TODAY’S SPECIAL: Mark 1:1-8
TO CHEW ON: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” John the Baptist - Mark 1:7
You may have been to a concert where a little-known band or singer played first to get people in a good mood. Then later, the famous person came on stage to sing or play.
John the Baptist, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, was like that warm-up band. At first people flocked to the desert just to see him. Wouldn’t you be curious about a preacher who lived out in the wild, dressed in camel’s skin, and ate locusts and honey?
But if people came first out of curiosity, they came again to hear what John had to say. His preaching made them sorry for their sins. It made them feel like getting right with God. When they said they were sorry and decided to follow God (they repented), John baptized them in the Jordan River. Probably some of them thought he was Messiah, God’s special messenger.
But John knew his job was to prepare the people for Messiah. He quickly told them, “‘After me will come one more powerful than I.’” He didn’t mind that he wasn’t the most important.
PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be willing to take second place if that’s where You want me. Amen.
SUPERSIZE IT: Locust-and-Honey Special!
- Find out about locusts:
1. What family of insects do they belong to?
2. How big is a locust?
3. How would you cook it, or would you eat it uncooked?
4. How many locusts would it take to make a meal?
5. What food group does it belong to?
- Find out about honey:
1. Where does honey come from?
2. What is special about it?
3. What food group does it belong to?