Let’s face it, we have all thought of ourselves more highly than we should at one point or another. How amazing to see John the Baptist today in a far different light. I am humbled as I slowly take in his intentional servanthood and his intention to glorify Jesus by lifting Him up.
I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. – Matthew 3:11 ESV
The idea of introducing the concept of his carrying the sandals of Jesus is straight out of the servant manual. It was a task that was usually beneath a scholar or a disciple to do. In fact, from what I understand, a non-Hebrew individual might be employed or obliged for such work. Yet, here is John, thinking of himself as unworthy, to go lower than low, seeing this as a great honour to serve Christ in this fashion. What humility, what high opinion of Jesus.
And look what Jesus does – He also humbles Himself and comes to John to be baptised. How this one moment in time challenges us to the importance of serving and being discipled. Today, we still practice baptism as something that is voluntary, intentional and public. For me, it is also an important step in making me a disciple of Jesus.
I love the opening line of this verse – repentance. Both John the Baptist and Jesus made it all about repentance – it was their opening message. If I want to be a disciple and if I want to make disciples, I have to understand this message and its priority. It may be safe to say that discipleship does not happen without repentance.
According to the NIV Bible Dictionary repentance is “the process of changing one’s mind…a conscious turning from evil or disobedience or sin or idolatry to the living God…a profound change of mind involving the changing of the direction of life.”
So today I am challenged to the model of John the Baptist and Jesus and to follow them.
Disciple 