Who's The Man? (John 1:6-13)

What does a witness do?  Bottom line is that they point to someone else, they tell someone else's story and they are not the focus of the story but rather just a conduit for the story.  In John 1:6-13 we read:

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

I have often wondered why it is that so many men of God have struggles in their walks of faith and pitfalls of their own making.  Certainly these men should have the deepest of faiths and the strongests of testimonies.  Certainly they should never screw-up or allow themselves to be tempted or placed in situations that can allow for accusation (true or false) to be made that impinge on their reputation.  Yet, somehow we see it day after day through-out Christendom.  So why is it?

I believe that there are two simple insights that can be found in this passage. First, did you notice that when Jesus came "to His own" that He was not received.  The people who should have known better, who saw the quiality of Man Jesus was through-out His life could not see Who Jesus was.  Sometimes we are so busy preaching, teaching and talking about Jesus, we forget to SEE Jesus and truly worship and focus on the Son of God "who takes away the sins of the world."

Which brings me to the second insight.  Who is the Light of the world? - JESUS!  Who is the One who makes it possible for us to become children of God? - JESUS!  Who is it about whom we testify? - JESUS!  John knew the secert; it was not about him, his gifts, his following or his authority as God's witness and messenger here on earth.  John was not "the man," Jesus was and is the Man.

One phrase that has been often quuted is the statement by the supplicant who came before Jesus and simply said; "I believe, help my unbelief."  I wonder if those of us who are called to be witness to the Light have gotten to where we believe so much in our message that we have forgotten how to believe in the Soucre and Topic of that message.  It is not about what I say or do, it is about the One who saves mankind.  It is about the One who is our Light in those dark places.  And when we begin to see ourselves instead of Him whom we serve we throw a thick blanket over that Light in the darkness.  And so what happens then, we stumble in the dark because we have lost sight of the Light.

Lord, may I never lose sight of my calling...to be a witness of the Light, and not a servant of my own self importance.  May I know You, point to You and never waver in my service to You.  Amen!