June 1, 2015 (Monday)
John was his name, given to him by God through the angel Gabriel before he was born. Wearing animal skins, eating locusts and wild honey, preaching repentance and judgment to come, proclaiming the arrival of the Messiah, he caught the ear of everyone. People flocked to him in the desert, anxious to hear a word from the Lord.
His job was to prepare the way for the Messiah. He stirred up the people, led them to think about the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance. He called upon them to forsake their evil ways and turn to the Lord. By the time Jesus arrived to begin his ministry, the hearts of the masses had been stirred and they longed for the Savior proclaimed by John.
They asked John if he were the Messiah, and he replied that he was only a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord.
Jesus said that John fulfilled the role of Elijah, predicted to come and usher in the Messianic age, and he went so far as to say that no one was greater than he.
John had a mission to perform, and he performed it perfectly. He prepared the way for 
Jesus, and then he faded from view. “He must increase and I must decrease,” he said. His statement is enhanced by the fact that John was probably the most famous man alive at that time in that part of the world. He had many loyal disciples. He enjoyed a great reputation and had the respect of many. His greatest glory was knowing that he had done his part in introducing the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He craved no praise nor recognition from anyone other than God himself.
May we, too, be clothed in humility, seeking only to be of service to the Lord. Surely John will hear the Lord say at judgment, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We desire to hear those words also.