John continues to be questioned by the priests and Levites as we continue in this first chapter of the Gospel of John. Remember these were the church rulers who had authority both in the church and in daily life. They continued to hound John with questions and would not accept his answers. John finally answered in two separate ways to make it clear to all. In verse 20 he says, “I am not the Christ,” and then in verse 23 states, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” The first statement may have been a relief to the church rulers as John was attracting quite a following and yet was not part of the inner circle of rulers. At the same time the second comment may have been a concern, because John was now claiming to be the herald of the Messiah, the Christ, the one person for whom the Levites and priests were waiting, but John’s Christ would not be from their inner circle either.Through this time John was focused on one thing: being the servant of God and the vessel of God’s message. He had zero focus on his own needs, issues, or ambitions. He was totally satisfied with what God was doing with him and unconcerned about the outcome. How did John do this amazing thing? Did he have a greater power than we do? Was his life one that was given something we do not have? No, in fact John simply acknowledged the very same thing Jesus wants us to remember. It is stated in verse 14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” John allowed God His proper and necessary place in John’s life, indwelling and in control. Today we weigh many risks in life. The one risk with the greatest reward and NO chance of failure is to allow Christ to dwell in our life and allow HIM to control our very being. Too often we make the decision to bring Christ into our life and then inch by inch, day by day take pieces back into our own control. God’s desire is to be in control of our all