I have a secret to tell you. I’ve picked out a present for my wife, Linda. I am getting her a beautiful 2 caret diamond ring in a platinum setting. It looks great! I admit that it isn’t exactly what she asked for, but I searched and searched on-line and just couldn’t find anywhere where I could get a fake dishwasher.
Whenever I read this passage about John the Baptist, I can’t help but think of that children’s book by P.D. Eastman. You know the one that I am talking about. It’s called “Are You my Mother?” and is about a little bird who hatches while mom is off looking for worms. The baby goes from animal to animal asking “Are you my mother?”. Instead in this passage we have John asking Jesus, “Are you the one?”.
On first reading it seems that John doubts that Jesus is the promised Messiah and is seeking reassurance. In a way, that seems understandable. John was in the infamous Macherus prison and probably understood that he would soon be executed. The New Testament account indicates that John was imprisoned because of his opposition to the marriage of Herod and Herodias. Herodias had been married to Herod’s brother, but both Herodias and Herod had divorced their spouses so that they could marry each other. The end of that story is the whole dance of the seven veils thing with Herodias’ daughter Salome, leading to John’s beheading.
Let’s take a step back. Who was this Baptizer anyway. We actually are introduced to John before he is born. Do you remember the story in the beginning of Luke? A pregnant Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth who happens to be pregnant with John. John, from the womb, recognizes that Mary carries the Messiah and leaps for joy.
While one might expect that these two young men who are the same age, who are relatives, and who both possess a deep faith and commitment to piety would have had other contacts with each other, but we hear nothing of that. Maybe they did spend time with each other, but the next encounter that is recorded for us is at Jesus’ baptism. That was last week’s story. You will recall God’s voice saying “This is my beloved Son” and God’s Spirit descending on Jesus. John was a witness to that.
In the mean time, John was of in the wilderness somewhere wearing Camel Hair (sounds itchy to me) and eating locusts and honey. He was also proclaiming a baptism of repentance and had a substantial following. We know that the disciples of John the Baptist continued as a distinct group even well after the beginnings of the early church. We even read about John in histories of the time, totally apart from his relationship with Jesus.
In particular, the historian Josephus gives us more of the story about John. Judea was under the control of the Romans. The Romans had installed Herod’s father in his office. It was that Herod, using Rome’s money who rebuilt the Jewish Temple. He also built a Roman military garrison overlooking the Temple so that no insurrection could begin there. The priests at the sacred Temple were viewed by John as collaborators with Rome because they were required to swear that they had no king but Caesar in order to be allowed to serve. The Romans even kept possession of the priests’ robes at the garrison so that they could make sure that only acceptable priests could serve. Think of the contrast represented by John. No priestly robes, just camel hair. No temple, just the desert. John made clear that it was far better to worship humbly than to have all the trappings of religion while bound to do Rome’s bidding.
John saw his people as subjugated, not just politically, but spiritually as well. He wanted to restore the Jewish faith, and in the process prepare the way for the Messiah. John’s baptism was an outward demonstration of an inward purification. It was for those who had committed in their hearts to be the people of God, not just in name, but in life-changing reality. In baptism, they were ceremonially cleansing themselves from the external corruption of their day-to-day world.
Jesus is certainly correct when he says that John was no “reed blowing in the wind.” John was a man of strong conviction and fully prepared to die for that conviction. How could he be questioning if Jesus is the Messiah? I don’t that that was really his question.
Something that is little understood is that Jews of the first century were deeply conflicted about the nature of the Messiah. There were some passages that were clearly messianic and pointed toward the establishment of new Kingdom of God. But, other passages pointed toward a Messiah who would suffer for others. How could both happen? Some saw the kingly passages as referring to the Messiah and the suffering passages as referring to the righteous remnant of the people of Israel. Others actually thought that there would be two Messiahs. The kingly Messiah was called Messiah ben David while the sufferer was called Messiah ben Joseph. I think that John’s question was not so much “Are you the Messiah?” but “What sort of Messiah are you?”. “Are you the kind of Messiah who will overthrow the Romans and set me free? Are you the one that I am looking for? Are you the one whom I need?”
Don’t we find ourselves asking the same sort of question? Have you figured out what sort of Jesus you want for Christmas this year? Maybe there is a modern updated version. Maybe instead of Jesus 1.0 we can find Jesus 2004 instead. When you think about it, don’t we come here asking the same question as John? Aren’t we asking if Jesus is the kind of Savior that we need, or should we look for another? Is Jesus going to be the kind of Christ that we need?
Every year around this time we hear the Christmas horror stories, stories about people who want the trappings and pleasure of the holidays, but would prefer if we would leave Jesus out of it. Here are this year’s winners. In Denver, the Downtown Denver Partnership, which sponsors the annual holiday parade, barred a local church from sponsoring a float. It was banned because it was going to have a religious theme and display an offensive message. That “offensive message” was simply the words, “Merry Christmas.” This year, store clerks at Macy’s store were also prohibited from saying “Merry Christmas” to customers and were told to say “Happy Holidays” instead. This year, Target banned the Salvation Army from collecting money at their stores.
There is a case in federal court as we speak. The city of Bay Harbor Islands, Florida is being sued because public decorations may include snowflakes, trees, and even Menorahs, but Christian symbols are not allowed
There is even the case of a group of third graders who were asked to leave a public park in San Francisco. It was determined that these children needed to obtain a protest permit before being allowed to sing Christmas Carols in the park.
This week I attend a party at work. For years, we have called it a “Holiday Party” instead of a “Christmas Party.” I don’t have a problem with that. There was a sad difference this year. In the past, a group of employees would join together to sing holiday songs. These were volunteers who just wanted to share the joy of the season. Most of the songs were of the “Frosty the Snowman” variety, but a carol or two would normally be included. This year, those singers were banned.
I suspect that all of us know friends and neighbors who want a Christmas without Christ this year. They want to enjoy the season, but want nothing of the faith.
According to a Newsweek poll conducted on Dec 2 and 3 this year, 93% of Americans believe that Jesus was actually a historical person, 67 % believe that the Christmas story, including the Virgin Birth, is accurate, and 82% percent say that they believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That sounds pretty good for our side, until you realize that only about half the people who believe that Jesus is the Son of God go to church. For many, the Jesus that they want this Christmas is just a comforting tradition, not a Christ who is Lord of their lives.
For many in our society, Jesus is welcome at the Christmas party as long as he doesn’t cause a stir. They are happy to have a baby in a manger, with some angels and shepherds thrown in for good measure. We just want Him to stay in the manger. We can talk about peace and goodwill. We can celebrate generosity and the brotherhood/sisterhood of all humankind.
This “no muss and no fuss” Jesus can be the beginning of faith. It creates a positive image for the church and the message of Christ. It can be the first step on the road to a real relationship.
Unfortunately, for too many, it is also the last step. This kind of Jesus can act like a vaccine that inoculates folks against a deeper understanding. It is an excuse, a pretense, and a pacifier. It means nothing, changes nothing, and challenges nothing. It lends itself to the modern version of the shallow surface religion that John found so troubling.
One of the fights that Linda and I have every year is around Christmas cards. I send cards to a number of people at work. Many are not Christian. Some adhere to other faiths. We agree that there is no point sending out reindeer and snowmen. I tend toward cards with a subtle Christian message – a first step sort of message. Linda generally wants me to send cards that are unambiguous in their message. I am afraid to offend. She is concerned that I am missing an opportunity to share the faith.
There are some who are willing for Christmas to be about more than a baby. The Jesus that they want for Christmas is a great man and an inspired teacher. They often talk about Jesus and Gandhi in the same breath. This baby grew up to proclaim a message of peace and purity that challenges all of us. No matter what our faith, we can learn from him. He taught nonviolence and tolerance and concern for the poor. His expression of a strong moral code ranks him with the likes of Hammurabi. We should all be informed by His teaching and what He represents. He challenges us.
This “Great Teacher” view of Jesus has always bothered me. I think that it is like the fake diamond ring that I joked about getting for Linda (yes it was a joke). It may look good, but the substance is absent. The Newsweek survey was the companion of a long piece on the Nativity. To be honest, I had a number of issues with the article, but it is worth reading. The fact that it is in Newsweek at all shows the level of general interest in the truth behind Christmas.
Now, Jesus certainly was a great teacher, but the whole concept is flawed. The whole message of Christianity is that God’s ways are higher than our ways and God’s standard is higher than our standard. It is not enough to be challenged. Under our own power and using our own devices we are bound to fall short. Without the Lordship of Christ and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, we will fall miserably short. In fact, we have already fallen hopelessly short and need God’s forgiveness.
I also think that “Great Teacher” is an absolutely untenable view of who Christ was. He himself claimed to be the Way the Truth and the Life. Either He was who he said He was or He was a nut. I don’t think that “Great Teacher” but a nut is an option.
But we are in the church. We know better than that. For many of us, the Jesus that we want for Christmas is our Savior. We know that the Christ in the manger is the Christ on the cross. We recognize that we were made to live in relationship with God, but that God is beyond our reach. It is the miracle of the incarnation - it is the crucifixion - it is the resurrection that are all facets of one story of our redemption. It is God’s concern for us -- It is God’s coming for us that we celebrate at Christmas.
This sounds like we have reached the end of the sermon, but hold on for just a second. There is one more Jesus.
As much as we appreciate what Christ means to us, if we stop there we rob Christmas of its true meaning. Christmas is actually about God reaching out to those who are alienated and alone. The Jesus of Christmas is the Jesus who wants to love the unlovable and transform the unacceptable. Just as Christ has touched our lives, the message of Christmas is that Christ wishes to span the gulf that separates others from God’s love. We may not want this Jesus for Christmas, but the Jesus who arrives is one who seeks to reconcile the world to God. We, those who have already felt the touch of grace, are the instruments of the transformation of our world. The Jesus of Christmas is the Jesus whom we are willing to share with others.
John asked, “Are you the one?” This year as you think about Jesus coming into our world, ask yourself which Jesus you are willing to accept. Are you willing to accept the Jesus who still desires to transform our world? If so, what are you going to do in response? Whose life are you going to touch? What blessings are you going to share? What greeting will be on your lips? Let’s wish folks a “Merry Christmas” this year and let’s each share the real story of Christmas with at least one other person.
My wish for you is that you have a very merry Christmas.
