John the Baptist

 John the Baptist pointed to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Bearing of sin cannot be without being wounded, so John points to the wounds that bore the pain and gave life. If Christ is the sin bearer, the entire body of Christ is the sin-bearer and life giver. John the Baptist, being one in the body of Christ, also points to the sin-chains that wounds the lamb of God. He points out the deep open wounds even if they would devour him. The Baptist pointed to the sins of the world.

He had the freedom, because he was filled with grace and he leapt rejoicing. He lived this freedom in the wilderness and in prison, he rejoiced hearing the deeds of the messiah “the deaf hear, and the blind see and the kingdom is preached to the poor.” He knew the salvation in the tender compassion of God, not in the salvation offered in righteousness of enormous sacrifices and offering. One sacrifice he demanded was to be away from injustice and act kindly.

Pointing to the lamb of God, he bore testimony to the truth; he was not the truth. He was the voice not the Word. John’s voice challenges our attitudes that do not point to the truth and the Word, but instead, in the name of testimony, pointing to ourselves, our believes and traditions as the truth and the Word.