[Read Luke 1:5-24]
The birth of John the Baptist. We often read from Luke, because he was a master story-teller. While Matthew wrote to convince a Jewish audience that Jesus was the Messiah, and Mark wrote a quick, concise narrative of the events - Luke wrote with an incredible sense of wonder and joy at the amazing events of the story. Luke was a doctor, fascinated by the miracles of Jesus, but he was also a writer and you can see that in the way he uses words. Zacharias and Elizabeth were a faithful and loving couple. Sadly, their faithfullness and ministry has been undercut by the fact that Elizabeth was barren. To be childless in those days was a great tragedy, and Luke emphasizes this.
A comedian once talked about his prayer life - and he prayed that if God wanted him to share his faith, to send a sign. He sat down on a bus, and the man next to him began to cry and looked at him and began talking to him. "My life is just in shambles and I just wish that I knew God. Do you know God?" He immediately bowed his head in prayer and prayed "Dear God, if you want me to share my faith - please turn the bus driver into an Armadillo."
And we see Zacharias, chosen to go into the holiest place of the temple, is confronted by mighty angel Gabriel. And Gabriel shares the tremendous news that his wife will bear a son who shall be named John. And Zacharias, looking at this tremendous angel says, "(vs. 18) How will I know this for certain."
He is struck with muteness - that's apparently what you get for asking dumb questions - but still shares in the tremendous joy of his wife bearing a son.
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After Mary is visited by an angel of her own, she goes to visit her cousin who is also with Child.
This is a story of a baby jumping in the womb - but this is a very important story. In Luke 1, we see the first full proof of the trinity. Now, I'm always nervous when I make a definitive statement about the Bible (i.e. first, only)- because I'm not a very good student at anything; so let me know if I'm wrong on this. In the Old Testament, we get hints of the trinity. We have God, the promise of the Messiah, and mention of the Holy Spirit in different ways depending on interpretation. Even in Genesis, God uses the pronoun "we." We get glimpses of this, but in this earliest story of the birth of John the Baptist, we have the first story where all three members of the trinity are present together in the same view. The Lord God spoke these words to Mary, who was carrying God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit fills Elizabeth as her own baby jumps inside of her womb. This is incredibly important - because from the very beginning of the story we see all of God fully intertwined in this story. We see God working in different ways for the redemption of the world. And Mary sings her song filled with joy.
Luke 1:46-56
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And Zacharias receives his speech again when he names his son John, and Jesus is born in the manger and Jesus and John grow up in their different ways and begin in ministry.
And John begins to baptize his followers for repentance sake. I had a Bible professor years ago that said that before John the baptist, there was no such thing as baptism. And the Jews certainly had a lot of ritual cleanings, but this wasn't that. This is important - when John baptized Jesus, he baptized a sinless man. This wasn't a ritual cleaning ... this wasn't to clean Jesus of some sin or some wrongdoing. Jesus' baptism was about a promise.
After John finally agrees to baptize Jesus, we see the skies open and the Holy Spirit coming down as a dove. Everyone present hears the voice of God saying, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." It is in this scene that we clearly view all three parts of the trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And it is in this moment that we hear the full promise of God for the people through his Son.
This phrase that God speaks, it glues together two separate Old Testament prophesies. The first promises a son and a savior for the Jews, the second promises a savior and judge for all peoples. This baptism of Jesus, it is a promise. It is a promise that Jesus will be the savior. It is the fulfillment of prophecy.
And again, we see in this story the full gift of the Trinity. God the Father speaks these blessed words, God the Son is baptized by John, and God the Holy Spirit appears in the form of a dove. This is the first place in scripture where all three members of the trinity are physically sensed as completely separate. - Let me clarify ... It wasn't like the voice of God came out of the dove - each member of the Godhead is present in a real way - a voice, a dove, a man standing in the river. This is huge. God is fully present with us. All of God is interacting with creation.
[Read Luke 3:21-22]
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And this is what is so fascinating about John the Baptist. John is this incredibly charismatic figure. People whisper the miraculous story of his birth, while walking way out into the desert to hear him preach. He holds to the strongest interpretation of the Jewish law, and eats bugs and honey, and wears a camel-hair robe. This man couldn't do anything to get more attention if he tried. It seems that everyone is staring at him, is talking about him, is plotting against him, or is deciding to follow him.
I'm not an inconspicuous person. I think people generally understand that I'm an American, or at least a foreigner. I'm big, and my laugh is loud and I really don't blend into the background anywhere I go. And while people usually guess that I'm an American, I always feel bad for the African students who immediately stand out as foreigners.
John the Baptist was like that. He stood out. David compared him to a crazy professor with a giant beard once. And the people crowd around and wonder out loud if he is the Messiah that their people have been waiting for.
John the Baptist states that he is not worthy to untie the sandals of the One who is to come. And well, I have a question. When was the last time someone untied your shoes? When was the last time someone tied your shoes? Is this a normal thing that happens?
Even the poorest people in Jesus' day wore sandals. But the wealthy and the important - they REALLY wore sandals. The sandal was a simple piece of wood attached to the foot. The poor had some small string holding it to their feet. The rich and the powerful had elaborate gold, silver, and diamond arrangements around their feet. Because of these extravagant shoelaces, wealthy homes had low servants who untied the lavish laces of their wealthy guests. This was a symbol of servitude, because it represented a great distance in social level. The rich and the wealthy weren't going around untying each other's shoes - it was done by someone so insignificant that you wouldn't even notice. Can you picture the image of one wealthy man visiting another - and the two important men talk while the lowest servant quickly tries to undo the tangle of laces?
When John makes this comparison - he is saying that he is so much less than the Messiah, that he shouldn't even be noticed. And John, after being part and conductor of the monumental event of Jesus' baptism, he moves on with his life and works hard to make himself smaller. And we see this later, in one of the most beautiful verses for us as Christians.
[Read John 3:25-30]
He must increase, but I must decrease. As we grow in our Christian faith, we become less and God becomes more. Have you ever met a Christian and just felt like you were in the presence of Jesus? These are the men and women who have spent a lifetime decreasing while allowing God to increase.
And this is the crux of all ministry. When we are in ministry, we believe that this is Jesus' ministry. The goal of any leader or pastor is to make himself or herself smaller and to make Jesus more well known. When I don't prepare enough and my sermon isn't very interesting - you have seen a bit too much of me and not enough of Jesus. When I fail to love someone, you have seen too much of me and not enough to Jesus. This is a terrible shame. When we live our lives, our goal is to have less of us and more of Christ.
I pray that the longer I serve God the less people will see and love me and the more they will see and love Christ.
Through this birth story and the baptism of Jesus, we see all of God in all of God's roles ministering to creation - and in John the Baptist's life we see ourselves. We see what our role should be as well.
We are so unworthy of salvation - we aren't even worthy to be in the presence of God the King of Kings - and yet God asks us to step up and do great things in his name. And yet, this is not for us to boast of. Instead, it is an opportunity for us to blend in. It is an opportunity for us to disappear, and for Christ to be seen in and through us.
Go forth this day - remember your baptism and God's promise - and live in the shadow of God's glory.
In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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