Five-minute read.
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:19-34
Telling our testimony gives a personal account of how Jesus changes lives. John tells his story, which points people to the coming Savior. We should have our testimony ready to share at any moment. Jesus used parables to share His teachings because they helped people understand the lessons. When we tell the story of our lives, we help people understand the life change that occurs when we admit our need for a Savior because of our sinful ways—and we all have sinful ways.
Using these three simple steps, Before, How, and Since, I’ll share a recent testimony in my life:
Before: Dealing with a neighborhood issue, I felt righteous anger, a grief over sin that arises when we witness an offense against God or His Word.i My anger consumed me. I scheduled an emergency visit with my Christian therapist because I knew I needed help weeding through all the intense emotions I felt.
How: During the therapy appointment, my therapist challenged me about my righteous anger, having me look at the other person’s perspective and recognize that I’m not a judge and jury. I place myself in God’s role when I condemn someone.
Expressing righteous anger should be a last resort, though, not a first. Even though, yes, Jesus flipped tables, he spent a great deal of his ministry turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-40).ii
Since: I developed a new perspective on righteous anger, something I have struggled with my entire life. First, I realized I defined righteous anger incorrectly. Nothing this person did went against God or His word. They offended me, not God. Secondly, when I get on my “high horse,” I can stay there a long time. However, Jesus wouldn’t respond like I did, and I’m not Jesus. God will do the judging; He expects me to do the loving. To react like Jesus, I must connect to Him and submit my will to His, praying for my “enemy” and allowing the Lord to change my heart and attitude to align with His. God’s teaching me to turn the other cheek and become more like Jesus.
God loves us in our mess but doesn’t leave us there. Telling our testimony and striving to become more like Jesus points people to the Savior and helps them discover what we have found in Christ. Share your story, tell people what Jesus has, and continues to do for you.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for giving us an example of how to tell our testimony through John. Please help us develop our story and how it connects with Jesus and the results of having a relationship with Him. Give us opportunities to share our testimony with others and introduce them to the Savior.
IJNIP. Amen
i, ii https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-does-the-bible-mean-by-righteous-anger.html
