PRAY IT! Street Hero - John 1:19-34

The older I get, I find the less and less I know.  Frankly, I walk around in a general state of confusion at times.  It doesn't matter if it's politics, world news, trying to understand human behavior, or something as simple as a grocery store item location change.  Why this? Why that?  Why?  Why?  Why?  I don't understand...!!!

One thing that seems evident to me in this first chapter in John is that John the Baptist is not confused.  He is not confused about himself.  He is not confused about who Jesus is.

As a human... as a Christian... I may continue to be confused about a lot of things.  I may never be able to satisfactorily answer why bad things happen, for example.  I may not have an actual answer (or ever have one) other than I don't know. 

But, just like John the Baptist, I can be confident in who I am (humbly, not Jesus, but one who is saved by Jesus) and I can be confident in who Jesus is (humbly, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.)

"Who are you?" the priests and Levites asked John the Baptist in verse 19.
In verse 20, he answers pretty plainly: "I am not the Christ" and clarifies in verse 23 "I am the voice of the one crying out in the wilderness..."  In verse 29, when he sees Jesus, he say's, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

As you pray today, reflect upon the following questions in light of this passage, and spend some time talking to Jesus about all of it:

Do you see Jesus?  Are you looking?

When you look at Jesus... who do you see?  Is what you see accurate?  Is anything blocking or distorting your view?

How do you respond when you see Jesus?  Do you acknowledge Jesus for who he is, actually? 

Jesus is more than just an interesting man who lived along time ago who decided to be helpful and turn water into wine.  Jesus is more than just an advocate for social change who befriended the poor and the prostitutes.  Jesus is more than just a wise man who told stories using parables to anyone who would listen.  Jesus, Jesus actually, lived among us.  He died.  He took away the sins of the world.  He rose again. 

How you see Jesus is going to affect how you see everything and everyone else.  As God's kids, it really does matter how we see Jesus.