Who are you?

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and 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."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to 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 those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

- John 1:19-28

 In yesterday's reading, we began the Gospel of John:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the of man, but of God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

  Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"   This question, "Who are you?" is exceptionally important.  It will permeate the Gospels, asked by the religious authorities of Jesus several times, and also inquired of Jesus by Pilate, Herod, and others.  Coming from the religious leadership, it's very important, because it's linked to a question of authority -- authority they don't like giving to someone not of their own recognition.  John in this case, whose testimony is about to be given, is John the Baptist.  At this point he's a very important figure in Israel, highly esteemed by the population as a holy man, he remains in the wilderness dedicated to God, a figure like the ancient prophets -- which Israel has not seen for generations.

He confessed, and 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."   These questions reflect the expectations of the population, who await a messiah, a deliverer of Israel.  John's first answer tells them who he is not:  he's not the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah.  He's asked if he's Elijah, because Elijah was prophesied to return before the Christ.  The Prophet was a figure whom  Moses foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. 

 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to 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."  John quotes from Isaiah's prophesy about the Messiah, the Holy One.   He is the one preparing the way for the Christ, calling the people to repentance in preparation.  John is called "Forerunner" by tradition, the one who heralds the Messiah. 

 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  John's baptism is for repentance, in preparation for the Messiah.  But there is something incredible in what he is saying here:  that the Messiah is among them, and they don't know Him.  He contrasts his baptism, which is with water, with that which will be given by the One whom they don't know.  John's baptism is for repentance, a turn-around, a preparation, but the One whom they don't know will have another kind of baptism to give. 

Above all else, we note John's humility.  He's constantly deferring to the One who is to come, the One among them whom they do not know.  He is "preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  And these words are not only about the persons of John and the Holy One.  They are words about a great shift, a tremendous revelation that is coming.  John can baptize for repentance.  He is a figure of the Law.  In the consideration of the Church, the greatest among all the prophets of the Law.   Repentance was the provenance of the prophets; their frequent message throughout the history of Israel, calling the people (especially those in authority) to repentance, back to the Law given through Moses.  But something beyond that is coming, beyond even the capacities of the Law, which could call people to repentance, but not to remission of sins.  John is the greatest prophet as he prophesies this great and tremendous mystery, even a new kind of baptism, and alludes to a new covenant, something even beyond the Law.  I recently read a very interesting commentary which taught that all Scripture is apocalyptic.  That is, by definition coming from the word apocalypse, which means simply to reveal what is hidden.  John begins our first "day" in this Gospel with the beginning of the revelation of this great Light that is not "coming" but is already there present although they don't know it.  Yes, the Messiah is present in Jesus, whom they don't yet know.  But if we think about it, there is much more to this.  The Christ, the Lord, has been present "among them" from the beginning, He was present in the burning bush as it appeared to Moses, present throughout the spiritual history of Israel, appearing as the "angel of the Lord," manifesting Himself throughout the events reported in the Scriptures.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus will quote from Psalm 78:  "I will open My mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world."  John reveals what is hidden in plain sight, the Holy One stands among them, but they don't know Him.  And here's the greater mystery:  so many of those to whom He speaks will continue not to "know" Him, even after He is revealed to them.   The real key here is John's humility; it is this great attribute, most highly esteemed among all spiritual virtues, that allows us to truly see what is there before us, the presence of God in our midst, among us, and in our world.  As the Scripture and this Gospel unfolds, let us remember this apocalyptic function, and that the world always has and does hold the mystery of the presence of God.  The prophets see what so many do not, and that which the apostles will later proclaim with all boldness.