John 1:26-27



John the Baptist told them, “I baptise with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognise. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”
We are familiar with the stories of Jesus, and have probably all seen a number of film portrayals of him. It’s hard for us to imagine that there was a time when people didn’t know who he was. He didn’t stand out in a crowd. It seems that only John the Baptist could spot him, and he recognised exactly who Jesus was and the reason that he had come to the world. He knew that he had a vital ministry of preparing the way for Jesus but that he himself was not worthy of being so much as his slave.
The New Testament clearly proclaims that Jesus is alive today. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he continues to be present in our world, but the fact is that the majority of people don’t recognise him. The Church is seen by many people as an irrelevance
and, according to some surveys, weekly church attendance has now declined to around five per cent of the population. There is still some teaching about Christianity in schools, but it’s probably true that the majority of people know little about Jesus.
There is an urgent need for us to give people the opportunity to hear about him and I’m always thrilled to hear about imaginative initiatives that do just that. Shortly before Christmas, I visited a village church that gave people the opportunity to enter into the story of Jesus’ birth by transforming the rooms of the church into different parts of the Christmas story. It was done with great imagination and effectiveness. More than 1,000 people visited! Isn’t that wonderful? There are groups that go into schools to present bible stories in an imaginative way, and many more initiatives like that happening up and down the country every day.




Everyone must make their own mind up whether they want to follow Jesus, but it’s absolutely crucial that they know about him. Like John the Baptist, we can all play our part in helping to point people to Jesus.




Question: In what ways might you be able to help people in your community hear about Jesus?
Prayer: Lord God, help me to be imaginative and courageous in helping other people to learn more about Jesus. Amen

Released on 9 Jul 2022