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His presence was impressive;
his absence, no less.
What can we learn from the life
and the legacy of John the Baptizer?
Let’s see.
Let’s begin in John chapter 3
and read verses 27 and 28
—John 3:27, 28:
“In answer John said:
“‘A man cannot receive a single thing
“‘unless it has been given him from heaven.
“‘You yourselves bear me witness that I said,
“I am not the Christ,
but I have been sent ahead of that one.”’”
John is speaking to his disciples here,
and he makes something clear.
He makes it clear that,
as he said earlier at Luke 3:16,
he had a part to play.
He said here:
“[He] cannot receive a single thing.”
What was the thing he received?
He said: “[He had] been sent ahead.”
He had a part to play.
He was not the whole; he was a part.
And what was his part?
Well, John’s part was known from his birth.
His father was told.
It was clear that he would be the one
foretold by Isaiah,
‘the voice crying out.’
He was the one foretold by Malachi
who would be “Elijah the prophet.”
Now, someone with such an assignment,
such a part,
where would he play
the role of a great prophet?
You might think logically
that Jerusalem would be a good place.
But no.
The place for John to play his role
was in the wilderness.
He was
‘a voice crying out in the wilderness.’
John, a Nazirite,
had to resist the possibilities
that may have tempted him
and focus on the part that was given him.
He had to forgo ordinary pleasures
and ordinary indulgences of every man
in order to play his part.
Now, what was the work that John did?
John was a prophet
with no signs and no miracles.
But maybe there’s
even something more profound.
It was foretold that John
would “turn the hearts of [men] back.”
The Law was the “tutor leading to Christ.”
John’s role was, his part was,
to bring the nation back to Jehovah
to accept the Messiah.
The legacy of John the Baptist for us,
for you:
Stick to your part, stay in your place,
accept it with all your heart,
and carry it out with all your might.
Let’s look a little further here
in John chapter 3.
Notice verses 29 and 30.
Now, this is coming from his disciples
saying to him in verse 26:
“All are going to him [to Jesus].”
John’s disciples did not like
to see their master
be in second place.
But notice John the Baptizer’s response.
In verse 29, he uses the illustration:
“Whoever has the bride is the bridegroom.
“But the friend of the bridegroom,
when he stands and hears him,
“has a great deal of joy
on account of the voice of the bridegroom.
So my joy has been made complete.”
John’s joy,
his joy, was tied up in his role,
the part that he played.
It speaks to John’s tremendous humility.
There was no competition with Jesus.
Jesus’ greater role
did not diminish John’s role.
John was a man who was content with his role.
Contentment grows in the soil of humility,
and it’s nurtured by gratitude.
Learn to rejoice with others
and to rejoice for others.
Notice how he continued in verse 30:
“That one must keep on increasing,
but I must keep on decreasing.”
“Decreasing”
—John knew that his role
would have an end slowly, little by little.
His special assignment had a beginning,
and it would have an end.
Sometimes understanding that,
that all things can come to an end,
and being content
with playing a secondary role
would relieve a lot of tension in our lives.
So John knew his assignment would end.
But maybe he didn’t know
how soon it would end.
John’s assignment, his work,
climaxed with the baptism of Jesus,
and that was after about six months.
Six months later,
he was put in prison by Herod Antipas.
And that was the end.
Or was it?
Turn with me to Mark chapter 6,
Mark chapter 6, and let’s read verse 20.
This is what was said
of John the Baptizer when in prison.
Verse 20 says:
“For Herod was in fear of John,
knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
“and he was keeping him safe.
“After hearing him,
he was at a great loss as to what to do,
yet he continued to hear him gladly.”
In some way, Herod seems
to have been sympathetic toward John,
and he enjoyed hearing him.
He recognized he was not an ordinary man.
So, gladly hearing him—
What was John saying to Herod Antipas?
John would not miss an opportunity
to speak the truth.
It was not about what Herod
could do for John;
it was about what John
could do for Herod.
John is still ‘the voice in the wilderness.’
What is he doing?
He’s speaking to Herod Antipas
so that he might repent,
obtain God’s mercy,
accept the Christ, and live.
John was still
‘the voice crying out in the wilderness.’
So circumstances may change in your life.
But do not fail to speak truth,
and do not fail
to be true to your assignment.
It seems like Jesus spoke more words
(at least what is recorded in Scripture
—he spoke more words)
about John the Baptizer
after John’s ministry finished
than he did while John was with him.
But notice about a year
after his imprisonment
what Jesus said about John the Baptizer?
Matthew 11
—Matthew 11:7:
“While these were on their way,
“Jesus began to speak to the crowds
about John:
“‘What did you go out
into the wilderness to see?
A reed being tossed by the wind?’”
A reed is the most common sight
by the banks of the Jordan River.
What is Jesus saying?
John was no ordinary man.
Whomever they went out to see,
it was someone extraordinary.
People will not cross the street
for an ordinary man;
crowds flocked to the wilderness
to see John the Baptist.
That’s how extraordinary he was.
Was he “tossed by the wind”?
No.
John was firm.
He was upright.
He was stable.
But there was more.
Look at what he said in verse 11:
“Truly I say to you,
among those born of women,
there has not been raised up anyone greater
than John the Baptist.”
John’s ministry ended.
Unlike Elijah and unlike Moses,
there was no glorious end to John’s ministry.
He was executed within the year
of Jesus saying these words.
And that reminds us of an important truth.
Treasured assignments may end,
assignments that we’ve given our lives for.
And people may remember you
and speak fondly of you,
and you may never know it.
And that’s OK
because that’s not why we did it.
But it’s your legacy that speaks.
Look at one final verse.
The words of Jesus in John chapter 10.
At John 10:39,
he’s just left
because they’re looking to kill Jesus,
and he’s gone to an area.
In verse 40, it says:
‘He went away across the Jordan
to where John was baptizing.’
We remember this verse from class.
It was a special place for Jesus
that reminded him of John
and reminded him of the work he did;
it reminded him of his friend.
But look at verses 41 and 42:
“And many people came to him
and began saying:
“‘John did not perform a single sign,
“but all the things
John said about this man were true.’
And many put faith in him.”
‘The voice in the wilderness,’
the legacy of John the Baptist,
was still at work.
It was because of what John had accomplished
that they now were able
to put their faith in Christ.
So from his part, to his joy,
and even to his end,
the extraordinary life of John the Baptist
teaches us to loyally serve God
with contentment and joy
in any assignment,
however long or short
that assignment might be.
His is an example to be studied,
appreciated, imitated.
Jesus called John the Baptizer
“a burning and shining lamp.”
Lit up with holy spirit, he shone,
guiding people to the Christ
—to the glory of God.
That is the legacy
of the greatest imperfect man who ever lived.

Trent Lippold: The Greatest Imperfect Man Who Ever Lived—158th Gilead Graduation