John 1:26-27

John [the Baptist] told them, “I baptise with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognise. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”

We are familiar with the stories of Jesus and have probably all seen film portrayals of him. It’s hard for us to imagine that there was a time when people didn’t know who he was. He didn’t stand out in a crowd. It seems that only John the Baptist could spot him; he recognised exactly who Jesus was and why he had come to the world. He knew he had a vital ministry of preparing the way for Jesus but that he himself was not worthy of even being his slave.

The New Testament clearly proclaims that Jesus is alive today. In the power of the Holy Spirit, he continues to be present in our world, but most people don’t recognise him. Many people see Church as an irrelevance and, according to some surveys, weekly church attendance has now declined to about 5 per cent of the population.

There is still some teaching about Christianity in schools, but it’s likely that the majority of the population knows nothing about Jesus. There is an urgent need for us to give people the opportunity to hear about him, and I’m repeatedly thrilled to hear about imaginative initiatives to do so. Every day for the last 30 years, Premier has been seizing the opportunity to speak about Jesus. Millions of people have heard about him through Premier’s radio stations, podcasts and publications. The role Premier continues to play is crucial, and we need to do everything we can to support it.

Everyone must make their own mind up about whether they want to follow Jesus, but it’s absolutely vital that they know about him. Just like John the Baptist, we can all play our part in helping to point people to Jesus.

Question

In what ways might you be able to help people in your community to hear about Jesus?

Prayer

Lord God, help me to be imaginative and courageous in helping other people to learn more about Jesus. Amen