The "Voice"
The Endless Journey - John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Reading:
3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Introduction:
Anytime we have an opinion about something, we have a responsibility to evaluate it’s validity.
Whether or not there is truth to it and to see whether or not there is supportive facts to support it.
If there is not then our opinion must be wrong.
But we have a dangerous tool: The internet.
We can find information to support almost anything our little hearts desire!
(Picture slide) It’s a good thing we have a lot of wisdom from our forefathers about this kind of thing, like this one from Abraham Lincoln:
It is important for us to do our homework and validate our sources of information.
So we can be confident that what we believe is truth and is factual!
Especially when it comes to who is making claims about God and whether or not their authority comes from Him, through them.
The religious hierarchy found themselves in the situation where someone is seeming to be religious and made claims about God.
His popularity was growing enough for the leaders to hear about what he’s saying and doing.
Our scene for John today is found in the passages of John 1:19-28 where John is questioned:
By what authority does John speak, what truth is he offering, and is it validated by God?
He was preaching repentance, baptizing in the wilderness, and stirring spiritual expectations in the people.
The religious authorities in Jerusalem had to investigate.
Priests and Levites go to question and interrogate this loud crazy man in the wilderness.
It wasn’t for curiosity or validation, they were sent for control!
John doesn’t fit in their “mold” or “model” as one who can proclaim the Lord....
In reality it is because he poses a danger: They can’t control him!
This seems to be a status quo amongst those who desire power and command a following; those we refer to as Dictators!
Joseph Stalin was a dictator who commanded peoples loyalty and servitude, and he achieved that through fear.
Here’s a peak into Stalin’s view on power and control.
It is said that during a meeting at his dacha in the late 1930s.
Stalin reportedly asked a servant to bring him a live chicken.
When it was brought, Stalin began plucking its feathers by hand, ignoring its frantic squawking and attempts to escape.
The chicken struggled, but Stalin held it firmly until it was completely bare.
Then, in front of his aides, Stalin set the shivering, featherless bird on the floor and tossed it some grains of wheat.
To the surprise of those watching, the chicken followed him, pecking at the food and staying close to his legs.
Turning to his audience, Stalin is said to have remarked:
“This is how you rule the people.
You strip them of everything, and then you give them just enough to keep them coming back.” -Stalin
The servant who had brought the chicken reportedly stood frozen, unsure whether to show horror or admiration.
In Stalin’s world, even a reaction could be dangerous.
Dictators can use fear, deprivation, and selective generosity to maintain peoples loyalty.
There seems to be similarities with dictators and the authority over religious activities the Sanhedrin held.
All religious rights were given by and approved by only their authority.
(Can anyone see where this could be dangerous?)
They needed to find out:
Who John Is? (19-21)
Who John Is? (19-21)
John’s ministry had been on the go for a little while, at least long enough to catch the attention of the Sanhedrin.
Who and what is the Sanhedrin?
The religious entity that ruled over any religious activities during Jesus’ life.
The Sanhedrin was the Jewish council and court who possessed religious, legal, and political authority over the people.
Their playbook was Jewish law which was about 613 laws all together.
But as we all understand and know, it isn’t always the law itself; but the way it is enforced.
How they enforced these laws or used them, wasn’t always honest or true!
Many times they were self serving.
The Sanhedrin was lead by the High Priest who obviously had to be of the Levite tribe.
There were also a prominent religious group among the Sanhedrin who strictly adhered to the Torah called the Pharisees.
They held significant influence on religious practices and teachings during this period.
They all desired to figure out who John was so they asked him.
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
They all showed up, kind of like an ordination council.
It states that Jews arrived and came because it was religious activity.
The Jews understood religious activities, their entire lives were dictated by the laws.
The fact that we find the chosen nation of God sending their religious authority to John reveals something about them.
They looked into all things dealing with Yahweh.
Connection:
As a believers do we look into all things that have an appearance of spiritual and measure it to scripture to see if it is truth or a lie, the Jews would.
The Jews had sent the Priests/Levites.
They followed the protocol to send a God appointed and validated authority to inspect John.
The Priests/Levites were called to the care of the Temple, and it’s sacrifices for atonement.
They represented the people to God and God to the people.
They would figure out if John was sent by God.
All the groups asked: Who are you?
Seems like a valid question.
This question lead into other questions.
How does John answer?
Wisely!
20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
John’s wisdom is shown and his witness is true!
Have you ever talked with a person who sees and interprets the world in black and white?
Illustration:
At Daniels road we had an missionary who was German.
God called him to India as an Nurse at a clinic with a Japanese Dr. who was also a missionary.
They worked on bodies and souls at the same time. (Captive audiences!!)
I have learned that in missions you realize that different countries cultures dictate what is most important for maintaining relationships.
For the Japanese it is highly relational, meaning that the relationship matters more than the truth.
When the question comes up: “How do I look in this” in Japan you answer with filling your mouth with food and answering, or skating around it as to keep the relationship.
For the German people they are truth oriented, meaning that truth is more important than your feelings.
The question doesn’t come up: “How do I look in this”, unless you really want to hear it.
I asked him how he was doing with the culture in India and the Japanese Dr regarding truth vs keeping the relationships.
He prays a lot!
John understands what the religious authority was doing there asking him who he was, and he answered it right off the bat!
He addressed the question they were really after.
I wonder if it was a little disappointing to them to hear that John wasn’t the Christ.
John was called into a mission.
He was the cousin of Jesus, as we know from Luke 1:5-25.
We can read the testimony of his connection to Jesus is when Mary visits Elizabeth.
Mary sang praise to God for Jesus in her womb.
John as an adult was doing what the Lord purposed for him.
Which the group still needed to determine.
They ask:
21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
Talk about a conversation that takes a nose dive quickly!
Notice a digression of questioning.
They start with high authority and work their way down the hierarchal ladder.
Are you Messiah? (The expected David King?)
Are you Elijah? (Elijah was supposed to return before the day of the Lord according to Mal. 4:5)
Are you the Prophet? (A Moses like figure according to Deut. 18:15)
Connection:
What do these questions reveal?
They knew the scriptures.
They were actively waiting for their fulfillment.
What we can see is that their expectations dictated how they received the truth!
Point:
When we read or approach God are we approaching Him or His word asking or allowing it to form and sculpt us or do we approach it with pre-conceived expectations?
Illustration:
How many times have we all sat in a congregation thinking of the person that really needed to be here listening to the message?
When we all approach God, we need to leave our expectations in the parking lot and come with ears to hear and eyes to see so that our hearts can understand what the Lord has for us!
Transition:
Their questioning leads to hearing about:
John’s Purpose? (22-23)
John’s Purpose? (22-23)
The group press further and demand an answer to report back.
22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
He has denied all authoritative stances they were expecting so they demand that he make a claim about his authority!
He claims to be fulfilling a prophecy in Isaiah.
3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
“This is Me!” he claims.
John is the voice in the wilderness.
I could almost hear John in a kung-fu master’s voice and tone!
“You have asked the right question, grasshopper!”
Finally the question that they needed to ask to get the truth!
They needed an answer to bring back to the Sanhedrin.
John’s popularity was so great amongst the people that it caught the attention of the religious authority and they had to evaluate whether or not his authority was from God or he was to be silenced!
To their surprise, John states the truth: I’m the voice in the wilderness!
John does the same thing that Jesus does later when questioned: He proclaims only truth when asked.
Think about what this implies to the Sanhedrin!
Real authority is coming.
The authority that is above you!
How did they receive this news of John fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy?
They scrutinized his actions:
Why Baptize? (24-28)
Why Baptize? (24-28)
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
Remember that the Pharisees represented mainstream Judaism.
The Pharisees were a section of religion that brought traditional Judaism into culture for all Jews.
All must conform, if they didn’t they suffered in the traditional ways.
Illustration:
Paul was part of this group.
He told us he was a Pharisee of Pharisees, who held more right than any of his classmates!
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
Recall the legal right that Paul had against all things that were not traditional Judaism.
Paul addressed these issues to the early church after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ with Galatians, Ephesians and Philippians.
John addresses the Judaizers and their ways!
John is confronted by the Pharisees.
You have no authority!
You admitted that you are not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet.
Who do you think you are to providing an (this is a big religious word) Eschatological act for the people?
Explanation:
Eschatology refers to the last things.
The coming judgment, restoration of Israel, and the arrival of God’s kingdom.
Many believed they were living on the brink of this decisive divine intervention.
So to be questioned about baptizing, it helps to understand:
Judaism already had ritual washings:
It was Repeated.
It was Self-administered.
The purpose was for ritual purity (e.g., after impurity or before temple worship).
John’s baptism was radically different:
Once-for-all, not repeatable.
Administered by John, not self-performed.
For repentance, not ritual impurity.
Performed in the Jordan, loaded with salvation-history symbolism (Exodus, entry into the land).
In Judaism the baptism made someone clean before entering into the presence of God.
John’s baptism was to prepare people for Christs arrival.
To be clean and ready, dedicated to Jesus for the moment He arrived.
Johns humility reveals his function on behalf of Christ!
fulfilling the call to be the voice!
He lowers himself greatly in how explains Jesus!
27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
“I’m not even worthy to untie His sandal!”
John provides another outline for us in our calling to fulfill.
Conclusion:
John revealed to the mainstream culture that he was a witness not the main character, his purpose was to testify of Jesus!
Do we approach each day with this same mindset as a witness and testifying of Jesus?
Let your life to be the billboard; advertising for Christ!
Lift up and reveal Jesus to the people.
The religious authority came to John with knowledge; but they lacked the relationship.
Knowing all the rules, and working hard at keeping them doesn’t equal a relationship.
Our relationship begins with humbling ourselves before the King and asking forgiveness!
Then live as His children, learning and growing with a desire for maturity!
The way to achieve it is reading, exercising your gifts and talents for the building up of the body of Christ.
In all the questions they asked John it reveals that they were there for a character study of who John was.
It shows what motivated them.
They were interested in titles and roles, which is much different than what Christ says God cares about.
I think of the irony that comes with the man who penned this statement in 1 Corinthians 1:27
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
Paul understood what John taught:
Focus on obedience and moving forward in your new life as a forgiven child with a new purpose for your Father!
-Pray!
