Having been a paralegal for trial attorneys for many years, I know how to prepare people to testify. Appearing in court can be a daunting experience, and we always wanted to help our witnesses feel ready. A good testimony is when the witness professes what he or she knows to be the truth based on an eyewitness account. In general, facts are what you’re looking for, not opinions or feelings. Of course, a line of questioning could take a more personal slant in some cases, invoking emotion, but sticking to the facts makes for good witness testimony.
Here we have John, a voice in the wilderness, as he quotes Isaiah the prophet. John was proclaiming to the people about Jesus, prophesying in his own time, alerting them to someone they would soon meet. John had been given the assignment from God to be the messenger to announce Jesus’ coming. This, of course, was many years after the birth of Jesus.
John listened to the questions he was being asked by the Jewish priests and officials. He must have been making quite a stir in his preaching to have caused them to come to check him out. He answered them directly and without much fluff. That’s how we would also direct our witnesses. Don’t give more information than what is asked for.
The officials want to know why John thinks he has the authority to baptize. I wasn’t sure what that meant, because I didn’t know Jewish tradition included baptism. Quite frankly, I thought it was something John started. The word baptism means to immerse in water. Baptism is a sacrament in my religious tradition, but at the time John was doing it, there were certain instances when people needed to be cleansed by water immersion. From what I understand, it wasn’t necessarily done by just “anybody.”
When I think of my own faith and what I’m doing to share about Jesus, I wonder if I would ruffle some feathers? I do want to have the boldness of John and his clarity of purpose. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he wasn’t going to let any peer pressure or any questioning authority slow him down.
How about you? If questioned about your mission for God would you stand strong and not falter? What is your personal testimony about how Jesus has changed your life or made an impact on you? Think about the testimony you’d give as a bold and faithful witness.
Let’s pray. Lord, I thank you that you have me securely in your hands. I can be bold in professing my faith and know you have my back. Help me to see the opportunities you open to me to share about you and your love. There are too many people that just don’t realize the depth of your love for them. May I be a voice in the wilderness, too. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
