Who Are You?
If you are asked who you are, what would your answer be? Of course, you may start with your name, nationality/ethnicity, and what you do for a living. But as Christians, the answer to this question runs deeper than what others may see on the surface. We are not defined merely by race, income, or other external factors. Instead, our maker defines us because our purpose comes from Him. John the Baptist knew this, and when faced with the question ‘who are you?’, he responded with that knowledge.
John 1:22-23, ESV
So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
In John the Baptist’s response to this question, he described himself as ‘the voice’. Meaning he had a message. His purpose was to speak. Let’s stop here. I don’t think I have ever thought about defining myself as ‘the voice of one….’ It is both humbling and striking. John the Baptist didn’t need to speak of who his parents were or where he was born. His response is simply that he is ‘the voice’. This immediately compels people to recognize that he had something important to say. To define who you are based on a message is no small thing. Everything about his life was set up to support that message even before he was born. The message given to his father before he was born is the message John continued to hold on to.
Luke 1: 16-17, NIV
He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Let’s continue with John 1:22-23. John continues speaking and calls out his message, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said. Again, we can learn much from John the Baptist’s response to those who asked about his identity. In his response, he clearly outlined that his only goal was to deliver an important message. To sum it up, his goal was to establish God’s Kingdom, which is essentially what we have all been called to do as God’s people. Consequently, since our message does not differ much from John’s, we’re also ‘the voice of one….’
So, who are you? What message has God called you to deliver? As Christians, we all have a universal message. The Gospel is our message. We have the responsibility to preach the Gospel. We have a responsibility to be light wherever we go. But what would you say if curious people were struck by you, by your way of living, and were to ask, ‘who are you?’? Does your life show that you are ‘the voice’? Although John the Baptist was asked who he was, people knew about his message and how it consumed him even before asking questions. Do people know what message you have come to deliver before you even open your mouth?
Now, I’m not saying that we all need to go to the streets, stand on a podium and cry out about the Kingdom of God. Nonetheless, if that’s how God wants you to deliver the message go for it! I am saying that you are ‘the voice’ as God’s child. You must deliver this message. Suppose you have held back on this message for one reason or another. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see the opportunities around you.
At work, for example, people should know that you are different. Slow to anger, patient, joyful, and one who doesn’t use foul language. This will naturally strike curiosity in people, and it won’t take long for people to know that you are the voice of one who speaks of the Messiah. This is what unites us as Christians. We have a message. We are the voice prompting people ‘to make straight their paths for the Lord’.
Jesus is coming back. That’s for sure! We must use our voices to pass this message on. To prompt others to prepare.
So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28, ESV
So let people know who you are based on your message. The message is not only delivered using words, but your way of life should be a voice. Everything about you should speak about Jesus, and Jesus should be your only message.
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