John the Assist Man
Ready:
"I am the voice of one calling in the desert, make straight the way for the Lord."
-John 1:23
Set
One of the greatest guards in basketball history was John Stockton, the NBA's all-time leader in assists. He knew his primary role wasn't to score, but to set up his teammates to score, and during his 17 seasons, no one in the league did that any better. The success of his teammates depended upon Stockton's willingness to put them first, to step aside and let them score.
In the Bible, the greatest assist man was John the Baptist. Like Stockton, he knew his role and stated it very clearly in John 1:23. "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, make straight the way for the Lord." John the Baptist spent his career on earth setting up his "teammate," Jesus Christ. Many religious leaders of the day thought that John the Baptist was Elijah, or a prophet, or even the Messiah himself. But John knew his role was not "to score" but to set up the scorer, the one true Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Jesus knew how important the assist man was. In Matthew 11:11 Jesus stated, "I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. . ." When Jesus came to be baptized, John wanted Jesus to baptize him, but Jesus knew that it was God's mission for John to do the baptizing.
Every successful team needs an assist man, someone who puts his teammates first. Today, thank God for those who set you up to succeed in the Lord, and pray for those whom God is calling you to assist.
Go
1. Who is your assist man or woman?
2. Whom are you assisting?
3. How can you better assist them?
Workout
Matthew 3:1-16
John 1:1-31
Bible Reference:
John 1
