Identity (John 1:19-34)

 Sermon for Milledgeville and Whitestown UMC

Identity (John 1:19-34)

 

Bilbo and Gollum trade riddles
Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

In J,R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins suggests a contest of wits to Gollum. Each is to present a riddle and the first to be stumped loses. If Bilbo wins, Gollum will escort him to freedom. But if Gollum wins Bilbo becomes lunch.

 Here's a few riddles.

 Thirty white horses stand on a hill. First they chomp, then stomp, then stand still.  What are they?     TEETH

 I am light as a feather but even the strongest cannot hold me for long. What am I?          BREATH

 

The stakes are high for John the Baptist. His ministry had drawn the attention of the religious leaders in Jerusalem. John was preaching repentance and baptizing in the Jordan. Crowds were flocking to him. Jerusalem sent men to interrogate John. They wanted assurances that John wasn’t misleading the people. If his answer wasn’t satisfactory, John could be arrested and punished.

 

This exchange presents three important questions.

 

Who are you?

Why are you?

Who and why are you in light of Jesus?

 

John answers first by saying who he is not. He is not the Christ. Wikipedia summarizes Jewish hopes in Messiah. The messiah is a fully human, non-deity, Jewish leader, physically descended via a human genetic father of an unbroken paternal Davidic line through King David and King Solomon. He will unite the tribes of Israel, gather all Jews to the Land of Israel, rebuild the Temple, usher in a Messianic Age of global universal peace, and announce the world to come.

 

There have been many messiah hopefuls in Jewish history. In Acts 5, the revered teacher of the law, Gamaliel, mentioned two would-be messiahs, Theudas and Judas the Galilean. Both men were killed and their messianic movements ended.

 

John said, “I am not the Messiah.” There is a religious sect known as Mandaeans, a gnostic group that shares Jewish beliefs. They consider John the Baptist to be God’s final and greatest prophet. Mandaeans think of Jesus as a false messiah. Some have said that John the Baptist is the messiah, but the gospel of John makes it clear that John was not the Christ, nor is he to be revered.

 

John said, “I am not Elijah.” Why would the men sent from Jerusalem ask if John was Elijah? If you remember, Elijah was taken up to heaven on a chariot of fire. He didn’t die. (2 Kings 2:1-18)

 

The very last verses of our Old Testament scriptures come from the prophet Malachi, who predicted that Elijah would return from heaven to prepare the people for the coming Day of The Lord.

 

Look, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives. He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me, so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment.” (Mal 4:5-6)

 

After the transfiguration of Jesus, the disciples asked,

 

“Why do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus said to them, “Elijah does indeed come first, and restores all things… But I tell you that Elijah has certainly come, and they did to him whatever they wanted...” (Mark 9:11-14)

 

Jesus is speaking of John the Baptist, for King Herod arrested John and had him beheaded. The archangel Gabriel said that John would minister in the spirit of Elijah.

 

He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah… (Lk 1:16-17a)

 

While John does not claim to be Elijah, as far as Jesus was concerned, John was the fulfillment of the prophecy that Elijah would return. Elijah returned through the Holy Spirit working in John.

 

John said that he was not the Prophet. Moses said that God would raise another prophet like him to lead Israel. (Dt 18:15) During the first century, Jews had hopes of the Prophet like Moses to appear and lead Israel in righteousness. Christians think of Jesus as The Prophet. John is saying, “I am not the Prophet.” “I am not even worthy to untie his sandals!”

 

The temple authorities ask John, “Who are you?” John told them who he is not. He’s not the messiah, not exactly Elijah, and not the Prophet like Moses. Frustrated, they ask him again, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” (Jn 1:22)

 

John quoted the prophet Isaiah. “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.”

 

Mystified by John’s indirect way of answering them, John’s inquisitors are unsatisfied. So they ask John, “Why are you?” “Why are you baptizing?”

 

Just as he referred to the coming one, whose sandals John is unworthy to touch, John says, “I baptize with water, but the one coming after me will baptize with the Holy Spirit!”

 

Now that’s twice that John diverts attention from himself to Jesus, for we all know the one who is coming!

 

The next day John sees Jesus coming toward him. In the other gospel accounts John baptizes Jesus, but John’s gospel doesn’t tell us that. Instead, the focus remains on John’s testimony about Jesus. By John the Baptist’s witness, we learn that John’s identity is best understood in the light of Christ. In light of Jesus, John feels humble and unworthy, but he also feels purpose and wonder.

 

John called Jesus the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. (Jn 1:29) Wonder! Joy! Good News! John said that Jesus is greater than he, because Jesus existed before John was ever born. The gospel of John begins by telling us that Jesus is the Word made flesh. The divine Son of God came from heaven, and through the activity of the Holy Spirit, became human. At the dawn of time, at God’s side, Jesus created the universe. And now he walks toward John at the River Jordan. John was related to Jesus, but he didn’t know that Jesus was the Christ. Not until John saw the Spirit descend and remain on Jesus did John understand.

 

John said that revealing Jesus, the Christ, was his purpose. This is how he answers, “Why are you?”

 

“I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.” (Jn 1:31)

 

John knows that his time is ending, his ministry fulfilled. He led many to turn from sin and turn toward God. John got people ready for the appearance of Christ. John urged his own disciples to leave him and start following Jesus. In humility John said, “Christ must increase, and I must decrease.”

 

 

Who are you? You might answer by giving your name. Our names represent our birth, education, employment, property and documents like driver’s license, SSN, and bank accounts. You might tell of your achievements, your family, your hobbies and passions in life. You might speak of your political views and social work to answer, “Who are you?”

 

What if we followed the example of John the Baptist? What if we answered by saying who we are not.

 

Meatloaf had a hit song called I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That). What are the things you won’t do? Jews don’t eat pork to set themselves apart from others. What biblical morals set you apart? By not doing the things that displease God, our identity takes a divine shape. The moral boundaries set forth in the Bible, are like the edges of a bowl that holds soup. If I pour soup on a flat kitchen counter, the liquid runs all over and drips down the cabinets to the floor. Our lives are a mess without boundaries. But when we live within moral boundaries, we are held in place like soup nestled in a warm bowl. Do the things the Bible says God’s people are to do. Leave behind immoral ways.

 

Who are you? Your behavior answers who you are and who you are not.

 

Secondly, “Why are you?” What is your purpose?

 

Some will answer that they are mothers and fathers, or grandparents. Their identity is wrapped up in their family role. Some will answer by their occupation. Their work and achievements are the answer to their self-understanding. Others answer by their hobbies and passions in life. John answered by serving God’s purpose. He came to baptize, to prepare a people to receive the coming Christ. John’s purpose was to reveal Jesus.

 

John defines what he does and why he does it, a very specific mission and result. He uses the ritual of baptism to call Israel to repentance so that they are prepared to receive Jesus, their messiah.

 

How is your life defined by what you do for God? Is it evident to your family and friends? If not, what steps could you take this year to live out your divine purpose?

 

And finally, John defined himself in light of Jesus. He was humble before the greatness of The Word made flesh, the One on whom the Spirit remains, the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, the One who must increase while self-interest decreases.

 

Who and why are you in light of Jesus? How does your faith in Jesus define your identity and your purpose? It’s something we all must answer by how we choose to live each day.

 

Mark Hall of Casting Crowns remembers how he came to write the hit song, Who Am I.

 

He was driving home one night and decided to pray. As he began to pray he suddenly asked himself, “Who am I that I think I can just call up God any time, from the middle of nowhere, and expect Him hear me?” Then the Spirit reminded him, “I am a new creation.” “I am more than a conqueror.” “But I’m also like grass, here today and gone tomorrow. I am a conqueror. I live in victory over sin and death, but my life is just a vapor. I can pray to God, because of what He’s done for me.”

 

End with Song "Who AM I" by Casting Crowns