Day 3: Direct their Eyes

Read: John 1:19-28 

Jay Gatsby is the main character of the well-known book by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby”. Gatsby’s life centered around one thing: the love of his life, Daisy. He and Daisy had split ways years before, but he never stopped loving her. He built his life around the hope of winning her back. His house was built across a lake directly from hers. He created a grand life that he knew she would want to be a part of. He threw elaborate parties in hopes of her showing up to one. He was obsessed. When she finally re-entered his life, he gave up everything for her. She was his crux.  

While not always to the extreme of Gatsby’s, we all have things that we build our lives around. The loyalty and dedication in the life of John the Baptist were focused on Jesus. John, a key character in the story of the life of Jesus, is a different John than the author of the book. He was Jesus’ cousin who was called to point people to Him before and during the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. The purpose of John’s life was to point to and glorify Christ. He did not try to lift himself up. In today’s passage specifically, he definitely had the opportunity as priests asked him who he was, yet John used this platform to point them back to Jesus.  

John obviously values Jesus so highly there are hardly words to describe it. Not only did John draw attention to Jesus rather than himself, but he describes Jesus as someone whose sandal straps he is not worthy to untie. This is a big statement. In the day of Jesus, sandals were disgusting because they walked so much in a very dry environment. Untying a persons’ sandals was a menial task, yet John said he was not even worthy of this. He does not say this to demean himself, but to lift up Jesus.  

God is never changing. Jesus is just as worthy of our worship today as He was when John was standing by his side. We are not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals either. Rather, He is more than worthy to be the center of our lives, for us to hinge all things on Him and who He is. Our lives are meant to point to Christ. Whether you are in ministry or not, God has given each of us gifts to point others to Him. These gifts may look like prayer, encouraging words, leading worship, shepherding a church congregation, teaching, etc. No matter what it is, the point of it all is to direct the eyes of those you’re serving to Jesus Christ. He is so worthy! 

Think through the day ahead. Write down a way that you can honor God in what you’re already planning on doing today.