THE HEAD

John 1:24-28
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

24 Then the Pharisees who had been sent 25 asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”

26 John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”

28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.


Have you ever been asked, “Where is your church?” I have and my answer is, “My church is __________.”

Maybe it is a ‘discussion’ at business meeting about a proposed change to how something is being done. That long time member tells the new young pastor, “Things are not done like that at my church.”

The first ‘my church’ probably innocently communicates membership. The second may be trying to communicate power, position or ownership. Neither follows the John the Baptist model.

John was the older cousin. His ministry was blazing the trail. When asked about his ‘right’ to baptize, John deferred to Jesus, one not yet publically recognizable; one who is the great head of the church. “It’s not about my right to baptize, I’m not even worthy to serve as His slave.”

When asked about ‘your’ church, recognize whose church it really is. “I worship Jesus at ____________, where I serve Him as ____________”.