Rorate Coeli

“[John the Baptist] confessed, and did not deny, but confessed [the Christ]” (Jn 1:19). If we think of denying Christ, Peter often comes to mind. When asked point blank about Jesus, he denied him, saying, “I do not know the man” (Mt 26:72). On the other hand, Christians often think that the business of confessing Christ is reserved for pastors and missionaries, or the great saints of old. And you might say, “John the Baptist confessed and did not deny. Good for him. But does confessing or denying really apply to me, an ordinary Christian and member of this little congregation?” Yes, it does. Every person on earth is either confessing Christ or denying him. There is no middle way, no neutral path.

To know how to confess Christ means one must know what is is to deny him. As a boy I used to imagine masked gunmen bursting into the church and demanding, “Who here is a Christian?” And I wondered, “Would I have the courage to stand up and be martyred, or would I deny Christ simply by remaining silent?” While this scenario could happen, for most people the choice to confess or deny comes in a far more mundane way. It may not be your life that is immediately on the line. Instead, by confessing Christ you may stand to lose a promotion, a friendship, or your livelihood. Conversely, by denying Christ, you will most certainly gain the approval and friendship of the world.

Consider what was at stake for John. He could have denied Jesus by claiming to be the Messiah himself. And what would he have gained? The whole world, it would seem! The people would have worshipped him gladly. They may even have crowned him king and marched upon Jerusalem with him at their head. But there is an even easier way that John could have denied Christ: Instead of trying to take his place, what about just softening the message he had been sent to deliver? Did he really need to call the Pharisees a “brood of vipers”? They might have followed John if he had just been a bit nicer to them. Was it really necessary to prepare the way for Jesus by preaching about repentance from sin? Wouldn’t people have been more receptive to the Messiah if John’s message had focused more on love?

You see, denying Christ generally doesn’t come in the form of saying Peter’s words, “I do not know the man.” Denial happens more often when we are ashamed of the message of Christ. Many Christians will say, “Of course, we still believe in Jesus at our church. We just don’t talk about certain topics of the Christian faith that are offensive to most people.” And what topics are those? “Just a few: sin, law, accusation, repentance, judgment, wrath, punishment, perishing, death, devil, damnation, and even the cross. Apart from these things, we still totally believe and confess everything about Jesus. Oh, also, we don’t talk about political issues: abortion, marriage, sexuality, gender, stuff like that… Here at our church, we focus on acceptance and love.”

But Jesus says, “If you love me, you will guard and protect my words” (John 14:15. “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, I also will be ashamed of him [on the Last Day]” (Mk 8:38). “Whoever denies me before men, I will also deny before my Father in heaven” (Mt 10:33). To be ashamed of the words of Jesus is to deny him. To distance yourself from the things that Jesus says because they are offensive to the world is to distance yourself from Christ. There is no middle way. A true confession of Christ means that you must confess everything He says.

Are you, like John the Baptist, willing to confess the truth of Christ, when there is a personal cost? Many people—many Christians, even—are not. For example, believing parents are often happy to confess what Jesus says about marriage until their son brings his new boyfriend home for Christmas. Then suddenly, the words of Jesus are discarded for the sake of a relationship. Or perhaps their views on abortion abruptly change when their unwed daughter ends up pregnant. The world applauds this denial of Christ, calling it love and devotion to family. But it’s not love. Jesus says, “The truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32). Do we not owe it to our family members and friends to confess the complete truth, since it is the only thing that can save them and set them free? Let’s be honest: If we choose to deny the truth, it’s not because we love our neighbor. It is because we love ourselves, and do not want to lose something that is dear, whether a relationship with a family member or our reputation among peers.

As middle-class Christians in a first-world country, we have become too accustomed to a faith without cost, a confession of Christ that requires little or no sacrifice. This is why the example of John is set before us once again. It would seem that he had everything to gain by denying Christ and everything to lose by confessing him. What future awaited him on earth for speaking the truth but hatred, persecution, poverty, prison, and finally a violent death? And yet he gladly accepted these sorrows for the sake of Christ of his kingdom. Love for his Savior and for his poor, misguided brethren compelled him.

And so, we too, must not be afraid to speak the truth. God may not have called you to public ministry, but even so, every Christian is presented with opportunities to confess Christ. As a boy, as I said before, I had in mind a spectacular, glorious confession. I imagined going down for Jesus in a hail of gunfire, a death worthy perhaps of being recounted in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. But most of the time, this is not the opportunity for confessing Jesus that God sets before us. You may confess him by saying to a dear relative, “I love you unconditionally and always will, but the way you are living is not good. God’s Word says that it is sinful.” Perhaps you will say to a peer, “Yes, I am one of those fundys, as you call them, who still believes in an “outdated” view of marriage.” Confessing Christ may be as mundane as going to church when it means that you lose a chance to sleep in. Against those who deny that Jesus is present in his Body and Blood, confessing Christ can be as simple as responding “Amen” to the words, “The body of Christ, given for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you.”

And this is the truth that sets you free: Jesus Christ crucified for sinners of whom I am chief. Even if you, like Peter, have at times denied your Lord, even if you been afraid to make the good confession, you can begin again today. You can hear the call of John the Baptist who bids you, “Repent, and wash away all your sins!” You can approach the Table of Christ confessing even your failure to confess him as you should. And as you kneel and make this good confession, you have our Lord’s promise, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:32). Follow John’s example and confess the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Confess the One who is the Truth. Confess all of his words that alone lead to eternal life. Confess, and do not deny, but confess the Christ.