Be not afraid. This phrase, or words similar to it, appear throughout the course of the Bible. To fear is part of our fallen nature but fear is not of God. That is why we see John the Baptist, in the face of scrutiny from the leaders of his time, men who could cause trouble for John, not cower in fear but rather be bold and direct. He was doing the will of God and thus had no reason to be fearful. Do we boldly share the message of Jesus Christ or do we cower in fear? As we start a new year it is worth taking time to ask ourselves if we are too afraid to share the Good News.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.” They said to him then, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John 1 : 19-28
Scriptural Analysis – Background On John’s Testimony
John the Evangelist introduces the reader to the testimony (witness in some translations) of John the Baptist. This concept of testimony is extremely important in the Gospel of John. The Greek word for testimony is martyria which is where the English word martyr comes from. To give testimony is more than simply saying that one was an eyewitness to certain events. In the Christian context, to give testimony implies risk, risking it all even to the point of death.
A delegation arrives from Jerusalem. Their mission is to determine precisely who John the Baptist is. Specifically, is he, or does he think he is, one of the end-time figures that the Jews were expecting? Despite popular belief, there was no uniform expectation amongst the Jewish people, for a messianic figure. Thus we see various titles used in their interrogation of John.
It is also not surprising that a delegation would come to see what John was doing. John was the son of Zacharias, a descendant of Aaron, in other words, a member of the priestly tribe of Levi. Therefore, in the eyes of the authority, John was a priest. He was behaving in what many would consider an odd way. Thus it was natural that the religious authorities would want to come out and see what was going on with this priest.
Scriptural Analysis – The Testimony
John records Bethany as the area where John the Baptist’s ministry took place.
They first ask John the Baptist who he is and his first response is to inform them that he is not the Christ, that he is not the Messiah. Interestingly enough, in the Greek text, the emphasis is placed on the I. This indicates that John was trying to tell them that he was not the Messiah but that the Messiah was alreay present on earth.
They then ask him if he is Elijah. There was an expectation that Elijah would return before God’s end-time action. This is detailed by the prophet Malachi:
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse. Malachi 4:5-6
In both The Gospel of Matthew and The Gospel of Mark, John the Baptist was described as living a life close to that of Elijah. Yet in this passage in The Gospel of John, John the Baptist clearly denies that he is Elijah. How does this square with the fact that Jesus speaks of John as Elijah, “But I tell you that Elijah has already come.” (Matthew 17:12) What Jesus is saying is that John the Baptist is acting in the spirit of Elijah, “And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” (Luke 1:17)
Next, John the Baptist denies that he is the prophet. There is a long-standing expectation of a new Moses that will come and deliver the people. It was Moses himself who set this expectation, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren—him you shall heed.” (Deuteronomy 18:15) Later on in the Gospel, we will see how Jesus is actually the one of whom Moses foretold of.
Having determined that John is none of the identities that had been associated with him, the delegation then asks John to tell them who he is. His response would have echoed in the minds of his hearers. John quote the opening line of Isaiah chapter forty, “A voice cries, In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3) By applying these words to himself, John stirred the hearts of many. They would have asked, is now the time to expect the promised time of salvation?
We then learn that there are Pharisees in the delegation. They ask John why then is he baptizing people. The Pharisees are trying to determine where John’s authority to baptize comes from. This was an important question because baptism at the hands of men was not something the Jewish people did. Baptism was reserved for those people converting to Judaism: Gentiles had to be washed in baptism. However, John is suggesting that even the chosen people needed to be cleansed. To make such a claim required authority.
John’s response is a rather curious one. He does not directly answer their question. Rather, he points to the authority of the one who is coming after him. John states that he is not even worthy to untie their sandals. This was a job reserved for slaves as in the dusty desert climate, people’s feet were dirty. John is saying the one who is to come is so mighty that John is not even worthy to be their slave.
Daily Application
John was willing to risk everything in fulfilling his role as the one who was to prepare the way for Christ. That is evident in his exchange with the religious leader of his time. He is not coy, he does not attempt to misdirect. John gives direct and to-the-point answers. He tells them exactly who they are and more importantly, he tells them that the Messiah is coming: in fact, he is already here. He was bold and unafraid.
Are we bold? Do you and I willing to risk everything to proclaim Christ? Or, are we afraid? Does that fear hold us back and keep us from sharing the Gospel?
Risk comes in many forms. We may not risk our lives when we share our faith, however, we certainly risk rejection. The people we associate with may reject us. We risk ridicule. People will most definitely talk about us, especially in our current culture where those who hold to religious beliefs are often ostracized. Increasingly, we may risk our livelihood. Sticking to one’s religious beliefs has seen businesses fined and sued as of late.
Of course, the risk of martyrdom, while perhaps not as great as it was in the early Church, still exists today. There are people around the world who are martyred for their faith. Yet they are not afraid. They boldly profess their faith and share it with others just as John was bold with his testimony when confronted by the religious authorities of his time. If our life was demanded of us, would we still profess the faith, or would we deny him out of fear?
This is the time of year when people make resolutions, things they are going to do in the new year. Perhaps the top item on the list should be, do not fear but be bold. Boldly share the message of Jesus Christ. If we can do this, imagine what a year this will be. Imagine all of the people we could bring to Christ.
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