John the baptist was a great guy; the greatest born of woman according to the Man Himself. (Matthew 11:11 ). But what made John so great? I know there’s many levels that could be looked at here, but I’m going to hone in on one facet of John that I’d never really noticed before.
It’s found in his famous title, “The Baptist”. I guess he was the original “baptist”… a humorous look at the baptist denomination of Christianity. He was called the baptist not out of religious tradition, but by virtue of his work. Simply put, he baptized folks.
Luke 3:3
“And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
What John did, through his message of repentance and baptism, was introduce something to the world that came straight from the Father heart of God. Think about it: this had never been done before. It was not a tradition passed down from generations gone by. This was fresh out of heaven, and shows us how hooked up John really was!
You don’t get a fresh glimpse into the heart of God if you’re not seeking Him. He shares His secrets and mysteries with those He knows. John the baptist had the kind of relationship with God that it takes. That’s what made him so great, and it stands as an encouragement to all of us in the Kingdom of God to be great too!
Go ahead and press in friend! There’s nothing stopping the heart of God from being revealed to you today, and when you do what He shows you – that’s true greatness!