John the Baptist was a godly man and a good preacher. Being a preacher requires more than just godliness. Being godly does not automatically make one a good preacher. Preachers are first and foremost messengers, and God chooses his own messengers. No one should attempt to preach if not called by God to preach. God gave John a message and told him to deliver it. John did not choose his calling and he did not choose the message, but once called he was faithful to deliver God’s message.

John was not motivated by wealth or fame. He went into the wilderness away from the crowds, but because his message was God’s message, people followed him into the wilderness to hear it. Too often preachers believe the showy flash of delivery is more important than the content that is being delivered. The preacher may have the most eloquent and most entertaining speech, but if the message is not the important thing, then the preaching is a failure. When FedEx shows up at your door you’re not interested in who the deliveryman is, you are waiting for the package being delivered.

John the Baptist had a message from God and God verified the content of the message by sending the dove of the Holy Spirit onto Jesus. When a preacher today delivers a message, the congregation cannot depend upon a dove to validate the content of the message. The only way to know for sure that the message comes from God is if the source is found in God’s written word. God’s message will come from a biblical text, align with church tradition, and can be validated by reason and personal experience. Good preaching will meet these tests.

When Jesus appeared, John pointed his disciples to Him. He made sure they knew that they were being taught to follow Jesus not to follow John himself. John was not upset, but rather was pleased, when his disciples left him to go with Jesus. A good and godly preacher leads people to Jesus.