There are starting to be more movies with biblical themes coming out – the Nativity is the latest. I was thinking…Disney Studios might jump on the bandwagon and produce a biblically oriented film. I think there are many stories they could choose from….but you know Disney has a habit of changing the ending, to make it more…positive. Their rendition of the little mermaid ends with the happy couple living happily ever after – in the original, the little mermaid has to suffer the consequences of the bad decisions she made. What if they did a movie about the life of John the Baptist, how in the world would they change it…to make it more positive?
Can’t you see the workgroup brainstorming ideas for a positive ending between sips of Avian water…?
The eco friendly ending: John could escape Herod’s prison into the Judean wilderness he loves and live out the rest of his life protecting the environment with his team of friendly speaking locusts.
The family friendly ending: John, who of course would be a fabulous singer, would fall in love with a campy type wilderness girl. They would join up with cousin Jesus and travel the middle east in song - with a talking donkey.
The super hero ending: John, with the help of his Jewish Zealot friends, and small talking animals, use martial arts like fighting moves to fight through Roman legions, corner King Herod and his minions and magically banish them (and their talking animals) to parts unknown. Then John would rule in peace with his cousin Jesus, and of course, some talking animals.
Or perhaps would John would tick off the king by pointing out his incestuous marriage arraignment, be picked up by the brute squad, rot in prison for over a year, surviving only by the generosity of friends,
question everything he stood for, and then, die at a young age by beheading ……no upbeat songs, no heroics, no cute talking animals …
no sequels, no perpetual Saturday morning cartoon series...Just real life.
In our second Scripture this morning, John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus: “Where’s the happy ending Jesus? I feel as if I am as good as dead.You know, at one time John was the talk of the town.
People sought him out, the rich, the famous, the powerful, the ordinary. They heard his powerful uncompromising message: Repent, change your ways, get yourself right with God, for the kingdom of God is at hand.
They came hundreds of them. John didn’t go to them. They came to him out in the wilderness. A dry, dusty, dangerous…..well, wild place. There were wild animals – like lions. There were bandits. There was the harshness of the environment. There was the extensive length of the journey, just to hear the life changing message of John. And life changing it was. People gave up bad habits, a life of crime, personal attacks on others, destructive relationships were walked away from; People were for the first time able to look inside themselves to see who they really were. People fell on their knees before him to confess and repent.
It must have been quite an event to hear John speak. Here is a man who everyone knew, was born of a woman who couldn’t possibly have children.Here is a man, whom Scripture says had the Holy Spirit upon him, in the womb - wow. Here is a man clearly, and unequivocally blessed by God with a true message. Here is a man who knows where he stands before God, and has nothing to lose, nothing to hide, nothing to gain. What freedom!
So he speaks freely, he speaks boldly – the critics melt before him.
Near the end of verse 7 (look in your bibles and read along with me)
Jesus speaks to the people, who have clearly all seen John the Baptist
End of verse 7. “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
That is a reference to a person who goes with the flow and moves with the current popular talk – a philosopher. No – the people didn’t go to hear a philosopher. They didn’t want theory. They went to hear bold truth – and they got it.
Verse 8, are you with me? Jesus still speaking….8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.
Yeah, John the Baptist would have made a great Alaskan – the subsistence lifestyle, Judean style. He wore animal skins, was unintimidated by the wild, self sufficient - A man’s man.
Verse 9, 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
Even Jesus sings his praises. John is the real deal, with the real message of God.
Now if we were making a movie, and we were a studio…say Disney, at this point Jesus would turn to the crowed and say, “John, what a great man! Come with me, let’s free him from the clutches of Herod. Who’s with me!
But that would be fiction….and here is real life. Jesus doesn’t free John. Jesus doesn’t make promises. Jesus doesn’t even say, “hang in there buddy”. The bible doesn’t sugar coat the issue. John is in deep trouble. I don’t know about you, but I find that startling, frightening even: Here is a man who has done so much for the kingdom of God;
Who the Holy Spirit was heavy clearly heavy upon; Who listened to God, did the right thing - He was on God’s side....And he languishes in a nasty, nasty prison – waiting for death. Holy Smokes!
I wonder: John the Baptist, what a Godly man, what a righteous man, all he had to endure, and got the short end of the stick - And I’m surprised when discomfort and hard times enter my life. What are my expectations of Jesus in my life? Spiritually, I’ve got a long way to go…
You know, I think we would have loved John the Baptist. We would go see him and shout: “you tell ‘em like it is John.” "Its about time someone stood up for the truth” And we would also forget about John once he was locked up. Move on with our life. Move on to the next thing that came our way. We are just like the people in Jesus day. And they are just like us.
So John sits in prison, mostly forgotten, mostly irrelevant. Has John lost his faith? I don’t think so, the Bible doesn’t say that, though some read that into the text. He sounds faithful as ever. Has prison broken him, this man of the wilderness? I don’t think so – this guy is as tough as nails. Doing time would be no sweat for John. I bet you he kept on preaching his fire in prison. I bet you he intimidated even the biggest egos. Prison probably made him bolder.
When John sends his disciples to Jesus, It is not about John, its about Jesus.
Is John Disneyfied? Is he asking Jesus for a happy ending as I hinted earlier? No. John isn’t concerned about himself, he’s not that kind of man. And John isn’t asking Jesus to set him free. And no, John is not questioning his existence as a prophet, worried that all his efforts have come to nothing. He has seen directly lives change right before his eyes. He has felt the presence of the Holy Spirit his whole life. Certainly John didn’t expect life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. He wasn’t an American who demanded his rights. He was living under Roman oppression, in the harsh ancient world - John is use to a hard life.
John is concerned with a much bigger issue. Is Jesus the real thing or not?
Now that’s a reasonable question, that’s a question we all should ask?
We must ask that question at least once in our life…Verse 3….are you with me? “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
John asking this question seems rather odd. In our first scripture from the gospel of John the first chapter, John speaking of Jesus says: John 1:15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”
It is clear that John knows something is up with Jesus. And in verse 26-27 – still speaking of Jesus - John 1:26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
Again, John realizes that Jesus is much greater than he is.
We also see in Mathew chapter 3:14-15 - Jesus comes to John to be baptized 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
And even more, a few verses later a voice comes from heaven saying:
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
John was there he had the experience…..and still he asks the question:
Jesus, I’ve seen it all, I’ve had the experience, I think it makes sense…
Are you the real thing? Don’t ever be afraid to ask that question. Asking if Jesus is the real thing or not doesn’t show that your faith is weak. No, on the contrary, it shows that your are searching for what is real, and what’s wrong with that? In fact isn’t that the core question of the Christian faith? Jesus are you real, are you who you say you are, should I continue with you, or do I need to watch more Dr. Phil and Oprah or something…
I tell you what, Jesus isn’t afraid of being asked the question
– he’s not afraid, he has the answer! Jesus, being Jesus, doesn’t just say - yes I am. In essence he says to John, you must make the judgment on you own. You have to decide to believe. It is not automatic. I cannot make you decide. I cannot decide for you.
So he gives this answer with a series of examples in verse 3
Take a look: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
Jesus isn’t just telling John I perform miracles, many OT prophets did that. No, see each example is tied to an OT scripture reference, those references state this is what the messiah will do when he comes. Jesus is telling John, "You know your Scriptures well about the messiah? Put it all together – and you will see I’m the real thing. I’m living proof.
Now, Jesus isn’t the real thing because he helps John out of prison – is he? Jesus isn’t the real thing because he makes John’s life better and Jesus isn’t the real thing because life has a happy ending. Jesus is the real thing, because Jesus is the real thing… because Jesus, is the real thing...Irrelevant of what bad, unexpected, unfair and miserable things, that happen in our lives.
You may have said, or thought, this type of thing yourself:…I have see this horrible thing happen: a major disaster, the life fall apart of a friend, the loss of a spouse, to death or divorce, the unfair early death of a child….then Jesus must not be who he says he is, because a God who allows that to happen, must not be loving.
The bible doesn’t hide the fact that Jesus doesn’t provide a happy ending for John or try to break him out of jail, or tell him, everything is going to be alright. Is he refusing John a whole lot of love? You know, it is pretty clear that John believes isn’t it? But it is also clear that John expected something different from Jesus. The bible doesn’t say what he expected different. But, it is clear he expected something…different.
Yet John, he’s gotta believe, but it doesn’t add up for him. Something is missing for John, “Jesus are you the real thing?”
So I look at my life circumstances. I add up the positive, I add up the negative - Weigh them out and say to myself: “if Jesus is good for me, then he has to be the real thing?” Perhaps we aren’t so crass and so up front about it, yet, we analyze, we worry, we hope for a happy ending and we hold back…some...Like John we believe…but….
A little later in our second Scripture in verses, 16-17Jesus says:
“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
What Jesus is alluding to here is this: He is refereeing to both John the Baptist and himself. You have been offered by God all kinds of opportunities, specifically John showing you that you need more than yourself, and Jesus showing you that you need him. You have been offered faith opportunities and like children in the marketplace, you flatly refuse to participate in anything God has offered. Our life experiences, either positive or negative. Our endings in life’s situations, whether a happy ending or not, do not determine the validity of Jesus Christ.
Years a go a friend of Katie and I got a brain tumor. Billy was a wonderful woman – you would have loved her too. And quite tenacious, hard working, fun to be around...It was hard, it was tough, it was some of the worst cancer I have ever seen, and Billy beat the cancer!Awesome.
Two years later…the brain tumor was back and truly, Billy was as good as dead. Was Billy expecting Jesus to break her out of Jail? At this point …no. Was Billy expecting a Walt Disney ending to her life? Of course not. Did this horrible double brain tumor make her question her Jesus?
You bet it did! And you know Jesus welcomed those questions. She was more convinced than ever, a stronger faith than ever: Jesus is the real thing, because life circumstances, either mine or yours…or the guy’s down the street, don’t determine the reality of Jesus - or not.
Jesus was not the Messiah John expected. Jesus was better than John expected.
Jesus sends his disciples back: Look, I am everything that the prophets of old said I would be. I’m the real thing, because I’m the real thing…because I’m the real thing.
I bet you this: When John’s disciples came back to tell John Jesus message, John leaped for joy, high fives all around, “that’s exactly what I thought”! And then later sitting there alone in his given life’s circumstances, John had great courage. He didn’t worry about being freed from prison. He didn’t fear his inevitable death, or anything else along those lines.
Because like our friend Billy, all these outward circumstances, They don’t determine our faith, They aren’t what sets our souls free, They are not what truly gives us fulfillment. And in spite of it all when Jesus fully takes over my life, I am free from any event or circumstance life can throw at me.
