祂必興旺，我必衰微
只要是傳講：要把人所有的工作和生命都視為無有，這聲音就是曠野里約翰的聲音，就是純正完全的基督教的教導。
約翰真正的事工是修直通向基督的路。
他的工作就是：使我們謙卑。他告訴我們都是罪人、失喪的、已被定罪的、貧乏的、可憐的受造物。他告訴我們說：沒有任何人的生命、善行、或身份足夠聖潔、偉大、良善，而不遭上帝譴責的。除非基督住在其中，做工在其中，行走其中，再藉著他的信心，才有身份，方能成事。我們都需要耶穌基督，熱切地期盼他恩典的參與。
無論在哪裡，只要是傳講：要把人所有的工作和生命都視為無有，這聲音就是曠野里約翰的聲音，就是純正完全的基督教的教導，正如保羅說：「因為世人都犯了罪，虧缺了上帝的榮耀（羅3:23）」，就是說：讓我們完全謙卑，把驕傲完全從我們心中除去。這就是所謂的「預備主的道，修直他的路！高高低低的道路要改為平坦！（路3:4-5）」——馬丁路德(WA 10.1:198) (將臨期第四主日講道, 1522)
This is the way made straight for Christ, and this is the true ministry of John, that he shall humble us and tell us that we are all sinners, lost and condemned, poor, miserable creature, and that there is no life, nor work, nor standing so holy, great and good that it is not under condemnation, unless Christ dwell and work and walk in it, and both is and does all things through his faith. We all need Christ Jesus and should earnestly desire to partake of his grace.
Where it is preached that all our work ad all our life are counted as nothing, there sounds the true voice of John in the desert, and the pure and full truth of Christian teaching; as Paul says, “All have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), which means that we are completely humbled, that our pride is cut out from our hearts and altogether abolished. And this may truly be called the straightening of the path for our Lord, making the rough places plain for him, and making way for him. (WA 10.1:198) (Sermon for the 4th Sunday in Advent, 1522)
English text is taken from Day by Day We Magnify You, Revised Edition, Augsburg Books, 2008, p.33, ISBN #9780806680149
