If there is one question that most everyone deals with at some time in their life it is this: who am I? Am I simply what others tell me I am? Am I just the product of how I have been raised? Perhaps my genetics are all that make me who I am? Who am I? We struggle with this question our entire lives and feel that we can never find an answer. I remember walking the parking lot of Amarillo College asking myself that simple question. Who am I? In a way, I tried to answer that question myself. Perhaps I could be defined by my accomplishments, friendships, grades, relationships, or really anything that could just simply tell me who I was. However, God had a different answer. He slowly took away the things that I believed could define me until I was left with one simple deduction: I am simply His adopted son. Yet, even after knowing this answer, I still sometimes question exactly who I am. Luckily, one man in the Bible seems to really understand the meaning of this question and will be able to help us answer it in a God centered way.
John the Baptist is the child of Mary’s sister, Elizabeth (making him Jesus’ first cousin). John has a pretty special calling on his life and actually was given that calling before he was even conceived (see Luke 1 for more details). John grew up to be quite the prophet. When we enter John 1, we see that he is in the wilderness baptizing people and telling them to repent. Many of you may know that story but have you ever realized what happened when John’s ministry began to grow? People started thinking that he was more than a prophet, perhaps the Messiah himself. Priests and Pharisees began sending men to him to simply ask the question: who are you? John 1:20 tells us: “He did not refuse to answer, but he declared: ‘I am not the Messiah.’” The chapter continues with them asking more questions about who John is. Perhaps he is the great prophet Elijah, returning to help the Messiah banish the Roman Government. Perhaps he is the great prophet that Moses predicted in Dt. 18:15. Finally, John just gives them an answer: “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: make straight the way of the Lord – just as Isaiah the prophet said.” (John 1:23) John had a proper grasp on who he was in the midst of people trying to basically tell him he was the Messiah. He didn’t react in pride and accept their praise, but instead knew exactly who he was.
And this is something that just amazes me. John had such an awesome grip on who he was that he didn’t become cocky and arrogant when people thought he was the chosen Messiah himself. Because in my life, when people praise me it is easy to get a big head. It would be easy for John to just say: “Yep, I’m the Messiah.” It would even be even easier for him to say: “I am God’s head honcho right now, the prophet he promised to make a way. You better listen!” But no, this guy just quotes a passage of Isaiah and simply continues doing exactly what God calls him to do. In fact, he is so secure in continuing to proclaim the message of repentance and preparation that one day he ends up being killed for his words (see Matthew 14). What exactly did this guy understand to give him such a firm grasp on who he was?
I’ll tell you what I think was different about John: he had a firm grasp on who God was. He had his eyes set on Jesus and because of that, he had a perfect understanding of who he truly was. In fact, we see that in John 1:29, John the Baptist sees Jesus coming in the distance and says: “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” He was looking for Jesus and his life was centered on Him. So this then makes us question ourselves: What are we focusing on?
Because this is the surest way to find out what you are putting your identity in. If you are focusing on your girlfriend or boyfriend, you will build your identity upon that person. If you are focusing on your troubles, your troubles will begin to define you. Perhaps you are centered on your career, schooling, or intelligence. Those things will then become exactly who you see yourself as. But here is the problem: what happens when God takes those things away from your life like He did for me? Then who are you? See, that is why we must focus on Jesus! He is the only thing that is constant in our lives! He is the only basis of identity that never changes! How awesome is that?
So who am I? Well, I am a child of God! Who am I? I am saved by a grace that is simply amazing, allowing me to be adopted into the kingdom of Heaven? Who am I? I am a new creation, and the old things I have done that I regret no longer define me! Wow, could I ask for a better identity than that? And so I must remain focused on Him. For when my eyes are upon Him I have no doubt as to who I am!
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