Loving God, just as John pointed to Jesus, so you point us to your life and your love.  Fill us this day with the power of your Holy Spirit, that we might join John as faithful witnesses to Jesus; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

           As you will discover (if you haven’t already), the gospel of John is different.  The birth of Jesus happens off screen, or off stage, and is never described other than John’s statement that “the Word became flesh and lived among us” (Jn. 1:14).  The baptism of Jesus also occurs off screen, and we hear only the testimony of John the Baptist about one aspect of what happened – the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and remaining on Jesus. The gospel of John, it seems, was written for those who had never seen Jesus and yet had come to believe (cf. Jn. 20:29) – just like us!

         And so, in this first chapter of the gospel, there is frequent mention of testimony or testifying.  Normally when we hear these words today it is in the context of a trial.  Witnesses are called to give their testimony in order that the truth might be discerned.  For us as readers or as hearers of the gospel, we are invited to decide whether John’s testimony seems reliable or not.

         To this point in the gospel, we haven’t been given very much to go on.  All we have been told about John is that he was baptizing people with water and that he identified himself as a voice crying in the wilderness.  We also are told that he believed that he had been sent by God in order to do this, and had listened to God deeply enough that he knew to watch for the Spirit descending from heaven.

         Ultimately, John believes that his purpose is to point people to Jesus, whom he refers to as the light in the darkness, the Lamb of God, the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, and the Son of God.  He also makes this startling statement: “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me” (Jn. 1:30).  Do you get what he is saying here?... Jesus existed as the Son of God long before John was born (which is always hard for us to fathom).  He is the Word who was with God in the beginning (Jn. 1:1).  He was born after John and thus comes after him, yet as the eternal Son of God, he is above John and existed before him.  There are many such mind-benders in this gospel!

         However, let’s return for a moment to whether John’s testimony is reliable or not.  Even though John is a very public and even popular figure, he constantly points away from himself.  He is not the Messiah.  He is not Elijah.  He is not the prophet like Moses who was supposed to come.  He is a voice preparing the way of the Lord.  He also points to Jesus as being greater than himself and baptizing with the Holy Spirit.  He points his own disciples to Jesus, identifying him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Later, when John is told that Jesus is attracting more followers than he is, John doesn’t even try to compete.  He concludes, “he must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).

         Doesn’t this seem like the mark of a faithful servant of God?  Were not all prophets called to point, not to themselves, but to God?  It is a mark of truth that is valuable, even today.  We live in a world where it is increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.  Terms like “fake news” and “post-truth era” get bandied about.  You can find almost anything on the internet.  But how do you know if it is true or not?

         When people are claiming to speak for God, one of the best questions to ask is this:  Are they pointing to themselves or to something that will only benefit them, or are they speaking of a greater good that benefits all of humanity?  There’s also the saying from the gospel of Matthew that you will know them by their fruits (Mt. 7:20).  If somebody is preaching about God and Jesus, but their life doesn’t reflect the life of Jesus, there’s something seriously wrong.

         In John’s case, we know because of what happens later that he was speaking the truth.  However, with many of the things that we hear these days, it is not quite so easy.  As for those who came to believe in Jesus and yet had never seen him, many have pointed to the lives of his followers as one of the best indications of the truth.  I remember a book called The Case for Easter that pointed out that the disciples acted like people who had encountered the risen Jesus.  They boldly proclaimed the resurrection.  They didn’t fear prison or even death.  The same disciples who had cowered in fear on Holy Saturday, were suddenly telling the world about Jesus.  They didn’t act like people who had just made the whole thing up.  Instead, they acted like Jesus was alive and was victorious over death.

         Given the testimony of John that we heard about today, and the later witness of the disciples of Jesus, what is it that we point to with our lives?  Do others discover who Jesus is through us?  Would anybody be able to tell from the way that we live that Jesus is the Son of God and our Saviour and Lord?  Would anybody learn from us that Jesus forgives, heals and sets free?  Would anybody be able to recognize the Holy Spirit at work in and through us?  It is just like the old question that goes, If you were ever accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

         This is not to place the burden of the law on us, but simply to ask who or what it is that we point to.  Just as the Holy Spirit rested on Jesus, so he gives that same Spirit to us.  As we enter a new year, may our awareness of the life and light that Jesus brings continue to grow, and may his love seep ever deeper into our hearts and lives by the power of the Spirit.  Amen.

First Sunday after Christmas (NL 4)                                             John 1:19-34

December 31, 2017

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2017 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved