John 1:19-34

Verse 26 - "...among you stands the one you do not know"

This verse just sticks with me, because it implies that Jesus is already living and moving amongst the people, but they just can't see that He is different from anyone else.

Just imagine if, tomorrow, your childhood buddy, or the guy next door, or the woman who works in accounting, suddenly became the next American Idol. Wouldn't it shake you up a little? You'd be wondering why you didn't notice their unique talent before. Maybe you'd question whether or not they deserved their success. Maybe you'd get excited and join their fan club. Or maybe you'd be jealous of their new-found fame, and you'd try to cash in on it for yourself.

I think Jesus might have experienced some of this when He first started His ministry.

We're told that Mary kept the special memories of Jesus's childhood in her heart. I like to think that His family recognized that Jesus was different from other children and young men. Anne Rice's book, "Christ the Lord", is a fictionalized account of a childhood year in the life of Jesus. In her telling of the story, the young Jesus was able to do miracles, but not necessarily able to control these abilities. In her story, everyone in Jesus's family knows He is 'different', and they all have unique reactions to this.

But what about the ordinary crowd? How would they react to Jesus - their neighbour, their friend, the guy who built their table and chairs - How would they react to this 'everyday guy', suddenly being proclaimed the "Lamb of God"?

In verse 30, John tells us that Jesus "... existed before I was born." Maybe John sensed hesitancy in the crowd, and this was his response? In this statement alone, John is telling us that this 'everyday guy', this neighbour, friend, guy-who-built-their-table, is not in the least ordinary or everyday. He wasn't simply born... He existed. This is no everyday prophet.