If Christ be lifted up
John the Baptist was the man chosen by God to be the voice “crying in the wilderness.” His message was heard reverberating through the Judean wilderness, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2). Though these words were received with much enthusiasm and anticipation, the core of what that message was all about was missed out by many. People from all over Israel flocked to the banks to the river Jordan to listen with rapt attention to the message borne by this prophet of God. However, because the Jews were so overcharged with the burden of being under foreign rule, the message about the impending kingdom of heaven captured most of their attention so much so that when John pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world,” his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Yet he remained ever steadfast to the mission that God had called him to accomplish. When enquired upon by the people if he was the Messiah, his answer was, “I indeed baptise you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” (Luke 3:16).
Here we see that John did not wish to bring honour to himself. He could have won the people to his side by declaring himself to be the Christ, but he unswervingly directed the attention of the people to Jesus as the true “Lamb of God.” His disciples, on the other hand, did not share the same sentiments regarding the mission of the Baptist. They thought that they alone were exclusively the chosen ones of God to carry the gospel message to all the land of Judea. Therefore, they endeavoured to draw people to themselves. When the tide of popularity shifted to Christ and His disciples, the disciples of John became jealous of Christ and sought to put a stop to His ministry. Expecting John to share the same feelings as they, they went to him with the hope that he too would side with them and give his approval on the matter. But John, not wishing to draw crowds to himself and in keeping with the mission he was called to accomplish, simply said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30).
A similar situation was manifested in Jesus’ inner group of disciples. The misguided notion that the kingdom of God was a physical one with Christ as the king who would sit on its throne, pervaded the entire Jewish nation including the disciples. Because of this, they too were contending among themselves as to who should be the greatest in that kingdom. They also perceived as a threat to their cherished ambition towards social greatness when an individual who was not part of their group, went around healing in the name of Jesus the people who were possessed by demons. As one who was not part of the group, the disciples of Christ viewed this man as an outcast and that his activities were considered as dubious and questionable. So, by putting a stop to his work, they thought that they were doing great good to the cause of the gospel. However, their actions were not approved by Christ when the matter was brought out before Him.
Mark 9:38-40 “And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.”
Vital lessons can be drawn from the accounts of the disciples of Christ and the disciples of John the Baptist. Both these groups knew what privileges and benefits they enjoyed. But the problem was, they thought that these privileges were exclusively their property and no one had the right to the same privileges unless they were part of their group. As a result of the position they held as the ones who were chosen to impart the knowledge of the truth, they thought that the truth was exclusively confined within the boundaries of their own group. To them, it was impossible that others may have access to the truth and perhaps even have a better understanding of what truth really was. Hence, they could not come to terms with the fact that others may sometimes have something better to offer, in terms of spiritual matters. This led them to go to any length to halt or hinder the efforts of others who do not belong to their group.
Pride also played a major part in causing them to think that their efforts and their choices were solely responsible for the blessings that they now enjoyed. They forgot that it was the hand of God that pulled them out of the darkness into the light. They exalted themselves and they endeavoured to win people to their group and forgot that they were called to win people to the truth and to Christ.
This pretty much reflects the attitude of modern day Christianity. There are many misguided Christians today who claim that their church is exclusively the church of God. It is no surprise, therefore, that they brand other groups and denominations as “false churches,” and anyone belonging to these groups are not considered to be divinely inspired and whatever they teach and practice is considered to be biblically unsound. And like John, they forbid others from carrying out the duty that God has ordained them to do. And like the disciples, the churches today seek to draw people to themselves and not to Christ.
Similarly, the Jews were so infused with the idea that they alone were the chosen nation of God that they looked down upon the Gentiles as one who were under a curse. If only they had studied the scriptures diligently, casting aside all the preconceived notions they had accumulated over the centuries and allowed themselves to be led by the Spirit of God, they would have not been so misguided in their estimation of themselves or of others. The words of the covenant that God made with Abraham should have been enough to dispel all the misconceptions they had concerning God’s plan in sending His Son.
Genesis 22:18 “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
Both Jews and Gentiles will be blessed in Christ. No one will be blessed just because they are a member of a particular group or church organisation. Therefore, it makes sense that salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Paul highlights this truth to the believers in Galatia.
Galatians 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male nor female: for ye are one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s then ye are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.”
Indeed, the church of God is composed of people who hail from all walks of life, irrespective of race, culture, language and the like. Jesus also said that He would bring other sheep that were not in His fold. This fold is His church.
John 10:16 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
Jesus spoke these words to His followers who were in “His fold.” The reason that the “other sheep” were not included in this fold was because they had not yet known Him and they had not yet become His followers. Therefore, the key to be part of God’s church is to know Christ, believe in Him and surrender one’s life to him and follow Him. And how does He choose to accomplish this task? He has chosen men and women like you and I to accomplish this. Like John the Baptist, our sole mission is not to draw people to ourselves or to our group but it is to lift up Christ and draw others to Him. By so doing, we may direct the attention of the people to the lovely character of Christ and His saving grace. In relation to this, the words of Jesus Himself speak volumes of this fact when he says, “And I, if I be lifted up…, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32). Though the primary application of this verse is connected to His crucifixion, however it is also a spiritual truth that if we lift Him up, people will be drawn to Him. All self-exaltation will be lost in Christ and He would be the centre of our discourses. In light of this truth, it is certainly life eternal to know God and His Son, Jesus Christ. (John 17:3).
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