John the Baptist

John 3:22 "After these things, Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He spent some time with them and baptized."
John 3:23 "And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were baptized;"
John 3:24 "For John had not yet been thrown into prison."

In the beginning, John was baptizing people in order to prepare the way for Jesus. After Jesus came out to minister, John should have ceased his work and followed Jesus. However, it was not so. These verses tell us that both Jesus and John were baptizing people at the same time.

What is wrong with John? It is not because he continued to baptize people, but because he has lost his mission from God. When John baptized people in the beginning, his mission from God was very clear. That is, he baptized people for the sake of Jesus, so that people might repent and turn to Jesus as their Lord. However, John continued to baptize people even after Jesus came out to minister. He is now baptizing people in Aenon not because of the mission he received from God, but because there is much water there. (3:23) What dose it mean? It means John still had his work for God, but his mission and charge from God was gone. In other words, John's work remained, but his mission has lost.

This is very serious. That is why verse 24 says, "For John had not yet been thrown into prison." According to the Bible, John was eventually thrown into the prison and killed because of the evil political issues. On one hand, we have compassion upon John; but on the other hand, John's death gives us a warning. If we serve God without a clear mission, we will not be useful in God's hands.

Sooner or later we have to ask God a question, "What is my mission to live on the earth?" We were not called nor saved by God in vain. Every Christian must have a mission form God, and he should be very clear about it. As we grow more and more in life, God will let us know what He wants us to do on the earth for His purpose to be fulfilled.

Let's tell the Lord, "Dear Lord, may you show me Your will upon me, so that my Christian life might be full of meaning. Lord, I would like to know the charge and mission you have given to me. Lord, I hope my life could be according to your eternal plan, and not according to my will. Amen."

Brother Giming