RORATE COELI

20 December Anno + Domini 2009

"Who Are You?”

John 1:19-28 (Deut. 18:15-19; Phil. 4:4-7)

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

You gotta love John the Baptist.  He is so focused on his mission that he will let nothing sway him from what he has been called to do.  Worldly success, effective marketing strategies, fame, fortune, and popularity are all lost on John.  He is in a unique position to take advantage of the curiosity surrounding him.  The sky's the limit for this eccentric and thought-provoking prophet.  He has found a way to draw people to himself, and if he would just learn how to play his cards right, he could certainly end up living in the lap of luxury.  I mean, he has become such an intriguing figure that the Pharisees themselves send a delegation of priests and Levites from Jerusalem to inquire of him.  All John has to do is play ball with these guys and he will surely be set for life.  But, John is not the least bit interested in telling these guys what they want to hear.  He could not care less about who these guys are or who they represent.  John is committed to one thing, and one thing only - preparing the way of the Lord. 

So it is that when they ask him, "Who are you?” John's answer is not, "I am John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth,” but rather, "I am not the Christ.”  He wants to make that clear right off the bat.  "What then?  Are you Elijah?”  "I am not.”  "Are you the Prophet?”  Here, John could rightfully respond, "Who taught you fellas your theology?  The Prophet promised us through Moses is the Messiah, and I already told you that I am not He,” but he doesn't.  He simply says, "No.”  Frustrated, the delegation presses him further.  They need an answer to take back to their authorities.  "Come clean, already.  Who are you?”  And John responds, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said.” 

If this delegation of priests and Levites truly knew the Scriptures, they would understand exactly who John is claiming to be - the promised forerunner of the Messiah, the one who would come in the spirit of Elijah and be set apart to prepare the way of the Christ.  But, they're clearly ignorant, so they ask an ignorant question, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”  John's answer is, "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.”  Put another way, John is saying to them, "The reason you so-called religious leaders are asking such a stupid question is because you do not understand the Scriptures.  If you did, you would not ask me why I am preaching repentance and baptizing.  If you understood the Scriptures, you would instead be asking me to point you to the Messiah, whose way I prepare, for He is here, standing among you, and you know Him not.  Now, run along.  I have no use for you; I have a job to do here.” 

As I said, you gotta love John.  He is not into political correctness.  He does not give one iota for impressing the religious leaders of his day, nor is he the least bit afraid of confronting the secular leaders of his day, which is evidenced by his confrontations with King Herod Antipas later on in his ministry.  John has a single-minded zeal.  He's too focused on the Coming One to care about anything else.  He is obsessed with his mission to prepare the way for the Lord.  He will not be swayed from it in the least.  He acts as though this is not only the most important thing in all the world, but that it is the only thing that matters.  He is right.  That's what makes him the greatest born among women, as we heard from our Lord last week.      

And, dear friends, on this, the last Sunday in Advent, St. John the Baptist's voice continues to sound forth in the wilderness of this sinful world, preparing the way of the Lord, teaching us how to answer the question, "Who are you?”

So, who are you, dear friends?  Learn from John to answer, "I am not the Christ.”  For that answer is a confession; an acknowledgement that you cannot make it on your own, that you need a Savior.  This is John's main task in preparing the way of the Lord, to point you to your sins, to get you to acknowledge and confess your need of the Christ.  You are not Him.  You are not perfect.  You are not holy and righteous in and of yourselves.  You cannot defeat sin, death, and the devil.  You will lose if you go it alone.  You are doomed on your own. Who are you?  You are not the Christ.  You are a poor, miserable sinner.  Repent!         

If John's voice can lead you to make this confession, then you are truly prepared to hear the Good News he has to share with you, that while you are not the Christ, there is One who is.  Behold, John says, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Take heart, O sinners, there is a Christ.  There is a Messiah.  He has come, just as He promised He would.  He has come for you.  Behold Him.  Take hold of Him.  Believe in Him.  Put your trust in Him.  For He will not let you down.  He is the Prophet of prophets, the One promised through Moses long ago.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords.  Listen to Him, for from His mouth comes the truth, for He is the Truth.  He, this Messiah, the One to whom I point you, John says, He has done all things necessary for your salvation.  For this He came, to feel the sting of Pilate's lash, to bear a crown of thorns, to have the flesh of His hands and feet ripped apart by nails, to be hung upon the accursed tree to die in your place, for your sins. 

Who are you?  You are not the Christ, but the Baby born in Bethlehem, the Man from Nazareth, He is.  Thanks be to God, He is.  And that is all that matters.  It doesn't matter whether or not you get all your Christmas shopping done, or whether or not you have all your plans made, or whether or not you give or receive the perfect gift from or to that special someone.  What mattes is that there is a Christ, and that, because of that, you are saved; that there is a Christ who lived and died for sinners like you. 

  Who are you?  You are not the Christ. But, you are Christians.  You wear His Name. You've been washed in His Blood.  You eat His flesh, hear His Word, pray His prayers, die His death, and live His life.  He was born from above, and so are you.  He died and rose, and so have you.  He calls you, baptized into His kingdom, by His own Name.  You are His.  Who are you?  You are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  That is the Name that was placed upon you.  You are not the Christ.  You are not God.  But God's Name was given to you. That holy Name opens heaven's gates.  It drives away the demons.  It banishes guilt, fear, and shame to Hell's deepest pit.

Who are you?  You are not the Christ, but because there is a Christ, you are saved.  You are Zion.  You are the House of Israel.  You are Christ's Holy Church, His beloved Bride, adorned with His perfect holiness and righteousness, prepared for the Wedding Feast to come.  And nothing can take that away from you.

Who are you?  You are not the Christ, but behold, there is a Christ and, dear friends, He is here, even now, for you.  Come, then, at the beckon of John the Baptists, who continues to point His bony little finger toward the altars of all of Christendom and says, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  Come, then, to this holy altar and receive that which the Christ, who has come, desires to give you, for here you learn the truth about that accursed tree on Mount Calvary, the truth hidden from the world, namely that it has become for you the blessed Tree of Life, bearing the salvific Fruit of Christ's very Body and Blood for you to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of yours sins and the strengthening and preservation of your faith.  Here is the Peace which surpasses all understanding to which St. Paul refers, given unto you that you may live in Him, with Him, and through Him now and forever.    

So, who are you?  You are not the Christ.  Neither is John.  But there is a Christ.  He is your Christ.  He is your Savior, for He is the Lamb of God who takes away your sin.  For you are Baptized into Him and you are fed with Him, by Him.  You are one with Him, then, for you are the Temple of His Holy Spirit; you are in full communion with His Father, with Him, and with the great Comforter, who moves you to faith and leads you to confess, now and always, He is the Christ.  

Oh, dear friends, give thanks unto the Lord, for there is a Christ!  He is Jesus, the Son of Mary born in Bethlehem, and, thanks be to God, you are His.  In His Holy and Precious Name.  Amen.

Now the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting.  Amen.