John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, spent most of his life preaching in the desert about the Messiah Who was coming to save the world. He encouraged repentance, baptized, and stirred hope in the hearts of people who were awaiting lasting freedom. When Jesus began His public ministry, John the Baptist directed attention to Him, called Him the Lamb of God, and declared that He would take away the sins of the world.
Some people believed the words of John the Baptist immediately. Most needed more convincing. Over the following years, as Jesus’ fame spread, more and more people came to see this Lamb for themselves. That brings us to the finale of today’s Gospel.
""John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true." And many there began to believe in him" (John 10:42).
Everything John said about this man was true. Lightbulb. The people get it now. The prophetic words from John’s mouth are now fulfilled before their eyes in the Person of Christ. They now see for themselves; or rather, Jesus helps them to see.
When it comes to the conversion of the people in our lives, we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Our concern for them is born from love, but sometimes our efforts become disordered. We can become so convinced that we are the only hope for someone’s salvation that we forget that Jesus is the One Who does the saving.
John the Baptist made it his life’s work to tell people about the Messiah, yet many didn’t believe. For some, they had to encounter the works and words of the Lord Himself for their hearts to be transformed. Even then, others continued to walk in darkness. We can bring someone to Jesus, but we cannot force them to follow Him.
Our call, then, is to follow the example of John the Baptist: to live for Heaven, to witness to the freedom found in Christ, to point to the Lamb as the One Who saves, and to pray that an encounter with Jesus will help them to see it.
This painting of Saint John the Baptist is one of the most famous.
Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky where the sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She is the Blog Manager for Blessed is She and works from home as an editor and social media manager. She likes to binge novels and Netflix while raising her children and laughing with her husband. You can find out more about her here.
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