“Who are you?” That’s the question John heard most often as he began his ministry of baptizing in the wilderness. Of course many who asked were interested in his answer – not because they wanted to get to know him, but so that they could label him. The religious leaders were always on the lookout for upstart “prophet” or “messiah” wannabes. And with the attention and attendance John was getting, their move to send out inquirers was predictable.
They had their list in hand as they approached the popular preacher who seemed to have it in for them (although we’re not sure whether or not John’s description comes after Matthew’s version of John calling them a brood of vipers). So the typical questioning included the following:
Are you the Christ? That was the biggie. Ever since Genesis 3 and the promise to the now fallen and found-out Adam and Eve, that there would come a child who would be the Savior, faithful Jews had prayed for and longed for the coming of the Messiah (or Christ). Could the crowds be right, or was this just another guy in the wilderness with a Messiah complex?
Are you the return of the prophet Elijah? Ever since Elijah was swept up in the fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11) and the promise was made of his return to put all things in order (Malachi 4:5), faithful Jews had waited for his return (including the empty Elijah seat at the Passover meal). Could this fiery speaker in the desert who speaks of baptizing with fire, be him, or just another false hope?
Are you THE Prophet? Ever since Moses predicted that God would send a prophet who would open up the hearts of God’s people to His Word in a powerful way (Deuteronomy 18:15,18), faithful Jews had looked for that answer to that promise. Could this one who speaks with such an air of authority really THIS Prophet, or just another hermit style religious fanatic rambling in the summer sun?
And so they asked, but John was not a man who confused his identity. He could answer “No” to each of these popular guesses among the masses who came to see him. But a “no” wasn’t good enough for these reporters from TNN (i.e. Temple News Network). “Then what do you say about yourself?” they demanded, and John obliged them with an answer: “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
John knew his identity. He wasn’t out there trying to fill the vacant position of “Christ” and he wasn’t out there to be a pop star – waiting for the movie of his life to be played out on the big screen. He was a man with a calling. He was fulfilling the Isaiah prophecy and getting people ready to welcome (or reject) the One whose sandals he wasn’t “worthy to untie.”
Yes, John knew his identity – an area we all struggle with at different seasons of our lives. We try on all the typical identifiers that the culture around us asks us to model. We appeal to our ethnic backgrounds, or family make-ups, our current position at work, or our status symbols that we drive or wear or call home.
But to have a “John the Baptist” Christmas is to understand that our identity is meant to be wrapped up and flow from the One to whom John spent his life pointing the way. To be a son or daughter of the King and to live a life that reflects His. That’s really Christ with us.
They had their list in hand as they approached the popular preacher who seemed to have it in for them (although we’re not sure whether or not John’s description comes after Matthew’s version of John calling them a brood of vipers). So the typical questioning included the following:
Are you the Christ? That was the biggie. Ever since Genesis 3 and the promise to the now fallen and found-out Adam and Eve, that there would come a child who would be the Savior, faithful Jews had prayed for and longed for the coming of the Messiah (or Christ). Could the crowds be right, or was this just another guy in the wilderness with a Messiah complex?
Are you the return of the prophet Elijah? Ever since Elijah was swept up in the fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11) and the promise was made of his return to put all things in order (Malachi 4:5), faithful Jews had waited for his return (including the empty Elijah seat at the Passover meal). Could this fiery speaker in the desert who speaks of baptizing with fire, be him, or just another false hope?
Are you THE Prophet? Ever since Moses predicted that God would send a prophet who would open up the hearts of God’s people to His Word in a powerful way (Deuteronomy 18:15,18), faithful Jews had looked for that answer to that promise. Could this one who speaks with such an air of authority really THIS Prophet, or just another hermit style religious fanatic rambling in the summer sun?
And so they asked, but John was not a man who confused his identity. He could answer “No” to each of these popular guesses among the masses who came to see him. But a “no” wasn’t good enough for these reporters from TNN (i.e. Temple News Network). “Then what do you say about yourself?” they demanded, and John obliged them with an answer: “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
John knew his identity. He wasn’t out there trying to fill the vacant position of “Christ” and he wasn’t out there to be a pop star – waiting for the movie of his life to be played out on the big screen. He was a man with a calling. He was fulfilling the Isaiah prophecy and getting people ready to welcome (or reject) the One whose sandals he wasn’t “worthy to untie.”
Yes, John knew his identity – an area we all struggle with at different seasons of our lives. We try on all the typical identifiers that the culture around us asks us to model. We appeal to our ethnic backgrounds, or family make-ups, our current position at work, or our status symbols that we drive or wear or call home.
But to have a “John the Baptist” Christmas is to understand that our identity is meant to be wrapped up and flow from the One to whom John spent his life pointing the way. To be a son or daughter of the King and to live a life that reflects His. That’s really Christ with us.
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