The testimony of the Lord Jesus of John.

We know that not everyone has the same word. The proverb says, “The word makes the man.” This means that the expression of an honest, respected, and respected person is of more excellent value than one who has tarnished their reputation somehow. And when a well-known person gives a good testimony, no one doubts it.

So we take the testimony of the Lord Jesus to the address of John the Baptist. “What did you go out into the desert to see? A wind-blown reed? Or what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? … So what did you go out to see? The Prophet? Yes, I tell you more than a prophet. For it is written of him, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, and he shall prepare the way before thee” (Lk 7: 24-27).

This testimony of John the Baptist is given by the Lord Jesus to the audience when the messengers of John departed from Jesus. John was not unknown. By washing with water, many received the “baptism of repentance” from John in the Jordan River. They knew that John was a personality. However, John did not show the same power as Jesus. Jesus already has more authority than John, and therefore Jesus’ testimony of John has value. There was no competition between Jesus and John as teachers or prophets. They did not attack each other; they did not make disciples, followers.
On the contrary, we see a great interplay that only the infinitely wise God could have planned. Jesus knew Malachi’s prophecy: “Behold, I will send my angel, and he shall prepare a way before me …” (Mal 3s, 1). Similarly, Isaiah says, “Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness. Make a way in the wilderness for our God” (Isaiah 40: 3). The image of this verse is taken from the custom that the preacher announced the arrival of the monarch and made sure that the paths that the king would follow were level and passable.

God has removed all obstacles that his people will face in the way they will return from captivity. At the same time, Jesus identifies with the Messiah here. So Jesus gave testimony of trust in John and at the same time revealed his mission.

John had a solid character. It didn’t look like a reed swept here and thereby the wind. John fulfills his mission as a predecessor, regardless of whether anyone has an illegal marriage. John was preparing for his mission in the silence and hospitality of the desert. Without an intoxicating drink, he was dressed in a rough robe. John is telling the truth. We can say that the Holy Spirit, who was still unknown, was already speaking through John. Jesus has not yet mediated it. However, John has been full of the Holy Spirit since his mother. Yes, no one doubts that John is a prophet. And yet, the Pharisees and the scribes did not accept John’s baptism to their detriment. They wanted to thwart God’s intentions, which turned against them.

We know from the teachings of Jesus Christ that one day we will be glad to bear witness to us. Whether it is positive or negative depends only on ourselves. Let us remember this in the words of the Lord Jesus: “Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, he will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven. But he that denieth me before men, I will also deny him before my Father which is in heaven” (Mt 10: 32-33). This testimony will be crucial for us. We know that our eternity will depend on this. We believe in eternal life, but often as if we have forgotten to put this theory into practice. We believe that our lives will not end so quickly that we will have time to put everything in order or that God will give us moderation.

However, we, brothers and sisters, must make sure that we bear witness to Christ here on earth like John. Our lives only make sense in connection with Christ. Nothing will happen in our lives, every thought in our mind; everything is subject to the reward and punishment of God. As true believers, we realize that we must not live our lives empty, superficially, without a goal or sitting on two chairs. After all, Jesus also disagrees: “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Mt 6:24). Our testimony will one day be rewarded with an affidavit.

In physics, we know the lesson that action evokes a reaction. Yes, our life here on earth is a harbinger of how we want to live a new life after death. We all want the best testimony for ourselves, so let us care that as long as our lives are put to the test, we will use everything to gain merit before God. Therefore let our speech be: yes-yes, no-no. Let us be an example of St. John the Baptist and the words by which the Lord Jesus gives him a model.