For the past couple of weeks we have been going back in time through our gospel lessons. We started on Christ the King Sunday at the crucifixion, right at the end of Jesus' time on earth. The last week we heard a story from Jesus ministry, after he was established as a teacher and preacher but before he was tried and put to death. Now this week for the gospel we hear about the first public appearance that Jesus made. His first appearance as an adult, the preparation for his ministry and his baptism by John the baptist.
A little background on John. John's father was a priest in the temple, Zechariah and his mother was Elizabeth. They were too old to have children when an angel came to Zechariah in the temple and announced that Elizabeth would bear a son who would prepare the path of the Lord. We get most of the story about these folks from Luke's gospel and in that gospel when the angel came to Mary it shared with her the news that Elizabeth would have a son as well, and so Mary went to see Elizabeth. And they spoke about the children that they would bear.
Once John grew older he did as the angel said he would. He announced the coming of the kingdom of Heaven. That is where we find him today. Baptizing in the river Jordan and proclaiming that all should Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near.
Now it just so happens that I have a letter from this period of John's life that he wrote to his mother or he could have, if he did I think it would have been like this so just sit back, relax and hear about this work in the words of John the baptist. Chosen one of God, the new Elijah, the cousin of Jesus, the one who prepares the way of the Lord...
Dear Mother Elizabeth-
I'm sorry that is has been so long since I last wrote to you. I've been wandering in the wilderness, eating locusts and honey, wearing camel hair clothes and a leather belt. Now I know what you're going to say but please don't worry. The wilderness isn't so bad and besides according to the prophets we have all been wandering in the wilderness ever since Adam and Eve and their...um incident. And if things really go as planned we're going to be out of the wilderness very soon. After all “someone” is coming. Someone that they call a new Adam, the son of God and the son of Man. He's coming to fix our relationship with God. You know, maybe put a new spin on the apple thing...I'm not really sure. No one ever told me just how he will fix it. I know a few things about him though, old stuff from the Torah. Things we read in temple. Mostly from the prophet Isaiah.
Like they say that the one who comes to be our new, great Messiah will
Be filled with the spirit of the Lord
With Wisdom and understanding
With counsel and Might
With knowledge and fear of the Lord (you know that means reverence and love and respect)
In fact his greatest delight will be in this fear of the Lord.
I guess that means he will be a good leader. In fact they say he will be mightier and more wonderful than David or Solomon or even David and Solomon combined! And he will be a new kind of leader because if his concerns are really the same as God's then he will care about those who need his help and he won't get hung up on power or money or anger or fear. Much better than some certain leaders that I know whose names begins with seize(ceasa) and end with ours (rs). If you know what I mean.
Anyway I am out here in the wilderness telling everyone that someone is coming. I haven't really harped on the fact that that someone is my little cousin Jesus whom I met before we were even born. I remember you used to tell me a story about before I was born when Mary came to visit you and before she even told you that she was going to have the baby Jesus, I leapt around in your womb with joy at the upcoming birth of Jesus. You told me that that was how you knew that he was going to be something special, something different. Because I showed you. And you told me that that would be my job. More like a calling than a job. It isn't as if I get paid for wandering around foraging for food and telling people that “someone is coming”. But anyway you said that would be my purpose in life to announce the coming of a Christ, a purpose I fulfilled before I was even born.
But I have to confess I don't really know what I am doing now. I'm following father's instructions. After all, he is a priest, he was given a vision in the temple about me and Jesus before we were born. How I would be the announcer, making straight the paths of the righteous and how “someone” would come then with the words and knowledge and power of the Lord. I guess it wasn't right away that you guys put together that that someone was going to be Mary's son.
Because of that though dad says that it is very important that I live the life of a prophet wandering here in the wilderness. He calls my ministry the return of Elijah. Can you believe that?! I mean yes, Elijah was the greatest prophet and was carried away by the Lord in a fiery chariot and we believe he will come back at some point to announce the wonderful plans of the Lord. But ME! Does that sound like me to you? Greatest prophet ever, chariot of fire, undead...But you know dad. He is proud of his family and he is so sure that some great change is about to take place. That something wonderful is coming. That we live in a time of Advent.
That “someone” is coming. So here I am announcing an advent. We are waiting for someone or something remarkable. A great change is coming. I'm not even sure what an advent is or what it will be but people keep coming to me, asking to be baptized, telling me that they repent that they are ready to change and to turn to God. They are sure that something new is about the happen. I hear rumors and murmurs of the kingdom of heaven. They seem to feel it in their hearts. Maybe they should be the ones announcing this “someone”. Anyway I think they will help me spread the word when they go back to their homes and villages. They sure are walking away from here telling stories. People from all of Judea proclaiming that the kingdom is coming. Saying hear the good news (do you like that? "hear the good news" I came up with it, little play on the word gospel).
Oh! Mom I've got to go someone is coming. I think, yes I recognize him. It is Jesus. He is coming to the water. Coming to...to be baptized. How can that be. He is the change, he should baptize us. Why would he want such treatment from me. I'm just the messenger. You know that, I know that, even the man who thinks I'm Elijah knows that, doesn't he know that?! What good is a messenger to baptize when the very Lord is here.
Oh but I know, I know what you would say. I am here to do the work of the Lord. I was born for it so I'd better go and do what he asks. Go and baptize the son in the name of the father. Imagine, the one of whom the prophets spoke. The one who will be God among us. The one born to sweet Mary, the one born to forgive all ours sins and cleanse us and make us whole. The one whom the prophets promised would bring new order to the world is here coming to us as we baptize and are baptized and saying he wants to be baptized with us.
I'm not sure I understand how I could ever be worthy of this after all, like I said, I'm just the messenger announcing that “someone” coming. Hmm...I guess I need to proclaim that he is here. A king unlike any other is here. A messiah walking among us here by the riverside and with you and father up in Jerusalem and with all the people throughout all of the ages. Truly, truly he is here. Can you believe that father was right, the prophets were right. Repent and hear the Good news that Jesus the Christ comes to us! Amen
Your Son,
The last Prophet, John (the baptizer)
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