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Who is in your inner circle? There are probably just a few people in your life with which you mutually share deep confidences. For most of us, the names of those in our inner circle could probably be counted on one hand. The world we live in has billions of people, but the world in which we are genuinely comfortable narrows to a select few.  If you look at any organization, the same dynamic will typically be in play. Leaders in most organizations have people with whom they feel the greatest comfort, and most often that circle is very small. It seems to me the dynamic of an inner circle had a definite place in the relationship between Christ and the Apostles.

It is interesting that Christ’s inner circle of apostles consisted of Peter, James and John.  I am not sure why Andrew (Peter’s brother) wasn’t included in some of the critical events of Jesus’ earthly ministry, but unquestionably Peter, James and John were Christ’s inner circle. Most Christ-followers would agree, however, in my study this week I was reminded how easy it is to know their names without knowing many details of the stories. Allow me to illustrate by sharing some thoughts about one of the “Sons of Thunder” that you may have forgotten or never knew.

James was the older brother of John.  From my study, I found him to be a man of great passion and intensity. The notes in my Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT) read:

“He was ambitious, short-tempered, judgmental and deeply committed to Jesus.”

Defining James and John as the “Sons of Thunder” gives some suggestion as to their makeup.  The intensity of James and John can be seen in Luke chapter nine where the story is told of the brothers asking Jesus if he wanted them to call down fire from heaven and destroy a Samaritan village. Jesus rebuked them, but there is no doubt the “Sons of Thunder” had passion. It may be just me, but as I view the passion of James and the impulsiveness of Peter, I can visualize some animated and strong-willed discussions between the two of them also!

If someone asked you who the first apostle to be martyred was, would you know it was James? Sometimes, in reading his name so often, I forget his gruesome execution. I also find it compelling that James is the only apostle whose death was recorded in Scripture. After the resurrection of Christ, James took the lessons learned from his mentor (Jesus) and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was used in spreading the Good News of the kingdom of God.

James’ death is a picture of God’s power and control over human events. Acts 12:1-3 chronicles the event, as well as Peter’s arrest.

About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 

Continuing on in chapter twelve we see Peter miraculously released from prison. Why was Jesus’ close friend James executed, and his equally close friend Peter arrested, but then supernaturally released from prison?  That is the kind of “why” question we could ask a million times over in our lifetime. And it is one which must be answered with the same confident answer each time — God is in control and has a design for all of our lives.

Some could say, “James died too soon,” but James died and Peter lived under the will and control of God.  My feelings are that James lived a full life, and his commitment to the gospel cost him his life … for God’s glory.

James was in the ultimate inner circle. Many years after his Mentor was resurrected, the lessons learned still bore fruit. He may have been the first apostle to die, but his death counted. His mentor (Jesus) will guide you, and your life, too,…. can count!

And by the way, make sure your inner circle challenges your faith!

I would like to thank Genel for her beautiful introduction of a disciple who, until she wrote about him this past week, I knew very little of.  I would like to thank Mike for the invitation to wade into the waters myself to see Andrew from my direct observation.  I would like to thank my Creator and my God for choosing and using a man like Andrew (and countless numbers of women and men like him) to do His work … the work of the kingdom.  In Andrew, I find a sublime reminder that God opposes the proud and shows favor to the humble (from our Proverbs chapter today – Proverbs 3:34, as well as James 4:6).

In my observations this week, I was especially drawn to a way of being (a posture) which I believe was at the core of who Andrew was.  It is a truth which bore evidence in every area of his life, and which can be illustrated with a single mathematical symbol …  > (greater than).

Andrew was first in following Jesus.  He was a firstborn.  He was in Jesus’ inner circle, mentioned as half of two brother pairs who were closest to the Savior (Andrew and Peter, James and John).  Yet as first in following Jesus, so little spotlight is captured by or shone on Andrew.  He is mentioned only three times in the entirety of the New Testament, and humbly at that.  As a firstborn, he was content to exist in the immense shadow cast by his passionate and prominent brother, Peter.  And as a part of the four brothers closest to Jesus, he is never mentioned in key miraculous moments with Jesus: His Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), raising the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Mark 5:37) and the most intimate part of the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).

I know the danger in drawing conclusions about someone without personal observation (walking a mile along the road with them).  However, it seems undeniable in observing Andrew that he was genuinely humble and gladly accepted his role outside the spotlight.  He saw Jesus and spreading the gospel as far greater than himself.  He saw the genuine belief of a single heart and life as greater than any other treasure he could acquire in life.  He gave up everything to follow the man who announced Jesus to the world, and then in meeting Jesus for himself, he left without hesitation to follow Him.  The message of Jesus and Jesus himself were greater than any other purpose or possession in this life.

Andrew would meet the same fate as his Savior and his brother; he would die on a cross.  In researching this week, I found multiple sources which corroborated (although, it is important to note there is no biblical evidence) that Andrew felt undeserving of dying on the same type of cross as his Savior.  The story is told that Andrew requested the cross be different and his desire was granted (the shape of his cross resembled an “X”).  His humility was certainly moving, but as I continued on in my research, my thoughts kept returning there.  The reason why became clear as I decided on the unifying thought for this article (greater than).

I understand how this might sound, but as clarity came, a picture appeared in my mind.  It began as a large “X,” but didn’t remain long in that shape.  The “X”  began to pull apart from the middle and the distinct shapes of a greater than and less than sign emerged.  As I sat a bit longer, I began to see the truth of Andrew’s life illustrated by adding people to the spaces to the left, middle and right of those mathematical symbols.  The truth of Andrew’s life appeared like this:

Jesus  >  i  <  You

This truth reads, “Jesus is greater than i.  You are greater than i.”  The “i” which appeared in the middle was God’s gift to me personally.  For several years now, in most (if not all) of my personal writings, i choose not to follow most rules of capitalization.  Although it might seem to some as a quirk or a bit of laziness, it was an intention choice which centered on a single letter … the letter “i.”  The intentional choice speaks the truth of the way i wish to live my life … as a small “i”.  I wish to see Jesus, and every other human life God intersects with mine, as greater than myself.  In meeting Andrew (for what seems like the first time) this week, the truth of his life immediately and deeply resonated with my desire for my own.  Although my life too often falls short (I wonder if Andrew would also be quick to admit the same), this is who i want to be.

What about you?  Will you, like Andrew, choose to live a small “i” life so that Jesus becomes greater? (John 3:30)  Will you consider others > yourself? (Philippians 2:3)

He was the first apostle called by Christ.  He was part of Christ’s “inner circle.”  He was a fisherman; in fact, he was probably life-long friends with two other fishermen by the names of James and John.  And he had a brother named … Peter.

Andrew was content to take on a supporting role (behind his extroverted brother), but he is a great example of personal, one-on-one ministry and the effectiveness of that approach.

Andrew was already a devout follower of John the Baptist.  In fact, he and young John (also a future apostle) were there the day Jesus walked by and John the Baptist proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”  They immediately left John and began to follow Jesus.

Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?”  Jesus answered, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon.
John 1:38-39

After that encounter, Andrew went directly to find his brother Simon (Peter).

He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is translated Christ).  Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
John 1:41-42

When something exciting happens during the day for you, who do you look forward to telling?  Do you pick up the phone right away and call them?  Or can you hardly wait to get home to tell them in person?  I find it very telling that Andrew went immediately to get Simon to tell him they found the long-awaited Messiah, and then took him to meet Jesus.  This is the first account in Scripture which tells us how Andrew operated.

He never preached to a crowd of thousands like his brother.  He never wrote a book of the Bible.  He never founded a church.  In fact, his name is never mentioned in the book of Acts, which documents so many evangelistic activities of the apostles.

Andrew’s gift, his bent, his effective comfort zone, was one-on-one, and we see that clearly in his running to Peter that very day to tell him, “I found the Messiah!”

At the feeding of the five thousand, Andrew was the one who brought the small lad with the 5 loaves and 2 fishes to Jesus.  When a group of Greeks (Gentiles!!) dared to ask Philip if they could meet Jesus, Philip asked Andrew to take them.  He seemed to see the value of the individual and recognize the importance of evangelism on a very personal level.

Andrew is mentioned 9 times in the New Testament.  Although he was not as prominent as his brother Peter, Scripture does indicate that he effectively brought many to Christ – probably one at a time! He was satisfied in the supporting role of quietly laboring for Christ.

Andrew died the way he lived.  He led the wife of the Roman provincial governor to Christ, which ultimately cost him his earthly life.  The governor was furious at the news and ordered his wife to recant her faith.  When she refused, he murdered Andrew in retaliation.  He was crucified in southern Greece near Athens.  By order of the governor, Andrew was lashed with ropes to a cross (lengthening the time of his suffering before death). Andrew hung on his cross for 2 days exhorting all who passed by to accept Christ – preaching to individuals to the very end.

Andrew is a role model for all the “supporting actors” (of whom I consider myself one) who will never preach on TV, write a bestselling book, establish a large church or be on the front page of a newspaper.  He lived small and witnessed “local.” He reached his world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, participating in God’s plan for reaching the world one individual life at a time.

Is Andrew’s story your story?  Will you choose for it to be?  Will you begin to live it today?

Last week had many highlights for my wife and me. We had to be at a conference in Colorado, and we were determined to climb some of those incredible mountains.  Between altitude and our present conditioning (we did prepare), we realized very quickly we were in over our heads. Throughout the week, we progressed (or attempted to). On Thursday we climbed Pike’s Peak! I will leave it to your imagination to estimate how much we climbed.  We experienced true humiliation when we moved over for the young men who were running the mountain.  We were progressing, but our weaknesses were evident throughout the week.  On a much grander scale were the weaknesses that Peter’s life demonstrated to all of us during the last week of Christ’s earthly life heading to the cross — He didn’t just fail to crest a mountain! Compare his week to the events leading up to the Cross.

A quick read of the events gives us insight into the selfless love of Christ and the struggles of His disciples. In the upper room, He washed their feet in an incredible picture of love. Later that week in a garden called Gethsemane, Christ gave us the ultimate example of doing the Father’s will. And then, for you and me, He hung on a cross and took the sins of the whole world on Himself. There is no greater love.

Contrast that love with the week Peter experienced. How could someone spend so much time with Christ and make so many blunders? When Christ washed the feet of His disciples in the upper room, Peter had a problem with it. It’s a fascinating discourse as Christ provides an amazing picture of a humble servant, and Peter objects before relenting. Wouldn’t Peter have known, or trusted that his Lord knew what He was doing?  And how about the scene at Christ’s arrest?!  Do you remember Peter’s part? With a swing of his sword, he cut off a soldier’s (Malchus’) ear, which drew a rebuke from Christ. Christ reminded Peter that the Father had prepared this cup for Him to drink. (John 18:10-11)

Continuing his not-so-stellar week, Peter fell asleep with two other disciples as Christ prayed in the garden. Obviously, Christ was not pleased that His friends failed in keeping watch.  But Peter’s ultimate failure came with his infamous denials. Christ predicted them, and Peter passionately responded, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Matt. 26:35). We all know what happened! I can only imagine that for the rest of Peter’s life, he contemplated how it all could have gone so wrong.

Can you imagine a worse week?!  I can!  Not because I have had one, but because as terrible as it may have gone for Peter, for Jesus it was infinitely worse. Gethsemane alone was wrenching, but the cross was beyond brutal.  The cross, the place where He bore the sins of all for all of time, was crucified, and paid the price for us with the shedding of His blood.  But after all His suffering and ultimate sacrifice, the sun broke on the morning of the first day of the next week and we find an empty tomb!  Christ had risen!

Just as salvation’s story did not end at the cross, Peter’s didn’t either.  Further study shows that our risen Savior restored Peter (note our last article), and he was used dramatically in God’s continuing work.  Peter, the impulsive failure became Peter who preached at Pentecost and about three thousand people were saved.  This brash failure honored God and ultimately wrote the wonderful books of I and II Peter.  Oh, what love! Oh, what a Savior! Oh, what grace!  If we only look at Peter’s failures, we miss what God ultimately did with his life.

My wife and I may never crest Pike’s Peak.  We may be too old, too weak and too out of shape (although we are improving).  But I trust we will die climbing whatever mountains of life the Lord has for us.  Peter’s remarkable story shows what the power of the risen Savior can do. He still had weaknesses and failed, but his life was dramatically used in the gospel story.  Maybe it is time for you and me to stop focusing on our failures and weaknesses and fulfill our God-given design. Peter’s story can be our story!

KEEP CLIMBING!

As I suggested in the previous post, there is likely no single character in the Bible who people can more deeply relate with than Peter.  Peter was a glorious mess.  In his sold-out self, he was everything we desire to be in following Jesus.  In his broken self, he was everything we can immediately relate with.  In his most visible failure we see every well-meaning, yet broken promise we’ve ever made to God.  “Even if all fall away, I will not,” Peter said. (Mark 14:29)  In the very next verse, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”  I can feel the immense weight of those moments and words with every fiber of my being.

As darkness blankets Golgotha, the curtain in the temple tears in two, the earth violently rumbles and shakes, and the last breath leaves the lips of our Savior, we expect it to be as He shouted … It is finished!  Jesus took the incalculable weight of the sins of all for all time on His own body and died as their only ransom.  Sin’s power and Peter’s wretched denial – they are over, it is finished.

Yet this is nowhere near the end of Peter’s, Jesus’ or our story.  Jesus died and was buried, yes, but He rose again, and He lives!!  In His rising, Jesus broke the power of death.  In His rising, He completed the work of redemption and its glorious gift of life.  In His rising, He erased the period at the end of Peter’s story.  Peter denied, the rooster crowed, and Satan began the work of locking Peter up in the prison of that single sin.  But there was more story to be written, and very soon the angels would begin it again as they announced Jesus’ resurrection to the women who had gathered at His tomb.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
Mark 16:6-7

Whom should they tell?  “… go, tell his disciples and Peter.”  In the immediate aftermath of Peter’s denial, God began the work of pursuing and restoring him.  It is no random detail or flippant mention, it was an intentional and purposeful step in Peter’s direction.  But God wasn’t finished yet.  Jesus appears to His disciples several times after His resurrection and before He ascended into heaven.  On one of those occasions, He specifically turned to Peter and asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter quickly answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  Jesus asked again, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter answered once again with the same words.  Then Jesus asks a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  This time Peter seems a bit injured, but answers “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” (Conversation from John 21:15-17)

Was Jesus looking to make sure Peter loved Him?  Was His deliberate repeat an attempt to make an example of Him?  I am certain Jesus did not need assurance, but I do believe an example was part of the point.  An intentional and meaningful statement to Peter and an example to us all.  Jesus sees through to the very heart of Peter and knows the hole which remains from his devastating denial.  With the very same question asked intentionally three times, Jesus heals the hole, restores Peter and invites him to “follow me!”  A broken servant, a healing Savior … what a perfect picture of who we are and who He is.

For me, there is no more enduring story when I think on the person of Peter.  Whenever I recall it, the countless instances of God’s forgiveness and restoration in my own life are replayed.  I am reminded of how deeply He loves me (and you).  Praise God that Peter’s story is also my own.  May we never forget how beautifully and bountifully Jesus loves, forgives, grants grace and restores.  He leaves the 99 to go searching for the one who is lost.  He sees the holes which need healing.  He knows us and calls us by name.

I was a bit confused as I opened an email from Genel this past Wednesday evening.  The email had an article attached which seemed clear was intended to be published on the Journey site later that evening.  I say I was confused, because I was certain I was supposed to write on that particular day.

Assuming that I had read the schedule wrong (which I would later confirm), I opened the article she and Mike had collaborated on and began to read before publishing.  The first couple of sentences suggested that we had not duplicated topics, but as the opening paragraph closed, I couldn’t help but notice of a hint of resonance with what I had written earlier in the day.  As I reached the end of the article, the resonance was deafening.  If I had not chosen to add this opening paragraph, you might have read my post this coming Monday and rightly charged me with plagiarism, or at least deemed me a copycat in my concluding emphasis.  What I can confidently say is both articles were written completely independently, yet amount to a sacred echo when considered together.  It has been my experience that such sacred echoes are God’s attempt to get our attention.  He certainly has mine.  Whether it was intended for just me, just you, or all of us, here goes …

In the moments after receiving the invitation to write on the apostle Peter, my mind began racing in a hundred different directions.  There is SO much which could be said about Peter – SO much resonance in the stories of his life and our own.  Could there be any easier character to communicate to you in a way which would find immediate application in your life?  As I continued to consider the myriad of choices sitting at the very tips of my fingers, a new thought was born.  In reading the Bible, there is a subtle temptation which lurks.  That temptation is an arrow in the quiver of the evil one and I would gather it has been used countless times to take a genuine follower of Jesus out of the battle, at least for a while.  When this arrow pierces flesh it desires to inflict one of two primary wounds.  The first is to suggest you should be more like that character and the last is to suggest you’ll never be.

I remember traversing that very territory in the days and weeks after the death of both my grandfathers.  They each had unique strengths and I found myself wanting to become more like them.  Grandpa Robb was a brilliant preacher/teacher and had an unparalleled gift for communicating on a very intentional and personal level.  Standing in the receiving line at his viewing, I cannot tell you the countless number of times my father, uncle or I heard, “Your father/grandfather sent me a postcard/letter/note every week!” I personally received a piece of mail every single week the four years I attended college, and my father once told me that Grandpa Robb sent a handwritten letter to his and my grandmother’s parents every single week they were alive.  I was so amazed and inspired, and thought, “I want to be like Grandpa Robb.”  I experienced the same desire at the loss of my Grandfather Griffis.  There was no warmer, more courageous or more generous man than my Grandpa Griffis.  As a boy he went to work with his uncle cutting and delivery blocks of ice from their family pond to support his family after his father passed away.  He also used to stick his hands down rattlesnake holes to grab them, and milk their venom to sell to the local druggist (absolutely true story!).  He was an abundantly generous man both inside and outside his family.  Although, the only ones who knew it were those he directly helped.  He selflessly sat by my Grandmother Griffis’ side from nearly sunrise to the close of visiting hours the last few years of her life as she laid in a nursing home.  The last months to almost a year of which she didn’t know his name.  Her mind and memories had been stolen by Alzheimer’s, yet he sat and held her hand and fed her until her final day.  To this day I remember the look on both of their faces as my grandmother would catch my grandfather staring into her face and smile back.  From the moment I was old enough to really see it for what it was, it has forever since been the purest illustration of true love I have ever experienced.  As I reflected on my Grandpa Griffis after he passed away, I remember thinking, “I want to live and love like Grandpa Griffis.

Moses, Abraham, Sarah, Joshua, Esther, Daniel, Peter … Grandpa Robb and Grandpa Griffis.  Men and women whose lives and stories glorify the God they loved so deeply.  But should the desire of our hearts be to be like them?  I am confident they would all answer, “No.”  I can hear them all say, “Be like Him!  Be like Jesus! That was what I was trying to do.”  The absolute truth is we are all created for a unique purpose.  I believe God would say the world, and His plan for it, is incomplete without you.  It is incomplete with you striving to be a likeness of someone else.  To know Him … that is the real and eternal life (John 17:3).  To be like Him … that should be our heart’s true desire.

As we continue to tell the stories of the ancient’s, let them encourage, comfort and inspire you.  Let them resonate the truth that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).  Let them be beautiful illustrations of how God loves, forgives, shows mercy, gives grace, heals the brokenhearted and chooses common, imperfect people to accomplish His purposes.  But … please do not desire to be like them.  Be the you who was in the mind’s eye of the Most High God before the foundation of the world (Psalm 139:13-15).

Be you, becoming more like Him.

Over the next several weeks, we at Journey onWord are going to teach on the lives of the men who walked closely with Jesus… The Apostles!  We begin today with an introduction. Our hope is that in viewing their lives, you will be amazed at God’s powerful working in them and be convinced that He can use you to change your world. Their stories relate to our stories.

Jesus has always been a controversial figure – he still is in some circles.  From the very beginning of His earthly ministry, He stirred up strong feelings from many different groups.  The first public speaking He did in the synagogue, the crowd conspired to take him out and kill him!  But He continued to gain great popularity with the people of Galilee.  Huge crowds followed Him, so huge that one day he took refuge from the crowds and spoke from a fishing boat just off shore … that boat belonged to a man named Simon — Simon PETER.  And so began his journey with … The Twelve … 12 men.  Jesus could have used the angels, the military, a mob force, anything He wanted to spread His message.  But His focus was specific and He used 12 men under the power of the Holy Spirit as powerful conduits carrying the Gospel throughout the world.

The Twelve could not have known this at first, but they were called to four responsibilities, (as put forth by John McArthur is his book, Twelve Ordinary Men.)

First – – SALVATION

John 1:35-37
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”  When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

Second – – MINISTRY

Jesus had taken several of the men to fish – in the wrong location, according to Peter. But the amount of fish in that single catch almost sunk the boat!  It was then when Jesus gave the men a new commission:

Luke 5:10-11
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Third – – APOSTLESHIP

Mark 3:13-14
Jesus went up on a mountainside. He called for certain people to come to him, and they came. He appointed 12 of them and called them apostles. From that time on they would be with him. He would also send them out to preach.

After this, The Twelve embarked on several evangelistic trips, remaining with Jesus upon their return for the rest of His time on Earth.

Last – – MARTYRDOM 

This took place after Christ’s resurrection, of course.  Aside from Judas’ suicide, all but one was murdered.

These twelve common men fulfilled their purpose and changed the world.  Against all odds, they took the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every corner of the earth.

So I got to thinking about OUR purpose.  What have we been called to?  Certainly we have been called to SALVATION … have you accepted Christ’s free gift?

Christ-followers have also been called to MINISTRY.  Sure, we most likely won’t be traveling the world preaching, but we can change our “world.”  Sometimes the daily routine with all of life’s travails can wear me down, but what has given me comfort in these difficulties is that I know I am exactly where the Lord wants me to be at this time.  And in that confidence, I continue to strive to have the ministry God wants me to have at that place, at this time.

Twelve ordinary men with ordinary jobs going to work each day to support their ordinary families.  Wait a minute … that sounds very familiar!  Similar lives, but different …

Are you willing to answer the call? Let’s see how their story relates to ours!

We are all guilty! Guilty of the comparison game, which at its core, drives us with a desire to feel good about ourselves … often at the expense of others.  We can all deny it, but there is something within us which craves the spotlight. I could name a myriad of scenarios where our desire to be first or a need to be recognized as the best somehow rises to the top of our emotional wish list. It is natural, and can even be healthy, to strive to be the best and rise above in our professional and personal lives.  The problem is almost always with our motives. I will use an example from my own life to illustrate. There is no question I want to be the best, and a leader with my company.  My struggle is when that desire feeds my need to feel good about me, and not about shining the spotlight on my Savior.  A verse (John 3:30) from my distant past gives clarity to how I (and you) should let every part of our lives be motivated.

He must increase, but I must decrease. (KJV)

John the Baptist had the credentials to be a “look at me and what I’ve accomplished” kind of guy. After all, he was:

• a relative of Jesus Christ
• baptized the Savior
• the one chosen to “prepare the way for the coming Messiah.”

In the feel-good-about-myself world we live in today, it is refreshing to see how John the Baptist responded when there was a chance to play the comparison game with Jesus.  In writing about the characters of Scripture this year, we have chosen the phrase “their story is our story” as our mantra. Living with the humility John the Baptist showed in John chapter three should be the story to live by for all Christ-followers.  No matter how big the temptation is to shine the spotlight on ourselves, Christ-followers have the capacity to shine the spotlight on our Savior.  The question is, “will we?”

John the Baptist’s ministry overlapped the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. In the latter part of John chapter three, a conflict arises. Before John the Baptist was thrown into prison, he was baptizing at a place called Aenon.  John’s disciples became disturbed because people were following Jesus instead of John. Can’t you picture our modern-day comparison games? The issue at hand was over ceremonial cleansing. His disciples came to him with these words, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” If I was John the Baptist, it would have been easy to say, “Yeah! Why is everybody going to Him?!” … but not John!

He handled the situation marvelously, and shone the spotlight on the Son of God. John used a great illustration comparing Jesus as the bridegroom, and himself as the best man. Even today, a wedding is one place where a best man always defers the spotlight to the groom. After the illustration, John gives wonderful words about the Savior, which all of us should exemplify in every relationship.

Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
John 3:29b-30 (NLT)

John the Baptist displayed the humility which exalted Christ and lessened his own importance.  Shouldn’t it be the goal of all Christ-followers to naturally shine the spotlight on Christ? He must increase, but I must decrease.

I look at John the Baptist as a man who was a straight-shooter. He called people to repentance and prepared the way for the Messiah. So let me be a straight-shooter with you today. Would those around you at home, at work, and in your church say of you, “His/her life is characterized by exalting the Savior”? In essence, saying your life spoke “He must increase, but I must decrease.” If you are struggling with those words, simply bow your head and commit your walk to their meaning … I promise your life will change!

After her graduation from a music conservatory, our daughter landed a coveted position at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.  She wasn’t allowed to sing yet, but she was on the big stage and that was all that mattered.  Now, to say I don’t know much about opera is an understatement, but nothing was going to keep me from seeing my child on the stage in NYC.  One of the earliest operas I saw was entitled “Salome.”  I didn’t have any idea who Salome was or why they would write an opera about her … and was it a her? My daughter patiently explained to me that Salome was the daughter of Herodias, a woman who was out to get John the Baptist.  She used her daughter Salome to dance for King Herod, and Herod was so pleased he told her she could have anything she wanted.  Coached by her mother, the young Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist.  King Herod ordered it done.

So, as our reading takes us to passages regarding John the Baptist, I got to thinking.  If I didn’t even know who the pivotal character of Salome was, what else had I missed about this remarkable man, John the Baptist?!  Let’s take a look at some of the facts.

Did you know?

• Some scholars believe his father, Zacharias, was murdered by Herod the Great, forcing him and his mother to flee into the wilderness.  That could explain this verse in Luke 1:80 … And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel.
• His diet of locust and wild honey was typical of the poor in that Jewish society.
• He was quite a recluse, generally choosing to stay in more desolate areas.
• His influence was widespread.  The people flocked to hear him preach.  He may have baptized thousands.
• He never performed a miracle.  He just preached.
• The designation “the Baptist” has nothing to do with the modern-day denomination.
• John was a relative of Jesus Christ.
• He had a single mission: to prepare the way for Christ. On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  John  1:29
• Herod Antipas was now the ruler and he had listened to John’s preaching on more than one occasion.  He feared him; he feared his popularity so he threw him in prison.
• Herod’s wife, Herodias, hated John because he had spoken out against their “marriage;” She was actually still married to Herod’s brother.
• Herod was tricked into promising Salome anything.  He had to save face in front of all of his guests (it was his birthday party), so he ordered John beheaded.
• Although it grieved the king deeply, he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests.  So the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s head, and he went and beheaded John in prison.  He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.  When John’s disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

The life of John the Baptist (brief as it was) was pivotal to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.  His preaching paved the way for the message of salvation that Jesus would bring.  His importance to the divine plan can be best explained in the words of Jesus himself in Matthew 11:11:

I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.

His story was extraordinary, yet he could be one of those Bible characters which you just can’t relate to in your own life.  He was a bold preacher who roamed the wild and woolly wilderness, surviving on bugs and organic, locally harvested, sustainable honey.  I’m guessing that doesn’t much resemble your everyday.  But if you look more closely, you can always find resonance with our shared human experience.  Knowing the Bible and its characters more deeply speaks into our right-now joys and struggles.  It leads to knowing God more, and in the words of “the other John,” that is “the real and eternal life.” (John 17:3 MSG)

I had a moment!  At one time or another, all of us have had a moment. Some of those epic times have been great and life changing, while others have been disappointing with negative consequences. On June 12^th of this year, I had a good moment.

My daughter Lindsay and I were doing some climbing in the Angeles National Forest in California.  On the way to our entry point, we missed the exit, eventually traveling one of those nightmarish winding roads that took us up to 5,000 feet above sea level (I hate heights!).  Upon arriving at the top, we took some time to look around.  It was then when I noticed a scene that will live with me for the rest of my life.

In viewing the horizon, I was stunned by the fact I was looking down on the top of a majestic sea of clouds; we had actually climbed above them!  The stunning view reminds me (even today) of God’s creation — His power to create the clouds in all their beauty — and the fact that He is God and I can trust Him! What a moment!

A friend from Scripture also had a moment.  He was a priest, a godly man and the father of none other than John the Baptist. Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth were quite old when we meet them in Luke chapter one … and they were childless (reminds me of Abraham and Sarai).   On one particular day, Zechariah is performing his priestly duty of offering incense in the holy place. What is particularly interesting is that a priest was permitted to do this only once in a lifetime.  This day was without question one of the high points of Zachariah’s priestly career. And on this particular day, he had a moment. I am tempted to say it was a moment of far greater significance than you or I could ever experience. Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to him on the right side of the altar. It is not surprising that this encounter created a sense of fear in Zechariah.  In reading, imagine for just a moment how Zechariah must have felt.

 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.  And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.  He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
Luke 1:12-17

This older godly man is confronted by an angel and told that God has heard his prayer. He and Elizabeth will have a son! His name will be John (John the Baptist). What an encounter! What a moment!  And Zechariah responded with doubt. Verse eighteen tells us:

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.

Instead of looking with faith, Zechariah looked at himself and Elizabeth and doubted.  For his unbelief, Zechariah was unable to speak again until after the birth when Elizabeth proclaimed the child’s name to be John.  Zechariah confirmed the name on a tablet, and God loosed his tongue so he could speak again. Scripture says that he began praising God.

We don’t read a lot about Zechariah in Scripture, but he was a godly and significant man.  He was a chosen priest and the father of John the Baptist who prepared the way for the Savior.  He had a moment … and I can imagine a fair amount of regret from how he responded.  His story resonates with me. He prayed then doubted to the point of unbelief, but a gracious God gave him and Elizabeth a child.  There were consequences for his unbelief, but God freed Zechariah’s tongue and he prophesied of the coming of a Savior (Luke 1:67-80).

Zechariah’s moment wasn’t the end of his story. I am so glad that when God gives me moments and I struggle with doubt, He is gracious to forgive. I will always be reminded, when tempted to doubt, that God created the clouds I looked down on and the angel which Zechariah encountered.  I will remember, and be grateful for, the grace He showed Zechariah and constantly shows me.  What a couple of moments!

What about your moments?