“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.” John 1:26, 27
John was sent from God, filled with the Holy Spirit, and blessed with a remarkable ministry. He was one of the greatest people who has ever lived, and he says, “I am not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals.”
The greatest Bible teacher you have ever heard is not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals! The most Spirit-filled believer, the wisest counsellor, the person you love most—none of these are worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals! Whoever you are, whatever you have accomplished, you are not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals! In a world infatuated with celebrities, this is a word we need to hear.
A man (or a woman) who is filled with the Holy Spirit says, “I am not worthy,” because, at our best, we are sinners saved by the mercy of God. Whatever progress you make in the Christian life, whatever you may have accomplished, your hope rests on the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.
What John says here is a statement not only about himself, but also about his ministry. Ministry is a gift, not a right, and we have this gift by the mercy of God (2 Cor. 4:1). If God were to withhold his blessing from any of us, all that we seek to do for him would collapse completely.
So here is this great man. Our Lord says he is among the greatest who has ever lived, and yet by his own confession, the greatest thing about him is that he knows Jesus. Why? Because Jesus is the eternal, personal, divine, creating, life-giving, incarnate, Son of God.
Can you agree with John’s words about Jesus? Why or why not?
