Understanding the Divine Assignment of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
At some point in our lives, many of us have sat on the other side of the table during a job interview. But before the interview comes the preparation of a résumé or CV.
A résumé communicates who we are, what we can do, what we have accomplished, and the value we are expected to bring to an organization. In essence, it presents our capabilities, responsibilities, and purpose.
In a similar way, I want us to consider two biblical figures through the lens of their divine assignments: John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
My purpose is to remind us that God’s plan and purpose for our lives may be different from what we have imagined or what we have allowed others to define for us.
1. JOHN THE BAPTIST
Prophetic Messenger | Forerunner of the Lord
Professional Summary: A man appointed by God to prepare people for the coming of the Lord by calling them to repentance and turning their hearts back to God.
Key Responsibilities/Skills:
* I prepare the way for the Lord.
* I call people to repentance and righteous living.
* I restore hearts and prepare people to receive the Messiah.
* I ministered in the spirit and power of Elijah.
Location:
Wilderness, and River Jordan
Project: I prepare people ready to receive the Lord.
2. JESUS CHRIST
Messiah | Saviour of the World | King of Kings
Professional Summary:
The Son of God, sent to save humanity from sin, reveal the Father, establish God’s Kingdom, and reconcile humanity to God through His death and resurrection.
Key Responsibilities and Accomplishments:
* Save people from their sins — Matthew 1:21.
* I came to seek and save the lost — Luke 19:10.
* I bring salvation to the world — John 3:17.
* I destroy the works of the devil — 1 John 3:8.
* I secure redemption through the sacrifice — Isaiah 53:5.
* I overcome death through resurrection — 1 Corinthians 15:3–4.
Mission Statement:
I came to accomplish the Father’s redemptive plan and bring salvation to humanity.
References:
God the Father
Holy Spirit
John The Baptist
HOW DID JOHN INTRODUCE JESUS?
If Jesus was to look for job with this resume, John the Baptist would be one of his references to be reach out to and verify who Jesus is.
Now, let us consider one of the most remarkable moments from Jesus’ reference: John the Baptist.
John 1:29 (KJV) says:
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Think about John’s introduction.
He did not introduce Jesus by saying, “Behold the miracle worker.”
He did not say, “Behold the healer.”
He did not say, “Behold the great teacher.”
Instead, he declared:
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Why?
Because John was pointing people to the very purpose for which Jesus had come. He was identifying Jesus by His redemptive assignment.
The Lamb of God was not merely coming to tell people about sin. He came to accomplish the work of redemption that would deal with sin.
John’s message was not simply that a new religious leader had arrived. His announcement pointed to the One who would bear away the sin of the world.
This is the foundation of the message we must understand if we are to appreciate what Christ accomplished.
WHERE DID WE LOSE THE MESSAGE?
Here is the question I want us to consider:
How did we get to a place where we sometimes speak as though Christ’s redemptive work has not been accomplished?
If Jesus came to save His people from their sins, why do we sometimes present the believer’s relationship with God as though Christ has left the problem of sin unresolved?
If John introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, why has so much of our conversation about Christianity become centered on the believer’s continuing identity as a sinner rather than on the redemption Christ accomplished?
If Christ has dealt with our sins, why do we sometimes speak as though He will bring back the very thing He came to take away?
These are questions about whether we fully understand and communicate the accomplishment of Christ’s redemptive work.
We must distinguish between what Christ has accomplished for us and how we are called to live in response to that accomplishment.
Romans 6:11 (KJV) says:
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
And Romans 6:14 declares:
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
The message of grace is not permission to continue in sin. It is the announcement of what God has accomplished through Christ and the new life into which believers have been called.
THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN—BUT HAS IT BEEN PRESERVED?
Imagine a line of people playing a game in which a message is whispered from one person to the next.
The first person receives the original message and passes it along. Each person is expected to communicate exactly what they heard.
However, by the time the message reaches the last person, it may have changed so significantly that it no longer resembles the original. This was not intentional; it just happened by the way individual understood what was given to them.
What was clear at the beginning becomes distorted along the way. If we want to know the original message, we must return to the source.
Could something similar have happened to the message of Christ?
Over time, traditions, assumptions, personal interpretations, and religious practices must have influence how the Gospel is communicated. In some cases, the emphasis may shift away from what Christ has accomplished and toward what people must continually do to secure what they believe is still missing. The religion un-intentionally has presented grace and what Christ had achieved and accomplished to us in different way as though there is more, we need to do to acquire what has been freely given to us, to the extent that many now thought they needed someone to talk to God for us.
This is why we must return to the Scriptures.
We must not accept a teaching merely because it is familiar, popular, or repeatedly preached. We must examine it in the light of God’s Word.
The Bereans provide an excellent example. Acts 17:11 describes them as people who received the message eagerly and searched the Scriptures daily to determine whether what they heard was true.
Our responsibility is not merely to repeat what we have heard. It is to know what God has said.
RETURN TO THE WORD AND DISCOVER YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST
My encouragement to you is simple: return to the Word of God.
Read the Scriptures for yourself. Study the finished work of Christ. Pray, and cultivate your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Allow the Word to shape your understanding of salvation, righteousness, forgiveness, and your identity in Christ.
Do not build your understanding of God solely on what someone else has told you. Test what you hear against Scripture.
Consider these passages:
* 2 Corinthians 5:17 — If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
* Romans 8:1 — There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
* Ephesians 1:7 — In Christ, we have redemption through His blood and forgiveness of sins.
* Hebrews 10:17 — God declares that He will remember sins and iniquities no more.
* Colossians 1:13–14 — God has delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His Son, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness.
These Scriptures invite us to understand the reality of redemption and the new identity believers have received in Christ.
If you have received Christ, do not allow condemnation to define your identity. You have been called to live in the reality of what He has accomplished, walking in faith, holiness, and the newness of life.
You are not defined by your former life. Your identity is now found in Christ.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THIS GIFT?
Perhaps you have not yet believed in Jesus Christ and received the life He offers.
The invitation remains open.
John 3:16 (KJV) says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Through Him, we are offered forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and everlasting life.
You do not have to earn this gift through your own righteousness. Receive what God has provided through His Son and begin a new life in Him.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Receive His gift of salvation. Learn His Word, grow in grace, and walk in the life He has made available to you.
If you need assistance understanding this new reality in Christ, you can also reach out to GSWMI Ministry for further guidance.
CONCLUSION: LET US RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE
John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Lord. Jesus Christ came to accomplish the Father’s redemptive plan.
John called people to repentance in preparation for the coming Kingdom. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, deal with sin, destroy the works of the devil, and bring people into reconciliation with God.
John’s declaration remains powerful:
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” — John 1:29 (KJV)
The question is whether we have truly understood the significance of that announcement.
Have we preserved the message of Christ, or have we allowed other emphases to overshadow His redemptive work?
Let us return to Scripture. Let us rediscover what Christ accomplished. And let us communicate the Gospel faithfully.
Let us return to the Word of God, understand His finished work, and live in the reality of the salvation He has provided.