John 10
Read John Chapter 10 :: Here
Devotional ::
“Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” And many who were there believed in Jesus.”
John 10:39-42 NLT
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I don't know if you caught that subtle line... "John didn't perform miraculous signs". What? This was John the Baptist they were speaking of! For those of you who might not know how important this statement is, let me tell you a little bit about John.
John was a maverick. He was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. He preached to people about the coming Messiah (Jesus) and amassed a huge following of people who would come to him to be baptized. John was like the rapper that all the other rappers want to hire to be on their album. He was like the coach that all the other coaches would stop and listen to, even if they didn't agree. John was a big deal, yet, according to this scripture, didn't perform miraculous signs.
Often when we think of heroes of the Bible we picture them as larger than life. In all honesty, before reading this verse if you had asked me, "did John perform any miracles", I would have answered “I'm sure he did”. But perhaps he helped usher people into one of the greatest miracles, repentance.
John prepared the people for what Jesus was going to do in, through and around them. Repentance is the miracle that precedes the miracle of experiencing Jesus. When we repent, and turn around, not only do we see that Jesus is right there, but He will help us change. We simply must be willing to take the first step. John did his job. He pointed people to Jesus.
Reflect ::
•Take a deep look at your lifestyle. Is there anything you need to repent (turn around) from?
•Think about this: Jesus doesn't expect you to walk in repentance alone. He wants to help you.
•Ask yourself: does my life prepare the way for Jesus in the lives of the people around me?
Prayer ::
Lord, I'm sorry for when my life has been pointed in the wrong direction and for when I've tried to turn it around on my own. I know that you are here to help me. Help me to live a life that points people to you, Amen.
{Now, in your own words, spend a couple of minutes praying for God to reveal grace and truth to you. Take another minute or two to listen for what He wants to say to you, then write it down.}