He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. - John 1:8
I have met a few people in my life who act as if the sun itself rose and set somewhere in the vicinity of their backside and it grieves me to think that perhaps someone may have at one time or another thought the same thing of me. Such behavior is prideful, offensive, and just wrong.
One of the most significant figures in biblical history appeared after 400 years of divine silence. His name was John Bar Zechariah or, as we know him, John the Baptist (Immerser, if you want to be grammatically correct). There can be no doubt that Brother John was popular in his day and recognized the importance of his ministry. Literally, thousands came to him in the Judean wilderness to be baptized as a symbolic representation of their necessary cleansing from sin. Yet, basking in all that popularity, John recognized a foundational truth. He was not the Light of the world. He only existed to testify to that Light.
We are here only to speak of Christ. A ministry may be popular and even praiseworthy, but brother and sister, it ain't the Light and neither are we.
The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance. - Samuel Butler
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