Third Sunday in Advent December 14, 2008 The Rev. Charles Henrickson “Tell Us, John: Who Are You?” (John 1:6-8, 19-28)
Every year during Advent, on the Second and Third Sundays in Advent, we get readings about John the Baptist. On the Second Sunday in Advent, which was last week, the reading tends to focus on the preaching of John the Baptist, his preaching of repentance. On the Third Sunday in Advent, which is today, the reading focuses more on the person of John the Baptist, his person as the forerunner of Christ. That’s the focus today, then, the question--asked five times, and answered by John five times--“Tell Us, John: Who Are You?” As we hear these questions and answers, we will discover more about John the Baptist--who he is and who he isn’t--and more importantly, John will direct us to the one he came to testify about. Oh, and in the process, we will learn more about our own identity, who we are, as a result. As I say, five questions, five answers, about John, who he is and who he isn’t. But before we get to those questions and answers, found in the second half of John chapter 1, notice that our Gospel reading begins today with some verses from the first half of chapter 1. Do you see that on your bulletin insert? It’s got verses 6-8, and then it jumps to verses 19-28. Those first verses are from the prologue to the gospel, the introduction, where we the readers are told right from the outset who John is, who Jesus is, where they come from, and so on. So we the readers and hearers of this gospel have that knowledge, that information, coming into the story, as we then launch into the narratives of this book. This gives us some perspective, then, when we encounter characters in the gospel who don’t “get it,” who don’t know or understand the identity and origin of Jesus and John, because we already do. Let’s take John, for instance. Here’s what the prologue tells us about him: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. . . .” Here we learn, very briefly, what we need to know about John the Baptist. We learn about his identity and origin, who he is, who sent him, what he came to do, and who it is he bore witness about. He is introduced as “a man sent from God.” There is his authority to do what he did. He was a man on a mission. His mission was to bear witness, to testify, to tell about what he knew that others needed to know. This witness or testimony was, is, about one called “the light.” The “light,” as we learn from the surrounding verses in the prologue and from the rest of this gospel--the “light” is a person, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world, the one who brings the light of God into this sin-darkened world. He illumines our minds to see the truth about God and ourselves. Christ brings light and life into this hall of darkness and death. He is the Word made flesh, the Son of God who came from God, full of grace and truth, who makes God known to us. This is who the light is, Christ. And this is who John the Baptist came to bear witness about. John’s purpose, his whole purpose in life, is that you would believe in Christ. “He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.” John will be doing that again here today, testifying to Christ, in order that you may believe. So this is what we know about John, even before we get to the first story or narrative. We’re told ahead of time about his identity and origin, his mission and purpose, who sent him and who he came to talk about. Now we come to those five questions and five answers. First question and answer: “And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’” Well, now, John was getting a lot of attention out there in the wilderness along the Jordan. People were going out to him from all over. He was drawing a steady stream of visitors, even from Jerusalem. John was causing a big stir. So this got the attention of the folks at headquarters, the Jewish ruling council called the Sanhedrin, made up of the movers and shavers, the power people of the religion and the nation, which were basically the same thing. They send out an investigating party to look into this John the Baptist fellow. They send some priests and Levites, people associated with the temple in Jerusalem. You know, John’s father, Zechariah, was a priest, and here is his son--a pastor’s kid, if you will--causing all this commotion. Notice, by the way, that they are described as being sent from the Jews. Well, we already know that John is “a man sent from God.” So we know who has the higher authority, and who really ought to be investigating whom. But they ask, “Who are you?” Literally, “You, who are you?” putting the emphasis on the “you” and putting him on the spot. And John answers them, literally and emphatically, “I, I am not the Christ.” Notice, they ask him who he is, and he answers them who he isn’t. “I am not the Christ.” They hadn’t mentioned the Christ, but John does. John had been preaching a strong, powerful message of repentance, calling the whole nation to repentance. He was preaching end-time judgment and salvation. Therefore, thoughts of the Christ, the Messiah, the end-time deliverer promised by God from long ago--thoughts of the Christ were not too far away, they were “in the air.” And John says, “No, I am not him.” “But somebody else is,” that’s the implication. The Christ is nearby, he’s right at hand. He is “the coming one,” and he is coming right away. It says here that John “confessed, and did not deny, but confessed.” To confess Christ, to confess the faith, means to speak up, even in the face of opposition. That’s what John did. He did not let fear tie his tongue. God will help you to confess Christ, too. When called upon to speak up, to confess what you believe and what our church teaches, on the basis of God’s Word--God will give you the courage and the voice, like John, to confess the faith. “Tell us, John, who are you?” “I am not the Christ.” Now the second question and answer: “And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’” Associated in the popular mind with the coming of the Christ was the appearance, or re-appearance, of certain Old Testament figures. One of them was Elijah, the great and fiery prophet from hundreds of years earlier. Elijah had been taken up into heaven on a chariot of fire, and the expectation was that Elijah would reappear shortly before the arrival of the Messiah. In fact, there was a prophecy in Malachi, where the Lord says: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” And in a certain sense, you could say that John fulfills that Elijah prophecy. Before his birth, the angel had told his father Zechariah that this child would go before the Lord “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” As a grown man, John the Baptist’s appearance and ministry recalled Elijah, wearing a rough garment of camel’s hair, a wild man preaching in the wilderness, and so on. Jesus would even say of John, “If you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.” But John the Baptist was not Elijah reincarnate, and he didn’t want the discussion to get sidetracked on that topic. So he answers briefly, “I am not.” “Tell us, John, who are you? Are you Elijah?” “I am not.” Third question and answer: “‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’” “The Prophet.” Again, this is a figure with an Old Testament background. In Deuteronomy 18, Moses tells the Israelites: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me,” Moses says, “from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen.” So there was an expectation of a great Moses-like prophet in the end-times. Only, it wasn’t John. He answers, “No.” In fact, this prophecy is really fulfilled by Jesus himself. Remember, how on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, then those two Old Testament figures disappear from sight, and the voice from the cloud says, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Yes, listen to him, listen to Jesus. He is the ultimate one, coming from God, speaking the truth. “It is to him you shall listen.” “Tell us, John, who are you? Are you the Prophet?” “No.” Notice how John’s three answers have gotten progressively shorter: “I am not the Christ.” “I am not.” “No.” And in each case, John answers the “Who are you?” question by saying who he is not. Now the fourth question and answer: “So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said.’” At last John tells us who he is, stating positively, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.” But even here, notice how John doesn’t put much attention on himself. Instead, he identifies himself simply as a “voice,” whose function it is to tell people about someone else. He’s getting things ready for the arrival of someone else, namely, the Lord. That’s who John wants to talk about. “Tell us, John, who are you?” “I am the voice, the one preparing the way of the Lord. Let me tell you more about him.” That brings us, then, to the fifth and final question and answer: “They asked him, ‘Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’” This is the question of authority. What gives you the right, John, to be doing what you’re doing? Who do you think you are, calling us to repentance, baptizing people, claiming some authority from God? John points them again to the one greater than himself, the one who gives power to his baptism. “Among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” John turns the question around. His questioners were the guys who were supposed to know things. They were supposed to be the religious experts. Yet they did not know, they did not recognize--nor would they--the very Messiah sent from God. In fact, these religious leaders would reject the Christ, the Savior sent from God. Not just John, but even more so, Jesus, would experience rejection and hostility from the leaders of the nation. They hated Jesus, for he exposed their hypocrisy and false leadership. Jesus came from God, speaking the truth, shining the light of truth into dark and hidden places. And for that they killed him. Had him condemned to the cross, there to die as a common criminal. “Among you stands one you do not know.” But, my dear friends, you--you do know him! You know him to be your Savior. You know him, Jesus Christ, the one who shed his blood on the cross to deliver you from the darkness of death and to give you the light of life in its place. You know Christ to be the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, even your sin. John the Baptist tells you, John the Evangelist tells you, every preacher tells you, about this Christ, in order that you may believe, and that by believing you may have life in his name. “Among you stands one you do know.” You know who he is and where he came from, and as a result, you now know who you are and where you are going. “Tell us, Christian, who are you?” Dear friend, what is your identity? Who are you? Like John the Baptist, when asked, you can confess the faith. Today you can answer: “I am Jim the Baptized.” “I am Jan the Baptized.” “I am Bob the Baptized, Betty the Baptized.” That is my identity. I am baptized into Christ. I belong to my Savior. I find my identity wrapped up in him. He is my light, he is my life. I know who I am and where I am going, because of him. Charles Henrickson 4749 Melissa Jo Ln St. Louis, MO 63128 (314) 845-8811 (home) (314) 779-8108 (cell) [email protected] ___________________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_ _attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author, as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list. Do *not* reply to the list with your comments, but to the poster. Subscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Unsubscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Archive? <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> For more information on this or other lists offered by Confess And Teach For Unity, you can contact the CAT 41 list administrator at: Rev. Fr. Eric J. 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