The Voice of One Calling
Scripture
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah? He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord’” (John 1:6–8,19–23).
Reflection
In the movie Moonstruck, Rose, an older woman in an unhappy marriage, is often alone while her faithless husband is off gallivanting. One evening, dining out by herself, Rose observes Perry as he is embarrassingly dumped by his date. Rose invites Perry to share her table, which he does, and after their meal together, Perry walks her home. As they arrive, they hesitate for an awkward moment; Perry expects an invitation to come in, but that invitation is not forthcoming. She is a married woman and will be faithful to her husband despite his flaws. Confused, he asks why, and she explains, “Because I know who I am.” It is important to know who you are and who you are not.
John the Baptist had a critical role to play in salvation history: he was sent to be Elijah and prepare the way for God’s own Anointed. His call was not to point to himself but to another. John’s message of repentance leading to forgiveness of sin was to prepare for the ministry of Jesus. Of his cousin, he would say: “…He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). People from Jerusalem and Judea flocked to him in the desert to hear his call to repentance, to confess their sins, and to wash themselves with John’s baptism. He gave hope to even the most hopeless Israelite. John was acclaimed as a prophet, the first one heard in the land in almost 500 years. People thought he was the promised Messiah, but he ended that talk definitively. John knew who he was!
John wasn’t the light that was coming into the world, but he was the Lord’s advance man, preparing the crowds to welcome the light when it appeared. Jesus would come after him; light and life would dawn in a land long in darkness, and on the cross, Christ would defeat death forever.
John knew who he was—and we must also know who we are! In the wilderness of our lives, in the disappointments, in the tragedies, in the brokenness, and even in the sin, Jesus transforms our wilderness and heals our arid spirits; he restores us. In him, we are the redeemed, chosen by him to be the people of God. That is who we are!
Prayer
Lord, our sins have tarnished God’s image within us; our faithlessness has destroyed our joy; our worldliness pulls us away from genuine happiness. You are our only home. We turn to you, rejecting evil and the evil one. Come to us so that your Holy Spirit might renew and transform us into the people you have made us to be. We pray to you and the Father and through the Spirit. You are One God forever and ever. Amen.
Activity
Examine your conscience: where in your life do you most need the Lord’s healing? Is the Lord asking you to do anything to “set things right?” Are there people you be reconciled with? Do you need to share your love with anyone? If you answered yes to any of these questions, do what the Lord asks of you, You are not doing it alone! He is with you, he loves you, and he will transform your wilderness with streams of living water.
Watching and Waiting For the Lion of Judah: Advent Day by Day
Rev. Richard Hasselbach