We have, in the person of John the Baptist, a fine example of one who entered, in some degree, into the real meaning of self-emptiness. The Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who art thou? What sayest thou of thyself?” What was his reply? A self-emptied one. He said he was just “a voice.” This was taking his true place. “A voice” had not much to glory in. He did not say, “I am one crying in the wilderness.” No; he was merely “the voice of one.” He had no ambition to be anything more. This was self-emptiness. And, observe the result. He found his engrossing object in Christ. “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-3635Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (John 1:35‑36)). What was all this, but the fullness of God waiting on an empty vessel! John was nothing; Christ was all; hence, when John’s disciples left his side to follow Jesus, we may feel assured that no murmuring word, no accent of disappointed ambition or wounded pride escaped his lips. There is no envy or jealousy in a self-emptied heart. There is nothing touchy, nothing tenacious, about one who has learned to take his true place. Had John been seeking his own things, he might have complained when he saw himself abandoned, but when a man has found his satisfying object in “the Lamb of God,” he does not care much about losing a few disciples.
He Must Increase – I Must Decrease
We have a further exhibition of the Baptist’s self-emptied spirit in the third chapter of John. “They came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all come to Him” (John 3:2626And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. (John 3:26)). Here was a communication quite calculated to draw out the envy and jealousy of the poor human heart. But mark the reply, the noble reply, of the Baptist: “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. ... He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all” (John 3:27,30-3127John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. (John 3:27)
30He must increase, but I must decrease. 31He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. (John 3:30‑31)). Precious testimony this! A testimony to his own utter nothingness and Christ’s fullness, glory and peerless excellence! “A voice” was “nothing”; Christ was “above all.”
At Leisure From Self
Oh! for a self-emptied spirit — “a heart at leisure from itself” — a mind delivered from all anxiety about one’s own things! May we be more thoroughly delivered from self in all its detestable windings and workings! Then could the Master use us, own us and bless us. Hearken to His testimony to John — the one who said of himself that he was nothing but a voice. “Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:1111Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11)). How much better to hear this from the Master than from the servant! John said, “I am a voice.” Christ said he was the greatest of prophets. Simon Magus gave out that “himself was some great one” (Acts 8:99But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: (Acts 8:9)). Such is the way of the world — the manner of man. John the Baptist, the greatest of prophets, gave out that himself was nothing — that Christ was “above all.” What a contrast!
May we be kept lowly and self-emptied and be continually filled with Christ. This is true blessedness. May the language of our hearts and the distinct utterance of our lives ever be, “Behold the Lamb of God.”
C. H. Mackintosh (adapted)