Dec 15, 2002

Mindekirken
December 15, 2002

Pastor Jens Arne Dale

We hear a lot about the UN weapon inspectors these days. They have been sent to Iraq to find out if Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. Many are afraid of what he might do if he really has such weapons. Today’s text is also about weapon inspectors. The High Council of the Jews was concerned about homeland security. They didn’t have control of the strange prophet who gathered thousands, made them cry over their sins, and then baptized them in the river Jordan. What would be next? A religious movement could easily develop into a riot with real weapons. This fear was not without reason. Their worst scenario became reality a generation later. The Messianic Liberation Movement ended in a blood-stained riot and national tragedy for the Jews. The temple and all Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans, and in the year 135, the Jews were expelled from their country, and they haven’t returned until modern times.

The weapon inspectors from Jerusalem went down to the desert area by the River Jordan, to inspect the canon preacher John. "Are you the Messiah?", they wanted to know. All Jews were waiting for the Messiah, who would be the King and liberate them and reign on behalf of God. But as strongly as they expected the true Messiah, they feared the false ones who brought disaster. That’s why they were relieved to hear that John didn’t claim to be the Messiah. "But who are you then? Are you the prophet, the new Moses?" Deut. 18:15. John denied it. "Are you Elijah?" You may remember the prophet Elijah who ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire. 2 Kings 2:11. The prophecy said that he would return before the coming of the Messiah, Malachi 4:5. John denied that, too. But honestly said, here the good John is too modest. Jesus himself said at least twice that John really was Elijah, Matt. 11:4 & 17:12. Maybe it’s a literal resurrection, John denied. Or maybe it’s the intense wish of the baptizer to avoid attention about himself that comes forth here. For who does he claim to be? I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord. Note that: a voice, but not a person. The message is more important than anything else. Make the way straight for the Lord. John should even out the mountains of sin and crush false traditions and spiritual conceit.

Christmas means that Jesus is coming to us. How do we receive him in a right way? We may respect him as an interesting historical person, a good moral example, an apostle of love. But Jesus wants to be more than that. He wants to come to us as our Savior. John the baptizer’s task was to show us our sin, our darkness. Then, first we might appreciate Jesus as our Savior, the light of the world. Among you stands one whom you do not know, John said. Do we know Jesus? This is also a question of if we know our own darkness, the fact that we haven’t managed to love God and our neighbors as ourselves. We need forgiveness, one who is able to carry away our sins, as John said about Jesus. Do we know Jesus? Maybe we hesitate in confirming that. But Jesus knows us. He received us at baptism, he meets us in the Bible and in prayer, and when we kneel down for communion. Dear Jesus, forgive us our sins, and thanks that you, our Savior knows us and keeps us as God’s children. Amen.

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