John 1:20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
John the Baptist is an interesting character of the New Testament. As a cousin of Jesus, he was the son of Zechariah and was called by God to go before Jesus and announce His arrival to the world.
Each time we read about John the Baptist, we see a colourful way of how he approaches life and views himself. He had a perspective of himself that was unique but more importantly, certain. “Who are you?” the priests and Levites asked. They came with the understanding that the Messiah would be coming after the period of prophetic silence as prophesied by Malachi, and John happened to be meeting certain criteria that caught their attention.
In fact, if they could go ask the question that they really wanted to ask, it would have been “Are you the Christ?” They hesitated because they just were not sure. But John, knowing their real question, answered it right off the bat for them – I am not the Christ. He then went further to let them know his position relative to who Christ was in the spiritual pecking order of things.
Self-identity begins with humility and is derived from revelation. Through revelation, John knew who he was and his position as a forerunner for Christ. From that, his ministry to the people flowed and he ran his race really well.
“Who are you?” Or rather, as you revisit this question and ask yourself, “who am I?”, look to God as you begin introspection. Let your answer be found in His love for you and how He sees you.