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John The Baptist and Free Spirit

John was not only Jesus’ cousin but also destined to fulfill the words of prophecy. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth were cousins and pregnant around the same time. Elizabeth, about six months ahead of Mary, was pregnant with John. Chosen before his birth to be called “the prophet of the Most High and to prepare the way for the Lord (Luke 1:76),” John had the Lord’s hand on him before he even entered the world. He went on to live in the wilderness until he began publicly preaching to Israel. John was always known as a free spirit or maverick for Christ. We are given a clear description of John’s character in Matthew chapter 3:1-6: He wore clothes made of camel hair, ate locusts and wild honey, and was known to be a voice shouting in the wilderness. No matter the era, that’s a little strange.

Throughout his ministry, John called out pious and hypocritical Jews and exclaimed that the wrath of God was coming. He encouraged all to repent and be baptized, which was unheard of for most. He preached of a coming Savior who was far greater than himself. John created many enemies along the way, as his direct and unrelenting approach was hard to swallow at times. Without a doubt, John’s example was difficult to follow and seemed impossible, but he preached with boldness and unwavering faith.

Father in Heaven, thank you so much for our brother in Christ, John the Baptist. We pray that we can have a portion of his faith and determination to preach the gospel and stand for what is right. Lord, we pray that others will boldly confess your goodness and uphold your righteousness. May we be an example for others and learn to be free spirits for You. We pray that our actions can speak the truth. We pray that like John, we can dedicate our lives to bringing others closer to You and help to save them from damnation. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.