The Main Thing

Some years ago, we had a pastor who often exhorted us to “keep the main thing the main thing”. It’s good advice.

Last Sunday I had the privilege of teaching a Sunday School class of precious senior adult women.  One of the passages we looked at was John 1:6-8. We had been studying Old Testament prophecies that are fulfilled in Jesus. But we also talked about John, who is also a fulfillment of prophecy.

John the Baptist, or John the Baptizer, was a fulfillment of a prophecy of Isaiah.

The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."  (Isaiah 40:3)

Fast-forward from Isaiah and from John to our lives here in the twenty-first century, many years after Isaiah prophesied and John lived.  Even all these years later, there's quite a lot we can learn from John.

The main thing about John the Baptist was that he was always pointing to Jesus! He kept the main thing the main thing!

Even though John was well-known and even though crowds were coming to hear him preach and to be baptized by him, John's life was not about John.  John's life was all about Jesus!  John always made it very clear that his ministry was to point to someone greater than himself.

John had a purpose. A mission. A commission. His purpose was to "prepare the way", to point people to Jesus.

What does all that have to do with us, especially here in this Christmas season?

John has set an example for us. John pointed to Jesus, and so should we. Here at Christmas especially, we need to keep the main thing the main thing!

For those of us who are Christian, life is not about us, but is all about Jesus!

No matter what the circumstances of life. When things are going well, and when they aren't. When life is good, and when it isn't. When we're happy. And when we're irritated. Whether with our children or with our spouse, or with our parents, or our best friend, or the neighbors, or the politicians. In every circumstance of life, our mission is the same.

To point people to Jesus.

Let's keep pointing people to Jesus at the forefront of our Christmas celebrations.

That was John's mission.

And it's ours as well.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB)