THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE GREATEST MAN BORN OF A WOMAN

Do you know John the Baptist? Yes, that unusual man who lived in the desert (Luke 1:80), wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). John the Baptist is a fascinating figure, and yet, like many others, I once overlooked him. Despite his eccentric appearance, Jesus—God in human flesh—called him the greatest man born of a woman (Matthew 11:11).

Perhaps when you think of John the Baptist, you imagine him as just the strange guy who baptized people and appears briefly in the Gospels, primarily during the account of Jesus’ baptism. If that’s all you know, you’re not alone. I, too, was in that boat. However, there is so much more to this man. John was a forerunner, a friend of the Bridegroom, and his life’s assignment was to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus.

John himself said: “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:28-30 ESV)

A few years ago, as I began to understand more of God’s unfolding story and what the Lord is doing in this hour, the beauty of what is yet to come, and also the severeness and necessity to know what is to come, I started to look more closely at John the Baptist (and I am forever grateful to my teacher who wouldn’t stop talking about him!). In doing so, I realized that John’s message encapsulated in being a forerunner is relevant today: preparing the way for Jesus, and equipping the Bride of Christ for His return.

“He (John) said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:23 ESV, cross-reference Isaiah 40:3-11)

The Message of the Forerunner

In John the Baptist, and many other forerunners and prophets, and ultimately in Jesus, we see that the messenger is the message. A message is formed and transmitted to other people through a certain lifestyle (John 13:35). So let us look at the life of John the Baptist, who Jesus confirmed to be a forerunner.

"As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: (...) This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’" (Mt 11:7, 10 ESV)

Looking at the life of John the Baptist, we quickly see that his life was marked by prayer, fasting, and a short but powerful season of preaching, teaching, and endless years of making disciples in everyday life. John’s “yes” to God was a “no” to the world. Now, this doesn’t mean you must physically live in the wilderness as he did, or completely withdraw from worldly things. Instead, it means choosing a life where God is your first priority. John’s simplicity sprang from his desire to have more of God. He dedicated himself fully to knowing the Bridegroom intimately, and he lived in a way that pointed people to Jesus through both his words and his actions.

"He must increase, But I must decrease." (John 3:30 ESV)

The message of John the Baptist was clear. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and the Lord is coming. While John may not have fully understood that Jesus would come twice—once in humility and again in glory—we now know that after Jesus lived, died, and rose again, He returned to the Father. We also know that this is not the end of the story. Jesus will return again, to fully establish His kingdom on earth.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” (Matthew 3:1–3 ESV)

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and the Lord is coming.

When Jesus returns He will come and reveal Himself in the fullness of a King with great power, a Bridegroom with a deep desire for relationship with His people, and a Judge with righteous zeal to remove everything that hinders love. It will be a great and terrible day (Joel 2:31, Malachi 4:5, etc.). 

Jesus, the bridegroom, king and judge.

The book of Revelation gives us a stunning image of this day: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:11–16 ESV)

Our Invitation: To Prepare the Way

The Lord invites us to partner with him by letting our lives be a message to the world. The message is conveyed through committing ourselves to let our lives reflect that we do not live for this world but for Jesus and his coming kingdom, the commitment to discipleship, the announcing of the coming day, and standing in the place of prayer. 

The Lord invites us to partner with him by letting our lives be a message to the world.

There is a great need to announce Jesus’ return—how He will come, and why. People must understand the biblical narrative of what will happen and why it will happen, or they may be swayed by secular explanations, which can lead to fear, offense, or deception. However, by understanding the biblical narrative, God’s people will be better equipped to process the escalating pressures in a way that helps them to thrive spiritually and grow in love and peace. Announcing and instructing the biblical narrative is part of preparing the way for Him, so that many would find mercy and salvation and that the bride would be ready and without offense, being able to understand that his justice and judgment are deeply rooted in his love and desire for his people.

His justice and judgment are deeply rooted in his love and desire for his people.

Paul’s prayer in Philippians reflects this: “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment; that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ;” (Philippians 1:9-10)

Like Paul, we can and should stand in the place of prayer. Through prayer, we participate in God's plans, aligning ourselves with what He desires to release on earth. Prayer is partnership. As we live in a posture of knowing God—by listening to Him, studying His Word, and seeking His presence—we grow in understanding His heart. This allows us to partner with Him in agreement. The most powerful and effective prayers are often the simplest: aligning our requests with what God has already promised to do and speaking His word back to Him.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” (1 John 5:14–15 ESV)

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 ESV)

Prayer is partnership.

Prayer is part of preparing the way for the Lord or as John Piper said, “Prayer is our partnership with God in transforming history”. It’s not about elevating ourselves, but about exalting Jesus. Through prayer, we align our hearts and lives with His will, waiting on Him and allowing His purposes to shape us. In this sacred partnership, we are reminded that it’s not our greatness that matters, but His, as we seek to make Him known and glorified.

As we reflect on John the Baptist, his life calls us to something greater than ourselves. It reminds us of the privilege and responsibility we have to be forerunners in our time, preparing the way for Jesus' return. Just as John embraced a simple life of devotion, fasting, and bold proclamation, we too are invited to live in such a way that our lives point to Jesus. His message—repentance, preparation, and the nearness of the kingdom—remains relevant today as we await the coming King.

we await the coming King.