Hi there! Good morning.
Here's your devotional text for Monday, December 18.

 

 

If you look at John’s ministry, you can clearly see that he lived a life of selflessness. He knew that this was super foreign to all the spiritual leaders of his time. They were all looking for a Messiah that had never been promised. Jesus’ answer (Luke 7:21-23) was convincing evidence to John — but not to the Jewish leaders. John began to realize that part of being Christ’s forerunner meant to go through severe suffering.

 

Who went away here? Who was Jesus speaking to?

Why does He use this imagery? Who is that “reed”?

 

Just like in Jesus’ time, there are many people today who behave like a “reed shaken with the wind.” They do whatever the majority is doing. They love to please the public. They don’t accept the truth because of other people’s opinions. Many so-called Christians today are part of this group. After contrasting John’s clothing and his prophetic calling with the Pharisees, Jesus says something very profound.

 

Why — out of all the prophets — was John the Baptist the “greatest?” Define true greatness by dwelling on John’s life. See also Luke 1:15.

 

Sometimes, it’s easy to find a good definition by thinking about what the word certainly doesn’t mean. True greatness in heaven’s sight has surely nothing to do with wealth, rank, political status, family history, or intellectual gifts. Basically, anything that people in our world call GREAT today is not great in God’s sight at all. And there are two reasons for that. First, God is the author of every gift and dollar, so He should get the credit, not a human. Second, you cannot use these things to buy character. Your moral worth cannot be bought with money, status, or intelligence. You might be the richest and most intelligent person, play basketball like no other, and look prettier than the prettiest model on earth — but if you’re selfish, mean, racist, and unloving, no one will like you.

 

Who would we have to admire if we want to honor the most intelligent being on this planet? Read 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Genesis 3:1. When we abuse our gifts to serve ourselves, they become curses. Then, the greater the gift, the greater the curse.

 

How do you feel about the timing and the way John the Baptist died?

 

It seems so paradoxical that out of all the prophets in the Bible, Jesus calls John the Baptist the greatest. This man didn’t bring down fire from heaven like Elijah. He didn’t do miracles like Moses. He wasn’t translated like Enoch. He didn’t raise the dead like Elisha. He wasn’t even allowed to see the fruits of his own labor. John had approximately six months of public ministry (Luke 3:1). Then he went to prison. Then he got executed. What kind of a life was this?

 

That’s why many people don’t understand John’s death. They can’t comprehend why he was left in prison to die. And we have to be real here. Our finite minds cannot fully grasp this dark, providential mystery. But John’s story can never shake our confidence in God when we remember that he just shared a portion of Christ’s suffering. All who follow Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). That’s the way this evil world is wired. If you jump in the water, you will get wet. There is no way around it. In the same way, if you live an unselfish life and stand firm for God’s truth, you will be misunderstood by selfish people and attacked by the devil. That’s the status quo of a disciple — not this spoiled and lukewarm way of life Christians enjoy nowadays.

 

God is looking for followers who have real moral worth. People who value love and purity more than anything else, even if it means death. Abuse your mind of the fact that your greatness has something to do with what you do or say. Get rid of the thought that suffering and persecution are a thing of the past. If we have learned two things so far, it’s this: 1) persecution is part of the Christian walk, and 2) suffering, pain, and even death don’t mean anything if Jesus is with us.

 

Do you know why our Savior did not deliver John? Because He knew he would bear the test. This wasn’t about staying in prison or being beheaded; this was all about reflecting God’s character while getting attacked by selfish humanity and the devil himself. Jesus would have endangered his own mission if he had stepped into this prison at that time. And for the sake of thousands of others who later would have to go through the same ordeal, John died a martyr’s death.

 

God allowed Satan to kill John, but that life that was “hidden with Christ” (Colossians 3:3), the devil could not destroy. The minute John died, Satan was unable to tempt him. Millions of people were able to see Satan’s character more clearly by beholding John’s unfair imprisonment and death.

 

The same is true for you today. The devil may drag you through the hardest trial of your life with no happy end, but he can’t change your character. He can never force you to disobey. He cannot lock you out of heaven. Your sufferings are not even worthy to be compared with the amazing glory that will be revealed in you very soon (Romans 8:18). “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19.

 

Read Philippians 1:29. What does it mean to suffer for Jesus’ sake? Why would anyone consider suffering for His sake a “good” thing?