Be Still And Know

John 1:26-27 John [the Baptist] told them, “I baptise with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognise. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” We are familiar with the stories of Jesus and have probably all seen film portrayals of him. It’s hard for us to imagine that there was a time when people didn’t know who he was. He didn’t stand out in a crowd. It seems that only John the Baptist could spot him; he recognised exactly who Jesus was and why he had come to the world. He knew he had a vital ministry of preparing the way for Jesus but that he himself was not worthy of even being his slave. The New Testament clearly proclaims that Jesus is alive today. In the power of the Holy Spirit, he continues to be present in our world, but most people don’t recognise him. Many people see Church as an irrelevance and, according to some surveys, weekly church attendance has now declined to about 5 per cent of the population.