Carter can point. His grandparents think it’s remarkable, even amazing. He points—first with one hand and then with the other. He can do the double-whammy—both hands at once—even in a crowded restaurant or during church services. Some are amused—others entertained; but few can resist the temptation to look in the direction of his aim.
What is charming in a ten-month old might prove to be strange or even rude in someone my age. We have to be more creative in making our point—more creative in directing the attention of others to Jesus. But, make no mistake about it, we are in the business of pointing people to Jesus.
We can point people to Jesus by directing their attention to the Scriptures. John describes the purpose for writing his Gospel, saying “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in the book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (Jn. 20:30-31). The Scriptures tell us about Jesus.
In rebuking certain Jews who were criticizing Him for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus pointed out the inconsistency of their claim to rely on Moses and the Scriptures. He said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (Jn. 5:39). He concluded, saying, “if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (vss. 46-47).
While we point people to Jesus by directing them to His word, it is also necessary to show them His truth in our lives. People need to see Jesus living in us. The apostle Paul told Titus to “Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect” (Tit. 2:9-10). Adorning the doctrine of God is adding flesh and blood to God’s teaching—it is showing faith in action. Don’t forget this essential component of pointing people to the Lord! Like a shining light, a godly life will catch the attention of those sitting in darkness and point them to the only one who can lead them to the Father (Jn. 14:6).