John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me. John 1:15
A few Christmas’ ago, two Indians came to stay with my brother in England. My brother sits on the board of mission India, and these were guests from that mission. Early one Saturday, they caught the bus into town to visit the local shopping centre. Their purpose? Simply to share the Gospel. They went to find people who might be interested in hearing the Gospel. I remember my brother being mildly shocked at the time; did people actually still go onto the streets to seek converts? We thought that was strictly New Testament.
But the message of the New Testament is that Christ must be proclaimed. The proclamation starts early, well before Jesus steps onto the stage, with Gods proclamation thousands of years before in Scripture. The arrival of Christ is something that God was excited about, and he continues to be excited about it. The last thing Jesus commands his disciples is to proclaim the news, ‘go into the world and tell‘.
In the West, we have on the whole ceased to proclaim Jesus publicly. Today as I visited a carol service out in the open, I was alarmed that the good news of Jesus was not publicly proclaimed. Instead, we prefer the syrupy songs that seem to accompany all things Christian, and downplay the hard message of Jesus; a call to repentance and obedience, through Faith alone in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to come to God.
To proclaim Jesus publicly is to risk a lot, often everything. The 2 Indians I started the story with told my brother that at home, every day they step out to share the Gospel they expect ridicule and persecution. The cost is high. Yet Jesus warned that following him would be a costly endeavour. Suffering would come to all who truly decided to follow him, and proclamation of Jesus was part of the call. If we are honest it is probably the reason why we no longer proclaim the Gospel.
So why proclaim Jesus at all? Because we know him to be the answer to life. We have seen and continue to see lives changed because of him, including our own. Around the world captives are being set free because of this person, Jesus Christ. Because of him, lives have meaning, night turns to day and our relationship with God is assured.People need to know.
This season, so often called the ‘silly season’ for all the wrong reasons, let us be reckless for him. God’s relentless pursuit of us culminates in this single event – it is the creator’s answer to the human problem. His only answer, and his primary way of getting the message out is through you and me.
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