We see from the third chapter of the Gospel of Luke that John the Baptist was very clear about his identity—who he was and who he was not.  Verse 15 says that “a feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to wonder whether John might be the Christ.”  He declared, “I baptize you with water, but someone is coming, who is more powerful than I, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).  

When asked “who are you,” in John 1:19-20, John the Baptist responded, “I am not the Christ.”  Again, in John 3:28, he reminded the people, “you yourselves can bear me out.  I said, I am not the Christ.”  

Being clear in his identity, John was also clear in his mission—to prepare a way for the Lord (Luke 3:4; John 1:23).  “He was not the light; he was to bear witness to the light” (John 1:8).  He said, my purpose in coming to baptize with water was so that the Lord might be revealed; “I have seen, and I testify that he is the Chosen One of God” (John 1:31, 34). 

We too are called to witness Christ to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), proclaiming the Good News to the whole world (Matthew 24:14).  Jesus said, “you are light for the world . . . your light must shine in people’s sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16).  We can be this light for the world only because Jesus is the light of the world; anyone who follows him will have the light of life (John 8:12).  

John was able to fulfill the mission entrusted to him because of his humility.  The eyes of the Lord are drawn to the person of humble and contrite spirit (Isaiah 66:2).  He resisted the temptation to become prideful when people began to wonder whether he might be the Christ.  Instead, filled with the Holy Spirit, he proclaimed, Jesus “must grow greater; I must grow less” (John 3:30).  

In our lives, too, Jesus must increase, and we must decrease.  In Bethlehem, there was no room for Jesus except in the manger (Luke 2:7).  Our hearts and lives also can be filled with many things, leaving little room for Jesus.  But we should not put anything before our Lord.  Jesus said, “if anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

As with the Samaritan woman at the well, the Lord is calling us to bring to him what stands between him and us (John 4:16), or like the blind man named Bartimaeus, to throw off what holds us back (Mark 10:50).  These may be fears, sin, idols, bondages, or otherwise.  We need these places in our lives to be healed and restored so that we can share the love of God, which the Holy Spirit has put into our hearts, more completely (Romans 5:5).  

Like the sick man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5, Jesus is asking us, “do you want to be well again?” (John 5:6).  Sometimes, we return to the same “pools” in our lives repeatedly in search of healing, but Jesus is the one who can, and will, heal us.  As the man in Matthew 8:2-3 said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can cleanse me.  Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him saying, I am willing.  Be cleansed.”

John the Baptist prepared a way for Jesus, who is full of grace and truth (Luke 3:4; John 1:14).  During this season of Advent, may we specially prepare a place for Jesus.  As Jesus increases in our lives, grace also will increase!