Shifty John the Baptist

John 1:24-28, CEB

Those sent by the Pharisees asked, “Why do you baptize if you aren’t the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”

John answered, “I baptize with water. Someone greater stands among you, whom you don’t recognize.  He comes after me, but I’m not worthy to untie his sandal straps.”  This encounter took place across the Jordan in Bethany where John was baptizing.

                As we talked about last time, the Pharisees have sent minions on a reconnaissance mission – to question John the Baptist about what he is doing out in the wilderness that is attracting a lot of attention.  We can generously assume that, at this point, they do so to find out how they should react to him.  If the Baptist is the Messiah, Elijah or the prophet like Moses, there are prescribed actions to take.  But John says, “none of the above.” 

                This prompts another good question.  If John isn’t any of those people, than why does he baptize people?  It’s clear from John’s practices that what he is doing is not simply ritual cleansing that has a long history in Judaism.  Outside of that, baptism would have an eschatological meaning, possibly signaling that the Messiah, Elijah, and/or the Prophet has arrived.  John refutes that explanation, so it’s understandable that these fact-finders ask, “then why baptize?”

                John’s answer is, no doubt, frustrating.  Without coming out and saying it plainly, his answer is essentially, “you can’t handle the truth.”  This baptism is a sign, but what it signals doesn’t fit into any of the previous categories.  Someone is already here that redefines EVERYTHING!  It’s probably fair to say that John the Baptist himself is having trouble wrapping his mind around what’s happening at this point.  More about that later.

                Our takeaway for this moment is that the coming of Jesus still shatters preconceptions.  We live in a time when the core of Jesus’s teachings have been twisted, manipulated, and used to give credence to worldviews that Jesus would have railed against.  The people who do this intentionally don’t actually feel any real need for Jesus; they just need soundbites that can be taken out of context and used for their own purposes.  The problem is that others hear the result and mistake it for the authentic core of Christianity. 

                I was one of those “others” at one point in my life.  My interpretation of scripture was not born of going to scripture prayerfully and asking God to speak to me directly.  I was content to let others interpret scripture and I would simply latch on to the interpretations I liked the best.  God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were not necessary – I had subscribed to what others said about God.  I had no direct relationship with God myself.        I came to realize this was the case at a pretty early age.  It was at that point I began to develop the habit of reading scripture myself, praying my own prayers, and listening for God to respond directly.  It was then that my faith began to become more and more my own.  I still benefited enormously from other teachers.  But the difference was I could listen to them and see where what they were saying resonated with my own experience.

                This is what John seems to saying.  You have to experience Jesus for yourself.  If you make up your mind about what He is before you meet him, you’ll never recognize Him.  As we’ll see, this is the mistake that the pharisees ultimately make.  I pray that we do not ever do the same.

Question:  Do you have assumptions about Jesus that you are not sure scripture supports?

Prayer:  Jesus, forgive us when we simply accept what others say about you instead of seeking our own relationship with you.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Spend some time today just talking to Jesus directly and then making an effort to listen.

Song:  Personal Jesus – Johnny Cash