A Voice - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2025

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
John 1:19

A Voice
They were determined to have an answer, and he gives them one. But mark his answer! Who or what was he? Nobody. He was only a "voice" (v. 23). This is morally lovely. The self-emptiness of this most honored servant is beautiful. It does the heart good to be brought into contact with such practical grace as this. Here was a man of real power and dignity, one of Christ's most illustrious servants, whose preaching had stirred the hearts of thousands, whose birth had been announced by angels, whose ministry had been foretold by prophets, the herald of the kingdom, the friend of the King. Yet this remarkable man, when forced to speak of himself, can merely be induced to say, "I am a voice." Not even a man, but only a voice.

What a lesson is here for us! What a wholesome corrective for our lamentable self-occupation and self-exaltation. It is truly wonderful to think of the Baptist's brilliant career, of his powerful ministry, of his widespread influence, extending even to the heart of Herod the king. Yet, notwithstanding all this, when forced to give out what he had to say of himself, he sums it all up in that one self-emptied word: a voice.

This contains a volume of deep practical instruction for the heart. It is precisely what is needed in this day of busy self-importance, for have we not to judge ourselves on the ground of our inordinate tendency to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think? Are we not all prone to attach importance to any little work with which we ourselves happen to stand connected? Alas! it is even so. Hence it is that we so deeply need the wholesome teaching furnished by the lovely self-emptiness of John the Baptist, who, when challenged to speak of himself, could retire into the shade and say, "I am only a voice."

C. H. Mackintosh