Who Are You?
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John 1.6-8, 19-28
December 13, 2020
For many, the Gospel of John is their favorite gospel. And who can blame them? There is soaring poetry, insightful commentary and some thrilling narrative. Who can forget the wedding at Cana, the raising of Lazarus, the woman caught in adultery and many other stories? Then there is the most famous verse of all time: John 3:16. So, it is easy to understand why John is the top of the list for so many.
Another thing to like about John’s gospel is that it tells us who Jesus is right from the beginning. We are told that he is the Word and that the Word was with God and was God. That the Word was the light of the world and that the darkness will never master the light. The other gospels keep us in a bit of suspense and let us know who Jesus is later in their narratives. But not John. It is upfront in identifying that Jesus is the Word and the light.
But there is another who is introduced in the first verses of John. It is a man whom we have already met, a man who proves to be an integral part of all the Gospels. A man sent by God. A man named John.
We met John last week as he was preaching and baptizing in the wilderness of Judea. He showed a wild side to the proclamation of the coming of the Messiah. His preaching was bringing all the people to see and hear his message. At least that is what the other gospels tell us.
In John, we are introduced to John in this manner: He is a man sent by God and “he came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.”[1] So, John’s primary purpose was to point people to the light and have them come to believe in the light through his testimony. But there were some who thought that John was the light. Perhaps it was his disciples who thought this. Perhaps they believed that John was the one who had come to save the nation and the world. It is understandable that this would occur. John’s preaching was radical and had the edge to it that made people wonder what he was really up to. Could he be bringing political revolution and change to the world? Maybe. But John has an answer about John. The gospel tells us that John was not the light, but came to testify to the true light. To testify is to give evidence. John is giving evidence of the true light that was coming and indicating that he was not the light. It is interesting to note that the word for testify has the same root as the word martyr, which describes John perfectly.
After giving us more of who the light is and what the light is doing and will do, we are brought back to John. Here we meet him as he is facing a delegation sent by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. It appears that John is preaching without a license, at least not one given by them, and they want to find out what is going on. As an illustration, this would be like a street preacher. This person might not have a church and there would be those in authority who would want to know what is going on because there are crowds gathered that are causing a bit of a disturbance.
Anyway, this delegation, composed of priests and Levites, comes out to meet John. They ask him the question that everyone is wondering: Who are you? Now they probably know that his name is John and they are sure to know what he is doing in the river and what he is preaching. That is not what they want to know. What they want to know is by what authority he is doing these things.
John gets down to business. His first answer to their question is this (from the REB): “He readily acknowledged, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ [2]” Now this was not even a question that was asked. But John feels the need to start big because even though the question was not asked, it was sure to be implied. The Messiah, the Anointed One, was the one who was expected to come and to deliver Israel from the foreign domination of the Romans. Everyone knew this. So, when someone comes into the wilderness preaching a message of the coming end of the age, that gets the people’s (and the authorities’) attention. Therefore, in light of these expectations, John tells them right away that he is not the Messiah.
Since John is not the Messiah, they then ask this: “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” [3] Why would they ask if he was either of these persons? Elijah was the prophet’s prophet. A wild looking man who was a straight shooter when it came to his messages, he was taken into heaven without dying. Because of this, there were many who expected him to return and be the one who would come and make ready the way for the Messiah. In fact, the empty chair that is set in Jewish homes today at the Sabbath meals and during Passover is for Elijah. And with his dress and his message it is understandable that they would ask if he was Elijah. But John answers that he is not.
“The Prophet” is a bit more interesting. In Deuteronomy 18:15 Moses gives the hope that there will arise one who is like him. This one would perform the miracles of the Exodus and lead the people as Moses did. Why this one is not thought of as the Messiah is clear. The Messiah was thought to be a military leader and while Moses was in charge overall when he led the Israelites, he was not a military leader. This prophet is one promised and is to be listened to when he comes. Could John be this one with the crowds that he is drawing? Again, the answer is no.
Those sent out are getting a bit annoyed now. They are saying, “So, who are you then? We have to make a report. Give an account about yourself.” John answers: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” [4]. This straight from the prophet Isaiah. And John claims that he is the voice. In the other gospels he is said to be like the voice of the one crying out. Here he is making it plain that he is the one who is making the way straight for the coming of the Lord. But that is not enough for the delegation. They must know more.
Their next question is what is the authority that he has for baptizing as he is doing. If he is not Elijah or the prophet, then why is he baptizing? They can understand the gentiles coming out and being baptized, but the Jews? What is going on here? The reason they ask this is that Jews would submit to ritual washing and cleaning, but full immersion baptism was reserved only for those who were converting to Judaism. To have Jews being baptized was to equate them with the pagans that the gentiles were and that would never do. So, what is John up to? Who are you? is the question of the day.
John is as plain as he was before when he answered. His baptism is one of water that prepares the people for the one that is coming. In fact, the one they are expecting is among them now and they do not know it. This one will, as John tells in the other gospels, baptize them with the Holy Spirit. This will be one who will bring about the reconciliation of the world.
This one who comes after John is greater than he. John states that he is unworthy to untie the sandal of the one coming. Imagine for a moment your self-esteem. John is saying that he is lower than the lowliest slave to the coming one. Today we would send him to a good therapist. But John’s definitive answer is seen here again. He is not the coming one, he is not the light that has come. He is only one who is testifying to the coming one, bearing witness and making the way straight for the Lord.
“Who are you?” The question is one that is always asked of people. Especially those who can and do cause a commotion. John was asked this question. His answers tell us all we need to know. He says not who he is, but rather who he is not. He is not the light, he is not the Messiah, he is not Elijah, he is not the prophet. What he is, is the witness. The one who is making sure that the people are prepared for the light and for the one coming after him.
“Who are you?” The question may be asked of all of us. Who are we? We are called to be witnesses to the coming one. The coming one who has come and will indeed come again. We are called to live a life that makes people ask who we are and what we have that they do not. It is said that people will not care how much we know until they know how much we care. When we bear witness to the light that came into the world, the world will know that we care.
In a world where people are recognized by a certain brand (email address, twitter handle, Instagram account, YouTube channel, etc.) are we recognized by the brand that we have: witness to the light? What does it mean to use the platforms that we are given especially when it comes to testifying to the one who has come before and will come again? We are called to not only point to the coming Christ, but to live as if Jesus is coming and is already here. We are to live in the now/not yet paradox of our belief. We are to be Johns to a world that wants to know “Who are you?”
“Who are you?” Are we bearing the witness? The one who came is coming again. That is a hope that we can bear to all the world and when they ask “Who are you?” we can answer with confidence as did John that we are witnesses to the light that is coming. Amen.
[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989. Print.
[2] The Revised English Bible. Cambridge; New York; Melbourne; Madrid; Cape Town; Singapore; São Paulo; Delhi; Dubai; Tokyo: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print.
[3] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989. Print.
[4] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989. Print.