Reflect The Light Of Christ (John 1:6-7)
Wilderness DevotionalMay 12, 202500:10:249.53 MB

Reflect The Light Of Christ (John 1:6-7)

🎙️ Aaron Salvato🎙️ Aaron SalvatoHost

In this episode of The Wilderness Devotional, we meet a wild, bug-eating, camel-hair-wearing prophet from the desert—John the Baptist.A man so outside the lines of what society called normal, you’d probably scroll past him on Instagram thinking he was some kind of conspiracy guy with dirt under his nails.

And yet… Jesus said this:

“Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.”— Matthew 11:11

Why?

Because John knew exactly who he was.And more importantly—who he wasn’t.

“He was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.”— John 1:8

He knew it wasn’t about him.He was just there to point to the Light.To prepare the way.

And that’s our job too.Not to be impressive.Not to be center stage.But to become like the moon—shining only because we’ve caught the light of the Son.

- Music provided by Josh White, used with Artist Permission. Please follow Josh White on your music stream service.



Get full access to GoodLion Theology - Aaron Salvato at aaronsalvato.substack.com/subscribe


00:00:01 --> 00:00:08 John 1, 6-8 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light,

00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 so that through him all might believe.

00:00:16 --> 00:00:17 He himself was not the light.

00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 He came only as a witness to the light.

00:00:24 --> 00:00:28 So there's this man sent from God whose name was John, John the Baptist.

00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 And he came as this witness.

00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 And by all appearances, he was a pretty crazy guy.

00:00:35 --> 00:00:36 Grew his hair out really long,

00:00:37 --> 00:00:38 moved into the woods,

00:00:38 --> 00:00:39 started eating bugs,

00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 and he just yells at people all the time.

00:00:42 --> 00:00:43 He's just out there, this guy.

00:00:44 --> 00:00:45 He's eating locusts and honey.

00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 He's wearing camel skin.

00:00:49 --> 00:00:50 And people are like, man, this guy's crazy.

00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 But he's really entertaining to watch.

00:00:54 --> 00:00:59 John was a light bearer because he had the message in his heart.

00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 God came to this guy named John and said,

00:01:03 --> 00:01:03 listen,

00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 someone named Jesus is coming.

00:01:06 --> 00:01:07 You've got to go prepare the way.

00:01:08 --> 00:01:09 And he did.

00:01:09 --> 00:01:10 He was unashamed.

00:01:11 --> 00:01:12 I don't know what he did before.

00:01:12 --> 00:01:17 Maybe he was a baker, you know, and everyone knew him as John the Baker.

00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 And then one day God said to him,

00:01:20 --> 00:01:21 leave everything behind,

00:01:21 --> 00:01:22 leave the bakery behind,

00:01:22 --> 00:01:23 go into the wilderness,

00:01:24 --> 00:01:24 eat some bugs,

00:01:25 --> 00:01:26 wear some camel skin.

00:01:26 --> 00:01:27 People are going to think you're crazy,

00:01:28 --> 00:01:29 but it's going to be used for my glory.

00:01:31 --> 00:01:32 John was willing to do that.

00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 Are we willing to do that?

00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 Are we willing to leave our social status?

00:01:37 --> 00:01:41 Are we willing to lay down our dreams and our desires and our

00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 future and all the

00:01:43 --> 00:01:44 things that we have planned out for our life?

00:01:44 --> 00:01:49 Are we willing to lay down our hopes and dreams for whatever it

00:01:49 --> 00:01:50 is that God calls us to do?

00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 John did it.

00:01:54 --> 00:01:54 And Jesus said,

00:01:54 --> 00:01:58 there's no one greater on the planet than John the Baptist.

00:01:58 --> 00:01:59 That's what Jesus said.

00:02:00 --> 00:02:00 He says,

00:02:00 --> 00:02:01 out of all the people,

00:02:02 --> 00:02:03 all the men who are living,

00:02:03 --> 00:02:04 who have ever lived,

00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 no one is greater than John.

00:02:07 --> 00:02:07 That's amazing.

00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 Was John the Baptist successful by the world's standards?

00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 No, he's basically a homeless person in the

00:02:16 --> 00:02:17 Was he a great businessman?

00:02:17 --> 00:02:17 No.

00:02:17 --> 00:02:18 He ate bugs.

00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 But God looked at him and said he's the greatest because he was

00:02:23 --> 00:02:24 willing to actually

00:02:24 --> 00:02:25 do what Jesus said.

00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 John wasn't the light.

00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 He came to bear witness about the light.

00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 John knew it wasn't about him.

00:02:34 --> 00:02:35 He knew he wasn't the light.

00:02:36 --> 00:02:37 It wasn't the John the Baptist show.

00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 Everyone come out and see John.

00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 People were attracted to him because he seemed crazy and interesting,

00:02:42 --> 00:02:46 but he always pointed them back to Jesus.

00:02:47 --> 00:02:47 What he said was,

00:02:47 --> 00:02:48 guys,

00:02:48 --> 00:02:48 listen,

00:02:49 --> 00:02:50 there's someone coming,

00:02:51 --> 00:02:55 someone who is so holy and so great that I'm not even worthy to

00:02:55 --> 00:02:56 undo his shoelaces

00:02:57 --> 00:02:58 or take off his shoe.

00:02:59 --> 00:03:03 Then John says about Jesus, he's so great and he's so worthy.

00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 And I baptize people with water,

00:03:06 --> 00:03:07 but one day,

00:03:07 --> 00:03:11 one day someone's going to come who is greater than me,

00:03:11 --> 00:03:15 who's going to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 He's getting everyone psyched up.

00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 Everyone's like, who is this guy?

00:03:20 --> 00:03:21 Who's this guy who's going to come?

00:03:22 --> 00:03:23 He's preparing the way for Jesus.

00:03:25 --> 00:03:25 You know what?

00:03:25 --> 00:03:26 We're called to do that.

00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 We're supposed to prepare the way for Jesus.

00:03:30 --> 00:03:30 I mean,

00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 yeah,

00:03:31 --> 00:03:32 he already came and died on the cross,

00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 but he's coming again,

00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 the second coming.

00:03:36 --> 00:03:41 Jesus is coming back to renew and restore and rescue this world.

00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 And we're called to be like John the Baptist,

00:03:44 --> 00:03:45 to prepare the way,

00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 to go out and make fools of ourselves and have people think

00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 we're crazy because we

00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 love Jesus so much.

00:03:53 --> 00:03:54 It's not our job to save anyone,

00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 but we are called to be a part of the process.

00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 God wants his kids on mission with him.

00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 When we get that, amazing things happen.

00:04:04 --> 00:04:08 If we're willing to put aside our time and go out and tell people,

00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 if we're willing to sit down with our friends and family members and say,

00:04:12 --> 00:04:12 hey,

00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 I know this is going to sound crazy,

00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 but I believe in Jesus.

00:04:17 --> 00:04:18 And here's why you should too.

00:04:19 --> 00:04:20 If we're willing to do that,

00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 we're preparing the way for the second coming of Jesus.

00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 And more people are going to become a part of his family.

00:04:28 --> 00:04:32 More people who are lost in darkness are going to be exposed to

00:04:32 --> 00:04:32 the light.

00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 But the problem is sometimes we can block that light.

00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 People need to see the light, but when we focus on ourselves,

00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 When we give in to sin,

00:04:42 --> 00:04:43 when we act selfishly,

00:04:43 --> 00:04:47 when we act apathetically to others and to the world's need for

00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 the gospel,

00:04:48 --> 00:04:52 we can block people seeing the light of Jesus when it's all

00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 focused on us and it's just,

00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 what can I do to make myself happy?

00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 What can I do to make myself successful?

00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 It blocks people from seeing the light because all they can see is us.

00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 There's so many things going on in our life.

00:05:06 --> 00:05:07 There's so many things we're focused on.

00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 And we block that light.

00:05:10 --> 00:05:14 Maybe you're listening now and you've been blocking the light.

00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 Jesus has been trying to reach you and speak to you and you're

00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 just blocking it

00:05:19 --> 00:05:23 because you've got your head down and you're focused on yourself.

00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 I want you to take a minute to just slow down and listen

00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 carefully to a lyric by

00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 one of my favorite pastors and songwriters,

00:05:32 --> 00:05:32 Josh White.

00:05:33 --> 00:05:36 He wrote this song called To Burn In You.

00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 And its opening line is about the moon and how the moon is

00:05:41 --> 00:05:42 actually something that

00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 without the light of the sun reflecting on it,

00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 it just hangs in darkness.

00:05:48 --> 00:05:54 And in the same way, without the light of the sun, we hang in darkness.

00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 We can't reflect our own light because light doesn't come from us.

00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 It comes from the sun.

00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 But when we allow God's light to shine on us,

00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 that is when we truly begin to shine.

00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 When the world looks at us and they don't see us,

00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 but they see Jesus,

00:06:10 --> 00:06:14 that is when we'll find ourselves most fulfilled,

00:06:15 --> 00:06:16 most joyful,

00:06:16 --> 00:06:17 most happy.

00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 That's when we really truly as people will shine.

00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 So I'm going to close this episode out by letting Josh White

00:06:25 --> 00:06:26 play the song.

00:06:27 --> 00:06:27 Here's Josh.

00:06:28 --> 00:06:28 Have a listen.

00:06:29 --> 00:06:30 Oh Lord,

00:06:30 --> 00:06:44 I am like the moon Without the sun I hang in darkness too So be

00:06:44 --> 00:06:44 the light,

00:06:44 --> 00:06:48 the light that shines through

00:06:49 --> 00:06:55 Reflect of me the love that comes from you.

00:06:57 --> 00:07:02 And it all comes down to this.

00:07:04 --> 00:07:09 Jesus, I must confess.

00:07:11 --> 00:07:17 I won't be afraid to step into your face.

00:07:19 --> 00:07:23 To burn, to burn in you, my love.

00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 To burn in you.

00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 Come and wake me up.

00:08:07 --> 00:08:12 Help me stand in your righteousness.

00:08:15 --> 00:08:20 And I know, I know that I've been touched.

00:08:20 --> 00:08:24 I know that you're enough.

00:08:24 --> 00:08:25 Please pick me.

00:08:37 --> 00:08:42 Jesus, I must confess.

00:08:43 --> 00:08:52 I won't be afraid to step into your faith to burn,

00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 to burn in you,

00:08:55 --> 00:08:55 my love.

00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 To burn, to burn in you my love.

00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 To burn, to burn in you my love.

00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 I am like the moon.

00:10:07 --> 00:10:13 Without the sun I hang in darkness.