Good Thursday morning! Do you feel bad when you have to exercise your authority in something? I don't mean in making a decision or holding a meeting, but in saying "no" when you know that the subordinate very much wants to do something. You might be wondering whom I could possibly have to worry about acting authoritatively over this morning, and I will tell you! The little cat wants very much to sit on my Bible this morning. To her, flat spot equals resting place for hindquarters. As a beast in a fallen world, she does not recognize a copy of the Word of God, and after a couple of more gentle "no's" I had to lift her bodily off the Bible and put her on the floor. Of course, my subordinate didn't appreciate this arrangement. I want to say "yes" all the time to those God has put me in charge of, even when I know that not everything is best for the cat. We are not going to like it when God says "No!" to us either. We want in much the same way as the beasts of the field. "I want it now!" we cry to God, but His view is much better than our own and He knows what is best for us.
Some mornings I will get up with a plan for the day in mind, but find out that I haven't actually asked God about that plan. In these cases, I find that He will often answer that question I should have asked with a "no". I don't read the "NO!" in big letters when I turn on my computer or anything like that, but as I read a Bible verse or devotional, hear a Bible lesson on MyBridge radio, or in some other way, I get the message that God doesn't want me to do what I have planned that day. Taking a lesson from the cat, I don't want to force God to step up from the gentle "no" to the more physical and obvious ways of saying "no", such as letting me do something that I will regret later.
Today's verse is just a little parenthetical note about Jesus, but an important one.
(though Jesus himself didn't baptize them - his disciples did.) John 4:2
Why is this note so important to John? Is it important to us? Every verse of the Bible is important to me, even the ones I don't yet understand. However, I think the Holy Spirit has given me some insight into this one today. Remember just a few verses back when John was introducing Jesus to the people gathered around him in chapter 1. He said this: "The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." (John 1:33b) Had John the Baptist added, "...and with water." I'm sure that Jesus would have baptized with water along with his disciples. However, John the Baptist knew what to announce regarding the coming of the Son of God. Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit and he left the baptizing with water to his disciples. This situation reminds me of something that happens often in the world we live in.
I'll use my corporate experience as that will resonate with many of you. The situation is that you have been given a policy by your supervisor, department, company or whatever you are working under. A department chief from another department wants something that has been forbidden and so you tell him that you cannot provide that service. The department chief goes to your boss and the boss... throws you under the train. You feel like an ass, the department chief gets a superior smirk on his face, and you just know that not only will you be providing the forbidden service, but probably quite a few other previously forbidden things as well. The reasoning from your own boss usually takes the form of, "Well, we can make the exception this time for my new friend from the Analytics Department..." The point is that Jesus didn't do that to John the Baptist.
John had already spoken the words, and he knew that he would become less while Jesus became greater. What better opportunity for Jesus to make John a lot less than to correct him on the baptizing thing in front of everyone! We know already that Jesus wasn't like that. John the Baptist knew exactly what to say, and Jesus didn't throw him under the train so to speak. We have all known the boss who makes an exception to policy in order to gain some kind of favor in the business world; counting on the subordinates to say, "No" while undermining their efforts by saying, "Yes" whenever someone is willing to go directly to him or her with the request. As the subordinate, you get to feel less and less as this happens again and again. Jesus won't do that to you!
Has anything been added to the Bible, God's Word, since John wrote Revelation? Nope, and don't expect to see something come along that will change the Good News and make you look bad to those you have told. Jesus told us that if we believe in God's only Son we have eternal life (John 3:16); that isn't going to change, nor will exceptions be provided if someone talks directly to Jesus after we have told them about John 3:16. We want them to talk directly to Jesus, just as John the Baptist wanted people to go directly to the source, and Peter wanted his listeners to go directly to Jesus, and Paul encouraged his readers to go... you get the picture. All those who truly believe in Jesus want everyone to go directly to Jesus. And we all know that Jesus will not make us look bad or "throw us under the train" to make himself look greater. We know that Jesus doesn't need to be greater than he is already.
Have a great, and obedient, day in Christ!
Bucky
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