The Rugged Individualism of a Certain Man
J. Gerald Harris
John 1:6-8, 19-29
I want you to see the rugged individualism of this man. He was the Rambo of the New Testament. You could drop him behind enemy lines and he could survive. In fact, in Matthew 3 we are told that he lived in the wilderness. He clothed himself in camel's hair and he ate locusts and wild honey. He was a man's man. If they had had the ''Survivor'' television series in the first century, John the Baptist would have won it every time.
Now, John the Baptist is probably the least known important man in the Bible. Folks today believe that he was the writer of the fourth Gospel or the starter of the Baptist denomination or both of them. But in his day nobody was better known than John the Baptist. He burst onto the Bible scene like a brilliant flash of light and quickly burned himself out, but he did so in great glory.
And Jesus had a great opinion of John the Baptist. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever wondered who is the greatest preacher in the world? Jesus, on one occasion, passed His divine judgment and He named John the Baptist. This is what he said, ''For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he'' (Luke 7:28).
Why would Jesus call John the greatest? One might think it might be Moses or Elijah or Elisha, but why John? Was it for some great miracle he had done? No, for John did no miracles. He healed no sick; raised no dead; fed no hungry crowd. He did not walk on water; did not cast out demons, and yet Jesus said he is the greatest. Let's look at some of the reasons John was great in the sight of Jesus.
I. JOHN WAS GREAT BECAUSE HE WAS SENT
Look in verse 6 of our text. It says, ''There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.'' The word ''sent'' means ''to be commissioned for a special task or mission.''
And do you remember what Jesus ...
J. Gerald Harris
John 1:6-8, 19-29
I want you to see the rugged individualism of this man. He was the Rambo of the New Testament. You could drop him behind enemy lines and he could survive. In fact, in Matthew 3 we are told that he lived in the wilderness. He clothed himself in camel's hair and he ate locusts and wild honey. He was a man's man. If they had had the ''Survivor'' television series in the first century, John the Baptist would have won it every time.
Now, John the Baptist is probably the least known important man in the Bible. Folks today believe that he was the writer of the fourth Gospel or the starter of the Baptist denomination or both of them. But in his day nobody was better known than John the Baptist. He burst onto the Bible scene like a brilliant flash of light and quickly burned himself out, but he did so in great glory.
And Jesus had a great opinion of John the Baptist. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever wondered who is the greatest preacher in the world? Jesus, on one occasion, passed His divine judgment and He named John the Baptist. This is what he said, ''For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he'' (Luke 7:28).
Why would Jesus call John the greatest? One might think it might be Moses or Elijah or Elisha, but why John? Was it for some great miracle he had done? No, for John did no miracles. He healed no sick; raised no dead; fed no hungry crowd. He did not walk on water; did not cast out demons, and yet Jesus said he is the greatest. Let's look at some of the reasons John was great in the sight of Jesus.
I. JOHN WAS GREAT BECAUSE HE WAS SENT
Look in verse 6 of our text. It says, ''There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.'' The word ''sent'' means ''to be commissioned for a special task or mission.''
And do you remember what Jesus ...
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