Witness to the Light

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Last week we heard the preaching. Today we consider the preacher. “There was a man sent from God, who name was John.” Who was he, this strange man of the wilderness, dressed like an Old Testament prophet, subsisting on wilderness food? In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, John is a prophet, sent in the spirit of Elijah. In fact, he is Elijah, says Jesus, if you believe that Jesus is the Christ. He is Elijah come to prepare the way of the Lord.

But it is different in the Gospel according to St. John. John puts the question right up front in the opening verses. Why? Many think that it is because John was written at a time when disciples of John the Baptist were still around, even claiming that he was the messiah, or at least one of the messiahs, a prophetic one. That would kind of make sense. But John sets the record straight. The word that describes John in the Gospel according to St. John is not prophet but witness. John was sent from God as a witness, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.

Not the Christ

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Who are you? That is the question posed by the Jews to John the Baptist on the bank of the Jordan as he preached a baptism of repentance. Who are you, that you say these incredible things, that you condemn the establishment, that you ignore the way things are supposed to happen around here? Tell us, what makes you think you're so special?

After all, no one upsets the apple-cart just for the fun of it. John must have a reason. Perhaps he is the Christ. Perhaps he is Elijah, or Isaiah, or one of the prophets. Perhaps he is just plain crazy. Who is he, that he would choose to live in the desert, shouting at people about their sins, and living on locusts and honey?

So the Jews send envoys to John. Who are you? What should we put on the form so that we can report back to our superiors? Can we see some identification, some credentials? The answer – No. No, you may not inquire as to John's background. No, he is not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor one of the prophets. You can condemn John as a kook. You can whisper about him from the back row. You can denounce him to Herod and get him thrown in prison. But you cannot shut him into some pre-defined box.