Doppelgänger
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
You ever have someone mistake you for someone else? They swear your are the spitting image of someone else?
You ever have someone mistake you for someone else? They swear your are the spitting image of someone else?
I had no idea what a doppelganger was until I watched the television series “The Flash”
Kathryn and I got into it. Every night we would look at each other and say, “Flash?”. Later in the series Barry (The Flash) is able to open a portal to other worlds in different dimensions and soon the people in his circle started to realized on those other worlds were people who looked just like they did — doppelgangers
Doppelganger = german word that means literally “double-walker” — a biologically unrelated person who is your exact look-alike — a double of you — wonder if this is possible?
I did some research and actually found some of your doppelgangers. Do you want to see?
[show pics of ugly villains from comic books]
LOL! I am just kidding — all but my doppelganger — seriously — do you think this is a thing?
There are real stories out there (true stories) of people who met their look-alike — here is one...
Neil Richardson met not only his look-alike but someone who shared many habits, hobbies, a lifestyle, and mannerisms. In a small town northeast of London, Richardson met John Jemison. Richardson moved to this town after he retired and was frequently mistaken for John. Apparently they had a lot in common: a love for British constitutional history, a profession as a religious education teacher, and even a son who played the didgeridoo. Although they are quite certain they are not related, it is a mystery how much their lives parallel each other, beyond just looking alike.
Here we are — right smack in the middle of Advent and Pastor Tony has lost his mind! Talking about doppelgangers!?
Where are the angels, Mary & Joseph, Bethlehem, the star, and sweet baby Jesus lying in a manger?
We are in the middle of Advent and we aren’t even close to the heart of the Christmas story — YET!
We are back to John the Baptist.
We are back to John the Baptist.
Last week the Gospel of Mark gave us John the Baptizer
This week in the Gospel of John he is something more — not just one calling people to repentance and preparation for Jesus — this week John is Jesus’ look alike — Jesus’ doppelganger.
This week the Gospel of John gives us John the Witness
John was so good a witness that the people confused him with the One he was testifying to.
John was so good a witness that the people confused him with the One he was testifying to.
In many ways John the Baptist was Jesus’ doppelganger.
John’s actions — His behavior — his message was so compelling — the people believe he was the One they waited for — the King — the Messiah
The people believed and ran after him — the religious leaders came demanding John be more clear — who are you?
SCRIPTURE
SCRIPTURE
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
John uses court room pictures to describe John
Witness is someone who saw what happened — witnessed the truth of the matter — and testifies everyone what they saw
Witnesses are there to help people believe the truth
John describes the coming of Jesus as a great light coming into the darkness — John was a witness to this light
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
Okay John gets to John’s testimony — he is on the stand as the key witness — the people are watching and he begins his testimony like this...
I’m not the Guy — “Confess” is used twice in the sentence — John was careful not to take any credit for himself — freely confessed that “I am not the Messiah”
They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
All of these were signs the leaders were watching for to let them know the Messiah was about to come
They obviously were confused — the people were starting rumors that He was the Guy — the leaders were concerned he was the Guy
They demanded an answer
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”
John now testifies about who he really is — he is the one sent by God to prepare the way for the Big Guy — the One
God is coming and you need to make straight the way — repent — turn toward God and be saved
Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Now the leaders are confused
Why are you acting like the Guy — behaving like the Guy — you look like the Guy we are looking for — are you Him?
John then testifies again — “I baptize with water” — He will baptized with the Holy Spirit
I might act like him — talk like him — behave like him — but understand this — he is much greater than me
Slaves were the only ones who will bend down to untie your sandals — I am not even worthy to do that for this guy
The One coming after — actually he is already here among you and you don’t even know it — He is greater than all of us and we must confess that
So John never lost sight of who he really was and who Jesus really was
He might in some ways be Jesus’ doppelganger — but he is not Jesus
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
What would you do with all that fame and power?
What would you do with all that fame and power?
Power? “I don’t have that kind of power and influence! All of Judea and all of Jerusalem aren’t running out to me — people don’t care what I think or have to say”
That is probably true of all of us — we don’t have great influence and power — we don’t have massive followings where people just want to be around us and hear us speak
But we all have the same choice as John did — Everyday we all have moments when we can chose my way over His way
We push forward our own agenda, desires, rights, wants — life slowly becomes about me — all for personal gain — personal satisfaction and comfort
We’ve gotten pretty good at it too!
We all have the hurt and regrets of broken relationships because we were selfish — wanted it my way
We all live with regrets and shame for things we have done all because we wanted what we wanted
If only we all would “Make straight the way of the Lord” — to realized there is one greater than me — One I could follow and who would love me
Instead we spend our days and years filling in the potholes and trying to straighten the roads we have chosen in life — constantly pulling our wrecked lives out of the ditch
John showed incredible humility — he could of had it all but instead gave it all up (even his own head) so that he would be a witness and testify to the One who is the light of the world
As disciples, we also testify to the coming of Jesus. How might we act as Jesus’ doppelganger as well?
As disciples, we also testify to the coming of Jesus. How might we act as Jesus’ doppelganger as well?
Westminster John Knox Press. A Preacher's Guide to Lectionary Sermon Series: Thematic Plans for Years A, B, and C (p. 87). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.