John the Baptist

He Accepted God’s Predestination on Him

The Bible speaks concerning the birth of John the Baptist saying: “He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). John the Baptist was the forerunner of Lord Jesus. He was able to open the way for Lord Jesus because he had the spirit and power of Elijah. Today, we have obtained God’s mercy to succeed the ministry of the latter-day Elijah (John the Baptist), to prepare the way for the Lord’s return. Therefore, it is imperative that we possess the spirit and power of Elijah.

John the Baptist was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” (Matt. 3:3). He lived his entire life in the desert and assumed the ministry in the vast, barren wilderness, where you have to open up your own way. However, John the Baptist did not rejected or escape from God’s predestination. Instead, he accepted his fate bravely and willingly. In order that the Lord would have a prosperous way, he dared not hope for an easy or prosperous way. He was ready to face all the adverse circumstances. This is the spirit of Elijah.

Why do people often give up on the way of following the Lord? Because they feel that the way of the church is full of battles and hardships. What would you do if you were placed in desolate wilderness, without a single soul in sight and with nothing there to respond you? Would you still assume the ministry? Could you still preach? Not only did John preach, he shouted! Don’t you think it is foolish to assume the ministry this way? Why is he shouting if no one is listening? However, this is the way God wants us to work. This is not a theory. We must personally experience it with our lives.

Some people cannot withstand loneliness. For example, some may serve God well at the big churches and even speak eloquently at conventions. But say you are a university graduate, and you forsook everything to follow the Lord. If you were to be transferred to a small place with few people, would you still have the interest to serve? The sheep there are not only few and tender, but also sick. Would you feel that it is a waste of your time and your life to shepherd such sheep? You’d have to deal with a handful of sick and unresponsive sheep everyday. If you did get response, it would be a cold one. Serving the Lord in this kind of environment is just like being in the wilderness! Can you go on serving in this way? This requires the spirit of Elijah. This is to accept God’s predestination on you.

He Didn’t Build Up His Own Image, but Christ’s

John knew that he was the voice crying in the wilderness – once it passes, it is gone. It is good enough if the voice is heard. It does not matter how people react to it. Voice is without form or external beauty. So John, just like this voice, didn’t build up his own image, but Christ’s. He introduced Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who was baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, to the people of God. The Bible says, “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water” (John 1:31).

The purpose of John’s ministry was to let people know Christ. As for himself, he was only a voice that would pass away. He only wanted people to have an impression of Jesus. This was the spirit of John the Baptist. When we have a spirit of willingly losing ourselves in God’s will and having no image of our own, the glorious image of Christ will be manifested, and God’s children will be able to know the Messiah prepared by God. This resembles the burnt offering of the Old Testament era – whether it was oxen or sheep, they had to be killed, skinned, and cut into pieces. And then they had to be burned on the altar into ashes. The original image was completely gone. This was also the way John the Baptist assumed his ministry – all he did was convey (impart) God’s voice and let people hear the voice of the Son of God, while losing his own identity completely. Such ministration satisfies God most.

He Didn’t Stumble because of the Lord

Since John the Baptist was also human, he encountered considerable trials assuming this ministry. When his disciples told him of the miracles performed by the Lord Jesus and the things He had done, he was very tried. He introduced the Messiah to people and because of this, many found grace: the blind saw; the lame walked; the lepers were cleansed; the deaf heard; the dead were raised, and the poor had the gospel preached to them. While everyone was enjoying God’s grace, the one who introduced the Messiah to them had to suffer in jail!

John was so tried that he sent someone to ask the Lord Jesus, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” The Lord Jesus did not say anything except, “Blessed is he who does not stumble because of Me.” Brothers and sisters, if we were John, we probably would have said, “If you don’t save me from the prison, I will be stumble because of you!” Nevertheless, what the Lord Jesus meant to say was: I save the blind and the lame; as for you, I predestined you to be killed – beheaded.

What would you do? Would you be offended? Thank God that John the Baptist did not become offended because of the Lord. He did not compare himself with others, but accepted what God had destined for him. What would become of others was none of his concern. This was John’s mentality: if others find grace because if me, I thank God. If I am not prosperous on earth, I also thank God, because all these are predestined by Him. May the Lord increase and I decrease.

The Lord Jesus was also like this. When He was on the cross, people mocked Him, saying that He could save others but not Himself. Actually, the Lord was able to come down but God predestined Him to die on the cross. Otherwise, the salvation could not be accomplished. This is the way where people find grace. Do we want the Lord’s salvation to come upon the world? Do we want the dawn of God’s mercy to shine upon the earth? Then we must be like the Lord – able to save others and not ourselves.

From our own point of view, it may seem strange, but if we look at it from God’s predestination, it is not strange at all. This is the secret to bring salvation to people. Sometimes, when we look at the circumstances, it seems as though we cannot even save ourselves. So how could we possibly save others? However, the profound mystery of the cross is here – we can’t save ourselves. If we do, we can’t save others. Therefore, as we had said, Jesus Christ brought about a revolution by shedding His own blood, not others.

Do you imitate the Lord in sacrificing yourself to save other, or do you want others to die together with you just because you cannot save yourself? What would we do if God willed that we endure suffering and death to bring salvation to others? May we be able to say to the Lord, “I believe You will give me sufficient grace. Let the relationship between You and me be more intimate.”

John the Baptist finally finished assuming his ministry. He prepared the way of the Lord and let people of God know the Messiah. May God do on us as He had done on John the Baptist so that we may finish the course God predestined us to walk on and assume well the ministry of latter-day Elijah.