Luke 3:20, “….he shut up John in prison.”
MT. 4:12; MK. 1:14, 17-18; LK. 3:19-20; JN. 4:1-3
John spent 30 years preparing for a six-month ministry, followed by one and a half years in prison before he was beheaded. Many people would not consider his life very successful, yet Jesus said John was the greatest man who was ever born (Mt. 11:11).
John’s greatness didn’t lie in his own success, but in the success of another. John stirred up the hearts of an entire nation in expectancy of their Messiah. The ministry of Jesus owed much of its success to the work of John. John had prepared a people to meet their God (Mal. 3:1).
In our celebrity conscious society, few people want to be the backup singer or the announcer who introduces the main speaker. We have adopted a mentality that unless we are in the limelight we have failed. That’s not the way the Lord looks at things.
When the Lord passes out rewards in heaven, we may be shocked to see how He evaluates greatness. Many people who did not receive recognition while on earth will shine like the stars in eternity. The Lord will judge our works on what sort they were and not what size they were (I Cor. 3:13).Let us remember what Jesus asked each of his first disciples. He said come follow me; our first lesson in our Christian walk with the Lord is that we need to humble ourselves daily to his words. The greatest leader in the body of Christ will always first be a great follower. In Luke 9:48 Jesus put it best this way when he said Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
Do not despise small beginnings, for when Jesus sees that you are faithful over little things, he will promote you to rule over larger things. But never let the things be what you are seeking after, never let them come between the relationship you have with the Lord. I remember the first words of prophecy over my life after I was born again. I knew I had a call on my life to minister for the Lord. But this is what brother Andrew Wommack spoke over me He said there was a call on my life to minister, but that first I needed to get my marriage in order. Those words have been the most precious and important words I have ever received!!
