看看施洗约翰的三天事奉
约翰福音一章19至34节
19 约翰所作的见证记在下面：犹太人从耶路撒冷差祭司和利未人到约翰那里，问他说：「你是谁？」
20 他就明说，并不隐瞒，明说：「我不是基督。」
21 他们又问他说：「这样，你是谁呢？是以利亚吗？」他说：「我不是。」「是那先知吗？」他回答说：「不是。」
22 于是他们说：「你到底是谁，叫我们好回复差我们来的人。你自己说，你是谁？」
23 他说：「我就是那在旷野有人声喊着说：『修直主的道路』，正如先知以赛亚所说的。」
24 那些人是法利赛人差来的（或作：那差来的是法利赛人）；
25 他们就问他说：「你既不是基督，不是以利亚，也不是那先知，为甚么施洗呢？」
26 约翰回答说：「我是用水施洗，但有一位站在你们中间，是你们不认识的，
27 就是那在我以后来的，我给他解鞋带也不配。」
28 这是在约但河外伯大尼（有古卷：伯大巴喇），约翰施洗的地方作的见证。
29 次日，约翰看见耶稣来到他那里，就说：「看哪，神的羔羊，除去（或译：背负）世人罪孽的！
30 这就是我曾说：『有一位在我以后来、反成了在我以前的，因他本来在我以前。』
31 我先前不认识他，如今我来用水施洗，为要叫他显明给以色列人。」
32 约翰又作见证说：「我曾看见圣灵，仿佛鸽子从天降下，住在他的身上。
33 我先前不认识他，只是那差我来用水施洗的、对我说：『你看见圣灵降下来，住在谁的身上，谁就是用圣灵施洗的。』
34 我看见了，就证明这是神的儿子。」
信息分享
第一天
眼见约翰身边聚集了愈来愈多的群众，一些宗教领袖便派人来问他两个问题：「你究竟是谁？」和「你为何替人施洗？」。他们等候约翰的回复。约翰给了他们一个谦卑的答案：「我只是旷野的呼声，为要给将来的一位预备道路。」
第二天
「约翰，你说的那个人在哪里？」「看哪，就是祂了！」约翰指着耶稣说：「祂正是我们一直等候的那个人。祂将会满足我们最深切的需要。祂将会永远除去我们的罪孽。」
约翰的工作，也就是我们今天不断要做的工作--介绍身边的人认识耶稣基督，直截了当地告诉他们：「祂能够满足你的一切需要。祂真的可以，而且，祂就在你的身边。」
第三天
约翰的门徒逐一地离开他，转而跟从基督(39至40节)。约翰一定感到难受，然而，他却能够说出这样的一句话：「我这喜乐满足了」(三29)。当我们听见别人赞赏其他人胜于自己时，我们会有甚么感受呢？我们很容易产生妒忌的心。当我们一直渴望承担某项工作，但最后，被委以重任的却是另一个人，我们会有甚么反应呢？约翰最后留下的其中一句话，是「祂必兴旺，我必衰微」；我们每个人都应该以此作为人生的座右铭。
祷告：
主啊，求你像昔日带领人到约翰面前那样，今天带领人来到我这里，让我懂得像约翰一样，引领人认识耶稣。
Three Days with John the Baptist
John 1:19-34
19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
And he answered, “No.”
22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said: “I am
‘ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“ Make straight the way of the LORD,”’
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’
31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”
32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
Message
The First Day
As the crowds around John increased, the religious leaders sent men to him with two questions - 'Who are you?' and 'Why do you baptise?'. They wanted for an answer. John's humble reply was 'I am only a voice that is preparing the way for someone else'.
The Second Day
'Where is this "someone else", John?' 'There he is', said John, pointing to a man walking slowly toward them. 'There's the one we've been waiting for. There's the one who will meet our deepest needs. He will take away our sin for ever.'
This is still our work today - to point men and women to Jesus Christ and simply say, 'There's the one who can meet your every need. He can do it and he is right here beside you.'
The Third Day
The next day John's disciples began to leave him and follow Christ (v. 39-40). To watch this happen would not have been easy for John. Yet he was able to say later 'My joy is fulfilled' (John 3:29). How do we feel when people speak more of someone else than they do of us? Jealousy can show up so quickly in all of us. What is our reaction when someone else is asked to do what we wanted to do? Almost John's final words were 'He must increase, I must decrease'. That phrase would make a great life motto for everyone of us.
A Prayer for Today:
Lord, please lead someone to me today as you led people to John. Help me to point them to Jesus as he did.