People Jesus Met Along the Way: John the Baptist
People Jesus Met Along the Way: John the Baptist by Rev. L. John Gable
January 15, 2023
During the next couple of weeks we are going to talk together about people Jesus met along the way, today starting with John the Baptist. These are all folks we are familiar with, but of course I hope we will learn something more or new about them as each of them are interesting characters with interesting stories of their own to tell. But more importantly we are going to look together at how Jesus interacted with them, and they with Him, as it was not always the same with each. And beyond that I hope we will be able to gain some insights as to how Jesus relates to each one of us, uniquely, individually, and how we might better relate to one another.
It is safe to say that John was the very first one to meet Jesus and recognize Him as the Promised Messiah, and that, while both were in utero. Recall, it was John who leapt in the womb of his mother Elizabeth when the pregnant Mary came to stay with them. Though we have no record of it, we can assume that as they grew up these two boys would have known each other, or at least known about each other, as each felt their respective calls to ministry.
A bit of reminder as to John’s background. John was a PK, a preacher’s kid, his father, Zechariah being a priest, but when he felt his call to ministry it was not in the traditional role of the priesthood centered in Jerusalem, but in a much more radical way, out in the wilderness, by the River Jordan. John was a character, dressed in camel’s hair and eating locusts and wild honey, living off the land, and in his eccentricity he was quite charismatic. In the first century John was a rock star and people were flocking out to the wilderness to hear him preach his message of repentance and be baptized by him in the Jordan. Many thought him to be the Chosen One, the Promised Messiah, and that surely must have been tempting for him, but John was never so mistaken as to his role and identity. He knew all along that he was fulfilling the ancient prophecy that an Elijah-like character would come to introduce the Messiah. It is appropriate then that we look at him on this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.
The first time we see John and Jesus together is when Jesus goes with the crowds to the Jordan to be baptized by him; the story we read this morning. Consider the way they related to one another in that instance. As was appropriate for the day, this was a mentor/mentee relationship, the younger, less known, less popular (Jesus) going to be anointed by the elder, more prominent (John). In this act of humility, Jesus, who we know to be the greater of the two, was honoring the importance of the ministry of the one we know to be the lessor, and John knew it, as well, so he demurred, saying “No, I need to be baptized by you”, but Jesus insisted that this is the way it was intended to be. And once baptized the Holy Spirit descended on Him, inaugurating His ministry.
Just as it is significant to note how Jesus honored the importance of the ministry of John, so we also note how John clearly understood the role he was given to play. He clearly knew that, as popular as he was, he was a supporting actor, not the lead, in this drama of salvation.
This understanding of his role is highlighted in a story told in John’s Gospel which we didn’t read this morning. In it John is walking one day with His disciples, a subtle reminder to us that John had his own set of followers and was running a ministry parallel to Jesus’. When he saw Jesus he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John knew who Jesus was and what He had come to do! One of his disciples asked him about Jesus and John instructed him to go and inquire for himself. John was literally handing off one of his own disciples to Jesus, and that disciple’s name was Andrew who then invited his brother named Simon Peter to come and see for himself, saying, “We have found the Messiah!”
I have told you before that John the Baptist is my second favorite character in the Bible, primarily because of what we see of him here. All along the way John knew that God had given him an important ministry, that of preparing the way of the Lord, and he was good at it. But all along the way he also knew who he was and who he was not. When asked directly “Are you the one?” he answered unambiguously, “I am not the Messiah.” Given his popularity it could have been very easy for John to get confused as to who he was and what he had been called to do. He could have gotten the big head and thought, “Well, maybe I am”; but he didn’t. He knew all along that he was called to know the way, point to the way and then get out of the way.
Unfortunately too many since the time of John have not been so clear in understanding their calling. Individuals, leaders, pastors, even churches can totally misunderstand their callings, particularly as their popularity grows. Suddenly they begin to think, “Maybe I am pretty special. Perhaps we are the only ones who are doing it right and all the others, particularly those who do or act or think differently than we do, are in the wrong.” When this happens, we start pointing to ourselves rather than to Jesus. We start believing our own press releases as we try to carve out our own following and undergird our own support. We become jealous of another’s growth or popularity, even those who are doing really good, faithful, Kingdom building ministry in Jesus’ name. How unlike John is that, yet how true to our human nature. As Jesus’ ministry grew John applauded it, saying, “He must increase and I must decrease.” We would each do well to give ourselves a spiritual gut check by asking, “Can I celebrate another’s growth or success or popularity or productivity in ministry, even if it takes the light off of us?”
Our second lesson from Matthew’s Gospel highlights the relationship between Jesus and John in yet another way. John at this point is imprisoned for speaking out against the behaviors of the sitting Roman authority. He knows his end is near, so he sends his disciples (again, a reminder that John has an on-going ministry) to Jesus with one question and one question only, “Are you the one or should we look for another?” We can hear this question in many different ways. Most hear it as one of doubt, the need for reassurance, “Are you really the Promised Messiah Jesus?” That may well have been his intention, but I can also hear his question in another way. I hear it as a question of confirmation. John has known all along that his role was to prepare the way for the Messiah, so I hear him asking, “I need to know Jesus, are You the One? If You are, then my ministry is done and I can die in peace; if You are not, then my work is not yet done, there is still more for me to do despite my circumstances.”
Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah when He gives His answer: “Tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have Good News brought to them.” In short, the proof is in the pudding, so decide for yourself who you think I am.
Again, John knew the ministry God had given him to do and Jesus honored that in him by answering plainly. He could have responded, “Who do you think you are, John, questioning Me?” But He didn’t, He simply claimed the promises of Scripture which John, also fulfilling the promises of Scripture in the Elijah-like role, needed to hear.
Consider for a moment the way you respond and relate to those who question your authority, your wisdom, your standing, at home, at the office, as head of your HOA. Do you find yourself quickly getting defensive and back on your heels, feeling threatened and ready to argue and defend your point or are you able to be open to the comment, perhaps even the critique? Jesus is remarkably humble in His relationship with John. He could have pulled the power play here and put John in his place, but He didn’t, He needn’t, and neither do we in our relationships.
After this interchange Jesus speaks openly about John to the crowds, saying, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.” High honor indeed. Rather than putting him down He lifts Him up!
All along the course of their respective ministries either one of them could have tried to position themselves above the other, but neither did. As we’ve seen, John knew his place all along and clearly stayed in his lane. But as John’s ministry and popularity continued to grow, and then when he sent his disciples to interrogate Jesus, He could have said something to put John in his place, but He didn’t. To the contrary, He gave John the highest place of honor. No one greater. Jesus and John could have seen each other as competitors in the proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of God, each vying for the people’s attention, but neither one did.
Consider again how we relate, even to those we know to be our companions and colleagues. How we can suddenly or subtly come to see them as our rivals or competitors if we think they are getting a little bit too much time in the limelight. How easy it is for us to put in a little dig when hear them being complemented. How quick we are to try to “one up them” when they seem to be getting more attention. The envy we feel when they get the credit we think belongs to us. The attempts we make to build ourselves up by putting others down. We don’t see Jesus doing any of that with John, but He could have. He allowed John to grow in influence without being threatened by it. He respected John’s abilities and calling though different than His own. It takes great confidence and self- awareness to be able to say of one we might see as our competitor, “There is no one greater.”
We say, “Yeah, of course Jesus could do that. He was God!” Agreed, but He was also as fully human as we are, One also trying to establish His own place in ministry. We can say, “Yeah, but it is human nature for us to act defensively when someone else seems to be playing the stronger hand and to feel threatened by another’s success or attention.” Again, I agree, but our desire here is not to learn how to become more human, we are already good at that, but how to become more Christ-like, and in this we still have a lot to learn.
What I think is essential in this relationship between John and Jesus, which I believe would be helpful in all of our relationships as well, is two-fold. First, each of them knew who they were and the role they were given to play. Jesus knew who He was so didn’t need to lord it over John. And John clearly knew who he was so was able to confidently say, “I am not the Messiah.” We need to learn to say the same about ourselves in our relationships with others. “I am not the Messiah.” I am not your Higher Power, your Ultimate Authority, your end all and be all. I need you to understand that about me and I need to understand that about myself.
The second thing that jumps out to me in the relationship between John and Jesus is their mutual respect for one another which is borne of their humility. John was appropriately humble before Jesus, “I can’t baptize You. You should baptize me.” And Jesus was appropriately humble before John, saying, “No one born of women in greater than he.” Imagine how different our relationships and interactions with others would be if we too assumed that posture of respect and humility. Honoring, respecting, admiring the gifts and abilities of others without feeling threatened ourselves. Not putting ourselves down, by any means, but not putting others down either. Not dissing ourselves and not dissing others.
Friends, we have so much to learn about the people Jesus met along the way, and how He interacted with them; just as we still have much to learn about ourselves and the ways we can better relate to others, in a way more like Jesus.
Rev. L. John Gable
Tabernacle Presbyterian Church
Indianapolis, IN