Will a Faithful “John” Please Come Forward? St. John 1:6-9

Beginning with St. John 1:6, we come to a rather sudden change from the “Word” (Christ) to John the Baptist, a great forerunner of Christ.  Webster defines a forerunner as a messenger sent before or going before; herald.  John came as a witness of “the light.”  Every man or woman can know about the infinite saving grace of God if only the believers would faithfully proclaim.  John came on the scene in a world filled with darkness (1:5); yet he remained undaunted in his proclamation of the person of Christ.  John’s primary mission was to bear witness of “the light”.  His ministry was so vital because men needed to be told that “light” has invaded their midst.  Why do we need the faithful John’s of our day?  It is simply because men are in abject darkness; simply put, they are born in spiritual darkness, and many are repelling the message of the saving grace of God.  The word informs us of the spiritual state at birth of all men, for Ephesians 2:1, says:  “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sin.”

Focusing further on verse 6, John’s coming indicated the pathetic and pitiful spiritual climate of the hearts of men; hearts filled with darkness.  John had to faithfully tell them that “light” has come in to the world.  John had to be sent because as verse 5 states:  “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”  John indeed acted as a herald to prepare others for the coming of the “light”.  He came as a witness (7); and a witness only testifies to that which he knows to be facts.  He did not come to draw attention to himself, but rather, to “the light”.  In verse 8, the Apostle John makes known that John was not “the light,” but rather, witnessed of  “the light”.

John was only God’s special representative sent to tell forth the person of God.  As I close this article, verse 9 is a very interesting verse, one that evokes me to say – “that every man born into this world has some measure of light; that is, reason and conscience.  As such, every man is held accountable for the light that he has.  John came to bear witness of “the light” so that men might be exposed to “the light”.  As the Johns of our day are presenting the truth, it is my prayer that the Holy Spirit would really convict unsaved people’s hearts and brings them to a knowledge of Him that saves.  It is earnestly my prayer that unsaved people be “delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of Christ.” (Colossians 1:13).  Will the faithful Johns of our day, please come forth!