Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” John 1:24-26 NIV
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were baffled by John the Baptist. They didn’t know what to make of him. He plainly stated that he wasn’t the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor a prophet. He was simply the one God had sent to prepare their hearts for the coming of Jesus. Yet their hearts were hard and they did not receive his message. Worse yet, they didn’t recognize Jesus either. As John stated, “among you stands one you do not know.” God, their Creator, entered humanity and walked among them, but they didn’t recognize Him.
These were the religious leaders of the day, how could they miss it? Perhaps their religious activity had lulled them into a false sense of security. They were religious but they didn’t have a relationship with God. There’s a very big difference! To know God we must seek Him personally, just ascribing to a doctrine of belief isn’t enough. Our faith must take us beyond a mental acceptance of truth to a life changing encounter with God. Religious activities like going to church, surrounding ourselves with other Christians and living a good life, although important in their own right, can never replace an active relationship with the Lord. A relationship that first recognizes we are nothing without Him and in gratitude for the high price He payed for our redemption chooses to surrender everything to the God who loves us.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:10-12 NIV
Here’s the good news, the religious leaders missed it, but you don’t have to! You have the opportunity to know God, to read the Bible, to seek Him, to believe and to receive all He has for you. You have the right to become His child and to enjoy all the benefits of having Him as your Father. Yes, you can enjoy a life changing relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? Even if you’ve gone to church your whole life, if you don’t know Him, you are missing it!
If you’d like more information on knowing God, email me gripthesword@gmail.com.