As Jesus was coming out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son whom I love—in You I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:10)

It must have been a captivating scene. Here was a man who was definitely not part of the inner religious circle. He was a “PK” (priest’s kid) who appeared to have rebelled against the conformed practices of the day, and he was preaching a new and strange message.

Scary…some may have thought—and probably he was. A wardrobe of camel’s hair and a diet of locust and wild honey? That seems a little much for any of us today to comprehend.

But crowds were flocking to him and responding to his strange, new message. How could he handle all this attention? Would it go to his head just like so many others? Would the fallacy of it all show up and just die away?

It didn’t. Why? The message remained pure. John, probably against strong temptation, kept his focus on the message he had been called to proclaim. He proclaimed Jesus Christ to the world he lived in.

When John’s disciples complained that everyone was abandoning him and turning to Jesus, he simply responded, “He must increase and I must decrease.” He knew who Jesus was and his message remained pure.

What is our main message today? Is it different from what the world around us is proclaiming? Is it pure? Is it, “Jesus Christ is the One?

God of Justice, may we proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ and not get caught up in our own importance!