Consider how you judge someone’s character and abilities (such as a teacher, church leader, caregiver whether medical or for children, or leaders within your organization). This assessment could come through an interview, research or observations during time spent together.
I’m currently in the midst of interviewing multiple people for multiple positions on our team. On paper, everyone is amazing. The question is, are they who they say they are?
They claim to be the best at something, to have many years honing a specific skill, to have won awards, to be honest, dependable, innovative leaders, and all other sorts of things. While laughing a little about how people present themselves with grandeur I am quickly reminded of my own resume and online profile. Do my actions match my words?
In today’s reading (John 1:19-34) John the Baptist (note he was not the author of the book of John) is being interrogated as to who he is. His responses first clarified who he was not. He was not the Christ, not Elijah, nor the Prophet. When pressed further, John articulated what he was doing and his purpose rather than saying who he was.
John’s responses were full of humility by focusing not on himself but with the intent to point people to Jesus. John was quite popular at the time yet he acknowledged in verse 27 that he was not even worthy to untie the sandal of “one you do not know” (Jesus).
What is your response when someone asks who you are? Sometimes we share our job title, family role or merely our name. Regardless of these surface answers, consider who God says you are: loved, his child, uniquely made. In Christ we also have a new identity: forgiven, set free, a friend of Jesus, chosen, redeemed, not forsaken, a new creation.
Regardless of who we are, the most important question we must answer is: who is Jesus?
32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son[b] of God.”
Like John, at first we did not know him (Jesus), but God reveals his purpose to us daily. It all points to Jesus, the one who made all things.
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)
So then, who do you say Jesus is? If you call him “Son of God” then pause right now and acknowledge who you are not (like John the Baptist’s example) and who he is. Let our actions today match the words in our hearts by putting him in his rightful place as Lord over all things.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10