easter Sunday.   Furthermore John also points out that the works of Jesus witness to Him!   “The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me”  John 5:36.  Jesus also said: “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me”  John 10:25.   And even the Scriptures bear witness to Jesus.   Jesus said: “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf”  John 5:39.  And as we see in today’s text John also writes in his Gospel that John the Baptizer, who was “the last of the Prophets” was a witness to Jesus Christ:  “7 He came as a witness to testify to the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 John himself was not the Light, but he came to testify to the Light”  John 1:7-8.     There is also the witness of those who came into contact with Jesus:  “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done”  John 4:39.    “He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see”  John 9:25.    We can also see that in John’s Gospel there is the witness of the disciples, especially John himself, the author of this Gospel.   Jesus told His disciples: “You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning”  John 15:27.    John himself saw that he was a witness to Jesus Christ:  “I who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. My testimony is true, and I knows that I tell the truth”  John 19:35.

And finally there is the witness of the Holy Spirit:  “When the Advocate, the Helper, comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify on my behalf”  John 15:26. 

Dear friends, today I share these references to the “witnesses” of Jesus Christ, to call you, to encourage you, to plead with you to live your life as a witness to Jesus Christ, not just in your words, but in your life, by the choices you make every day.   Most of all I pray that you witness to Jesus by your love.   Take time to reflect on the Scripture passage above and below and pray that the Lord will use you to be His witness.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.