Legacy

In the world of sports, G.O.A.T. Stands for the “Greatest Of All Time”. In the sports world there are several people who come to mind: Tom Brady in the NFL has won 7 Super Bowls; Michael Phelps, the swimmer, has won 28 Olympic Medals of which 23 were Gold; Michael Jordan is arguably the best NBA player who ever lived; Roger Federer won 8 Wimbledons and 20 Grand-slams; Lionel Messi is the most decorated soccer player ever and is the king of the soccer world with 44 titles and 42 trophies.

While the world has its own perceptions about who is truly the greatest of all time in any given field, it makes me wonder who Jesus would say is the G.O.A.T. When it comes to following the Lord and living a God honoring life.

In Matthew 11:11 we can see you Jesus believes was the greatest. “I tell you the truth, of all those who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist.”

So, John the Baptist is the G.O.A.T. Of the Bible. Of all the people who ever lived, he is the greatest. But what made him the greatest in Jesus’ eyes?

I believe there are several reasons for this.

1. John the Baptist was confident in his identity

Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight

the way for the Lord.” John 1:19-23

John the Baptist knew what he believed and knew what he stood for. He was sure of his calling and confident in his identity yet never compared himself and quickly stated when asked that he was not the messiah nor Elijah or a prophet.

If you want to live and leave a legacy, being confident in who you are is critical. Remembering that it is not about you is the first step. Refusing to compare your - self to others is an important trap to avoid as well. Finding your voice is key to

walking confidently in your identity.

2. John the Baptist had a Posture of Humility

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11

“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30

John the Baptist was humble and never sought position, fame or glory. He always and only promoted Jesus and pointed people to him. He stated that he must decrease, and Jesus must increase. His humility was apparent in all of the scriptures where he was mentioned.

The kind of humility we see in John the Baptist is refreshing and inspiring especially in our self-centered culture where everything is about “ME”. People who want to live and lead a legacy must learn to be humble and put others above themselves. Humility means that we have a teachable spirit and are willing to listen, learn and grow.

3. John the Baptist Clung to the Word of God

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 3:1-2

John the Baptist was undaunted in preaching God’s word and unafraid to proclaim the truth no matter what. He called everyone to repentance and took a lot of heat for being so bold. In fact, it cost him his head. But he never compromised the message to appease the culture.

We can learn from John the Baptist as he held fast to the truth of God’s word. If we want to live and leave a legacy then we must share the truth and always speak it out even when it is unpopular. The single greatest tool that we have in our grasp is the truth found in the Bible itself.

John the Baptist understood the power of truth. “Truth is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself.” - Saint Augustine

It you want to live and leave a legacy, remember the G.O.A.T. John the Baptist is a great example for us. Jesus believed he was the best example ever!

Blessings