(Ask your parents to help you with this study)

IMPORTANT !
Don't rush this Bible study, take your time, think out what it means 
and allow the truth to get into your heart and spirit.

What is one of the most important jobs of a Christian?  Some might say it is to love your neighbor as yourself.  Others say it is to pray for people everyday.  What do you think? 

Many people study the life of Paul and the rest of the Apostles hoping to be like them, but usually find out that is rather hard to do.  Though the Apostles were very important in bringing Christianity to the world, the person that I really want to talk about is John.  Not the Apostle John, but John the Baptist.  What was John's job? 

John had one of the most important jobs in the New Testament.  His job was to usher in the Messiah.  That means to make a way for Jesus to be seen by the people.  He came right before Jesus so that people would be ready for what God was about to do.  John said "...the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel."  Isaiah prophesied about John saying: "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' " And that is exactly what John did.  He told of the coming Messiah.  He said, "I baptize you with water for repentance.  But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

You see, John did not want people to think John was someone important, he wanted people to see that Jesus was God and could save them from their sins.  John was a prophet, and like Elijah had many awesome things happen around him, but he did not want the people to look at him.  He wanted them to see the one coming after him, Jesus.

Sometimes the most important job to do for God may seem the most ordinary. The littledonkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem was very important. But the people who were cheering and throwing down branches of palm leaves, were not paying any attention to the donkey, but to Jesus. Yet the little donkey was carrying the Son of God. What an important job !  We are to carry the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts, that sounds to me like a pretty important job. As the littledonkey carried a full-grown Jesus, radical Christian children carry the same. They don't carry a baby or junior size Jesus, or a small Holy Spirit inside of them. What a privilege to have Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit living inside of us ! That means God can do powerful things through little kids ! Also, Jesus did not ride a big horse, or even the motherdonkey, but He showed us how to be humble, by riding the babydonkey. When Jesus comes the second time, He will come for His Church, as the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords and He will be riding a white stallion. 

A Christian's job is not to make themselves famous, or want people to look up to them.  It is to let other people see Jesus. So when we pray for someone to get healed or saved, or we have a word of knowledge for someone, they don't look at us and thank us, but instead they begin to praise the Lord. It is our job to show people Jesus. If we do our job in leading them to Jesus,we will see many people changed by the power of God.  And not only that, but we will find that we will have a closer relationship with Jesus as well. 

Let's read the following scriptures: John 1:19-27.

"Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priest and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, `Who are you?' He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, `I am not the Christ.' And they asked him, `What then? Are you Elijah?' He said, `I am not' `Are you the Prophet?' And he answered `No.' Then they said to him, `Who are you, that we may give an answer to them that send us? What do you say about yourself?' He said: `I am `The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as the prophet Isaiah said.' Now these were sent from the Pharisees. And they asked him saying, `Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?' John answered them, saying `I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to loose [undo]." 

Let's read the following scriptures.  Matthew. 21: 1-9.  John. 12:12-15.

"Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, `Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and colt to her, Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, `The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them.' All of this was done that it might be fulfilled by the prophet, saying: `Tell the daughters of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.' 
So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude [crowd] spread their garments on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitude who went before and the others who followed cried out saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!'" (Mat.21:1-9.)

"And the next day when a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: `Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!' Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: `Fear not daughter of Zion: Behold, you King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt'"(Jn. 12:12-15.)