Unworthy to Be at the Feet of Jesus

Bible Verse for Today

“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.”

Mark 1:7

Devotion for Today

Unworthy to Be at the Feet of Jesus

Our first stop at the feet of Jesus is to visit with John the Baptist… who never actually spent time at the feet of Jesus. That might seem like an odd place to start, but bear with me. I think you’ll see that it’s the perfect place to begin our time together.

John first encountered Jesus when they were both still in their mother’s wombs. When Mary approached her cousin, Elizabeth, John leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb because he recognized the coming Christ in Mary’s (Luke 1:39-45). After John’s birth, he went about preparing the way for Jesus, baptizing people for the repentance of sin, and telling them Jesus was coming.

Today’s key verse is found in Mark 1:7, where John told the masses that he wasn’t even worthy to stoop down and untie the sandals on the feet of Jesus. That’s why we are starting our time at the feet of Jesus with John the Baptist. Because he recognized something that’s true for all of us. None of us are worthy to come to the feet of Jesus.

Romans 3:23 tells us we all have sinned and fall short the glory of God. Isaiah 59:2 tells us that our sins separate us from God. That’s what John the Baptist recognized. He recognized that none of us are good enough for Jesus (Romans 3:10). Not even a prophet like himself.

In Matthew 3:13-15, Jesus comes to John to be baptized. John responds with complete humility at recognizing who Jesus is and says, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (v. 14). He’s completely flabbergasted.

But this is why I love Jesus so much.

Jesus is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). We’re all unworthy of Him, but that’s why He came (John 3:16). The very purpose of Jesus being born on earth was so He could reunite us with God. He gave His life so our sins could be forgiven—past, present, and future (1 Peter 2:24). We aren’t worthy of Jesus, instead, we get our worth from Jesus. John the Baptist recognized that. He saw his own need for a savior. And that’s what I want us to see as we start our journey. We aren’t worthy, but we’re welcome.

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