Advent Devotions: John 1:6-8, 19-28

John 1

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ ²⁰He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ ²¹And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ ²²Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ ²³He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ ²⁶John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ ²⁸This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Who are you? 

That was the question the people asked John the Baptist. Are you Elijah? The Messiah? The prophet? The one we've waited for for so long?

John's answer to all of these questions was a simple "no." "I am none of these. I am the voice in the wilderness calling all to repent and prepare the way of the Lord. I am not worthy to untie the laces of his nike's - this One for whom you wait." 

Notice how John didn't answer by telling about himself - "Well, I'm the son of Zechariah the priest. I went to Bethany High School where I was 'all world' in soccer and chariot games. I have a Phd. in hydro-science, and I was Phi Beta Kappa in college." Not at all. It wasn't about him. It was singularly about the coming Christ, of whom John was sent to serve by smoothing the way for him. His job was to be the attention grabber - not for himself but for Jesus who was about to break in on the human scene. It was all for the purpose of bringing the good news of salvation. 

We too are unworthy to lace up Jesus' shoes or fix him a meal or wash his clothing, and yet he welcomes it as an act of love and service. He wants us to do it for the least of humanity thereby we do it for him. But also, like John we are called to prepare the way for the Lord, not by telling others who we are, but by pointing to Christ. Who we are is only in relation to who HE is. Who we are doesn't matter much at all if we aren't basing our existence on the Savior. 

*** In what ways do you see yourself as "child of God," "son or daughter of the King of kings," rather than all the labels that we tend to put on ourselves in order to make people notice us or command respect? 

Holy God, you are the source of our identity and it is through Christ that we are saved from the power of sin, death and the devil. Grant us to see the only identity that truly matters - children of the King. In Jesus' name. Amen.