I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the LORD,'" as the prophet Isaiah said

 

 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 

 

Yesterday, the lectionary gave us what is known as the Prologue of John's Gospel:   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 will 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?"  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."  Here the theological Prologue to John's Gospel is finished (see yesterday's reading, above), and the testimony of the Gospel has shifted to the beginnings of Christ's earthly ministry.  Thus begins the witness of John the Baptist in today's reading.  This next part of John's Gospel, extending through chapter 2, verses 1-11, is another type of parallel with the book of Genesis.  Just as John's Prologue began with the words, "In the beginning" in order to give us a picture of the Logos, the Son of God in His divinity, today's reading begins the first of seven days given as the beginning of Christ's ministry in our world, as Incarnate human being.  It begins with John the Baptist, a highly revered figure in his time, whose ministry gave to Christ His first disciples, who had been first followers of John the Baptist.  

"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."  My study Bible comments that John the Baptist is a prophet, but not the Prophet, the Messiah, whose coming was foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).  Here John is quoting from Isaiah 40:3, identifying himself as the one who fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness."  He, we understand, is the herald of our Lord's coming, proclaiming to all to be prepared for the coming of 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.   The Pharisees have come to him as part of the ruling Council, and those who wish to scrupulously regulate and examine the faith.  John by now is well-known.  Here John again points to Christ, "One among you whom you do not know."  John's baptism is not Christian baptism, but one of repentance in preparation for the Messiah.  

My study Bible explains of John the Baptist that the call to repentance was traditional for prophets.  Thus, his role in baptizing for repentance in preparation for the coming of Christ is one that fulfills the role of prophet, and John himself is traditionally considered in the Christian faith to be the last and greatest of the Old Testament type prophets.  My study Bible notes that John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all (unlike Christian baptism with the Holy Spirit), but prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  It also notes that John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit (or "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin, Christ.  There is another way to understand our text, and that is in keeping with the parallels to Genesis we're given in these first seven days of Christ's ministry, beginning with the call of John the Baptist to repentance in preparation.  My study Bible comments on this aspect of the text that on this first day, John the Baptist bears witness to the Light (see yesterday's reading, above), who is the Christ, in the presence of the Pharisees, those coming from the Council and in this sense representing the Jewish nation.  This parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.  This call of the Baptist is extremely important, for it gives us a sense (as my study Bible suggests) of how the Old Testament calls us to the new, and points to Christ.  Clearly this preparation is essential for understanding who Christ is, for preparing the people to know the Christ, to receive the Messiah.  Many factors will be at work in terms of how the people accept or reject Christ and His ministry, not least of which are popular expectations which are false, but in fact John gives the true preparation by quoting Isaiah the prophet, showing how God has prepared the way for the Lord, and even for the Baptist himself.  What we may gather from this is first of all the importance of preparation.  When we journey along the road of faith, we may begin to observe that all that has come before in our lives, when taken in faith, can work together to point us to our salvation and a growing or deepening participation in the life of Christ, a deepening of our faith.  Secondly, the passage shows us unmistakably how John the Baptist is essential to this salvation economy, for each one plays his or her role in God's plan.  Nothing is wasted in the sense that each has a part to play.  It also tells us how greatly John was revered by the early Christians and remains an essential figure to our faith.  John is the Herald, or the Forerunner, the one who -- like the servants of a king, or a modern day diplomat or emissary who prepares the ground for a visit of a President or Prime Minister -- readies the people for the greater man's message.  John in this role is a model of humility, and serves today as such a model, especially for monastics.  The very creation of monasticism would be inspired by John and his role in the wilderness, for he lived his life in complete devotion to God.  Today the Feast of the Transfiguration is commemorated around the world, and it is important to remember, in this context, that the Transfiguration is about the revelation of the divinity of Christ to His disciples.  But perhaps most importantly, the Transfiguration (in Greek, Μεταμορφωσις/Metamorphosis) serves for Christians as the image of the Light which transfigures all things and especially transfigures us.  In the Transfiguration we are given to understand that faith is meant to be a process throughout our lives of transformation in the light of Christ, transfiguring our every day moments into something serving our salvation, a capacity for a growing and deepening faith and participation in Christ's life and kingdom.  In His light, we see light (Psalm 36:9), so that we may become the image He has for us.  So we listen to the Herald, John the Baptist, who played his part in teaching us about repentance and preparation, for the One who always makes all things new, and who continually asks us for, and gives us, repentance and renewal. 

I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness"

 

 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 

 

Yesterday the lectionary gave us what is called the "Prologue" of John's Gospel:   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 will 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?"   He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  This John is John the Baptist.  Yesterday, we read the theological Prologue to the Gospel, which taught us about the origins, divinity, and mission of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  Today the focus shifts to the beginnings of Christ's ministry, in the witness (testimony) of John the Baptist.  Just as the Prologue gave us an echo of Genesis, by starting verse 1 with "In the beginning" (see yesterday's reading, above), so the Gospel now parallels Genesis by giving us this "first day" of Christ's ministry.  Over the course of the next several readings, we will be given seven consecutive days.  Each day parallels the themes in the same days in the creation story of Genesis.  Here in today's reading, John the Baptist bears witness to the Light -- the Christ -- in the presence of the representatives of the Jewish leaders sent from Jerusalem.  Today's reading parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.  

And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."   Although the Gospel does not overtly state it, it was understood (and also evident through the text) that John the Baptist was an extremely significant figure at this time just prior to the public ministry of Jesus Christ.  We can see from the questions asked by these representatives sent from the religious leadership in Jerusalem what significance John had as a public figure, who was clearly considered a holy man by the people.  They ask him if he is Elijah because the Prophet Elijah was prophesied to return before the Christ (Malachi 4:5-6).  Elsewhere, Jesus indicates that John the Baptist was Elijah returned in spirit (see, for example, Mark 9:13).   Here although he is a prophet, John denies that he is the Prophet, whom my study Bible says is the Messiah, whose coming was foretold by Moses 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 the Baptist quotes from Isaiah 40:3, the word of one who prepares the way for the Christ, the Lord who is coming and will establish His kingdom.  

 

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.    As these representatives are sent from the Pharisees, they quiz John as to his purpose in baptizing.  Luke 3:3 tells us that John was preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  My study Bible comments that the call to repentance was tradition for prophets.  But John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all; instead, it prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come.  It notes that John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit ("put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.  That is the One John says, "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."  By this language, John is comparing himself in spiritual authority to Christ, in humility declaring that in this sense, he is not even worthy to be a slave of Christ.  

 

 In today's reading, John's Gospel gives us a "first day" of Christ's public ministry.  Note that in this first day, Jesus has not yet made an appearance.  He is alluded to by John the Baptist, but even John the Baptist will indicate in the following reading in this Gospel (Thursday's reading) that at this stage, he does not know who the Christ is.  These details tell us something very important for our own lives of faith.  Most of the time, we tend to think of these great saints and figures of the Gospels as having a spiritual wisdom that has so much to teach us that they are something akin to omniscient.  But, in effect, we see John's great humility teaching us much more about who and what he is than we can imagine for ourselves.  John's humility -- in stating that he personally is not even of rank enough to be a slave to Christ -- is a great key to who John is.  John is a prophet who has dedicated absolutely everything in his life to serving God.  He has no wealth.  In dress he bears resemblance to Elijah; Matthew tells us that John "was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (Matthew 3:4; compare to the description of Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8).  It is in great humility that his detachment from worldly things is so complete in order to serve God.  It is John's great humility that effectively enables him to be not only the final but also the greatest of all the Old Testament style prophets.  As we enter into Lent, this is the right time to think about our own humility.  The traditional fasting practices of Lent are meant to help us cultivate detachment from worldly things, to all the more focus on Christ at the center of our identity, and helping us to lead our lives in the fullness of His way for us, even as individuals.  There is yet another element about John on display in today's reading, and that is that his fidelity to mission is so complete that he is able to prophesy and prepare people for the Messiah, although he does not know Him.  While we have the stories of the prophecies regarding John the Baptist and Jesus in the stories of their mothers, the cousins Elizabeth and Mary (in Luke 1, 2), the revelation of the identity of the Christ will come to John only at the time of Christ's Baptism.  So John the Baptist carries out the fullness of his mission without knowing the identity of the Christ, even until the moment this is revealed to him.  As such, we can take a great lesson in this story in terms of our own lives.  Unlike John, we are not all prophets, but even this greatest of the prophets (Matthew 11:11) does not know all the answers nor the outcome of his ministry; neither does he know the Christ for whom he's preparing the people.  This should equip us to understand for ourselves that although we do not know the outcome of our lives nor our efforts as those who would also be Christ's followers, we are to carry on day-to-day even in a state of unknowing.  There are some things we know, and some we don't know, but faith is always an ongoing process in a life that unfolds through time.  We don't have all the answers, but we can follow John's example of humility and even a state of faith despite our unknowing, and be confident that this is simply the way things are, and the way things always were.  Let us, like John, cultivate the detachment that allows us to remain in this place of both humility and unknowing, even as we pursue our faith.  This is the right mindset to cultivate for Lent, for all of its associated historical practices are meant to help us to develop just such a detached state of mindfulness, and a focus on Christ, even in the midst of unknowing.  Let us take confidence in John the Baptist's example. 

 

 

It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose

 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

Yesterday we read that Prologue to John's Gospel:   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 will 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?"  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.   After the Gospel's theological Prologue (verses 1-18, yesterday's reading, above), John's shift is toward the beginnings of the ministry of Christ.  Starting with the witness of John the Baptist (today's reading), the Gospel proceeds to the calling of the first apostles, the first sign or miracle at Cana, and Jesus' rest at Capernaum.  John's Gospel begins with the opening words of Genesis ("In the beginning" -- see Genesis 1:1), and beginning with today's reading, parallels Genesis by giving us seven consecutive days.  Today's reading concerns the first day:  John the Baptist bears witness to the Light; that is Christ, in the presence of the Jews.  This parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.  Here John the Baptist indicates that He is a prophet but not the Prophet, the Messiah, foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

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 one of repentance, the traditional call of the prophets to the people.  It was a preparation for the baptism of Christ to come.  My study bible remarks that John the Baptist is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but his baptism could not remit (literally "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin. 

If we speak about beginnings, what do we think about?  All things seem to have beginnings, save the One who is eternal, who was already in the beginning, as yesterday's passage taught us.  Here in today's reading, we are given the beginnings of Jesus' ministry, and as we can see, those beginnings start with John the Baptist, who is also called the Forerunner, for his place in Christ's ministry.  He will lead his own disciples to Christ, who will become the disciples or apostles of Jesus.  But as we can see, one factor here in this beginning of Jesus' ministry is that John the Baptist is quite aware of his place in it.  He states that "it is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  John the Baptist announces the news of the Messiah to the leaders who come from Jerusalem, and in the tradition of the Church, we know him as Forerunner also to the souls in Hades, before Christ's death, descent to those same souls of all who have passed before, and Resurrection.  What we take away from today's reading is part of the infinite creativity of the Holy Spirit.  We may regard with wonder how each one has his or her place, just as John the Baptist knows his place as the one who is "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the LORD,' " the one prophesied by Isaiah.  As we will observe in the story of Jesus' ministry, there are those who truly fulfill God's word in a unique way, and they are in some sense complementary to the mission of Christ.  Each one has his or her role to play, and this is true of this observed beginning to which John testifies.  And then there are those who would usurp for themselves the place of God, not leaving room for this flowering of the Spirit and mission of the Messiah, who will be in conflict with Jesus' ministry, and already question John the Baptist as to what he is doing, due to the widespread attraction of his ministry among the people.  The Gospel so far has given us stories of beginnings, and perhaps we can also consider in our own lives how beginnings happen.  One thing seemingly unrelated to another may feed us our new beginning, God's word or work through others glimmers to us truths and meanings that serve to give us ministry and mission in our own lives.  As Jesus will say later on in John's Gospel, "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors" (4:38).  We all enter into the labor of those who have come before, and those who will come later will build upon our own, even those somehow at a tangent in relationship to ourselves.  New beginnings don't mean we necessarily have to invent the wheel:  to know our place in God's creation is to understand the complementary nature of God's diversity and the true ongoing creativity of the Holy Spirit.  Let us note that in the story of Christ, even those who somehow prefer darkness, who oppose this ministry, work together with all things to determine how the ministry goes.  We are reminded that through crucifixion, Jesus will trample down death by death.   When we pray for guidance, when we think about where we are, it is good to reflect upon this beginning of Christ's ministry, which starts here by the river where John baptizes, with one who proclaims himself to be beneath the role of servant to Christ (the One who "is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose").  The smallest start, nearly seemingly unrelated, can grow into the greatest mission, even with the faith of a mustard seed.  Let us consider today how many beginnings may be all around us, what may grow from things we don't quite yet understand, and how with grace all things work together (Romans 8:28).  As with this scene in the wilderness beyond the Jordan, we don't know how the infinite variety of the Spirit may lead us ahead, with what things great and small we claim, even daily, new beginnings.

I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know

 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 read the Prologue of 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 will 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?"  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."  In the Prologue of John's Gospel (above) we were taught about the Person of Jesus Christ, Son of Man and Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity.  John's Gospel now shifts to give us the first week of Christ's ministry -- paralleling the seven days of creation in Genesis, just as the Prologue started with the words that began Genesis:  In the beginning.   In today's reading we're given the first day, in which John the Baptist bears witness to the Light declared in the Prologue; that is, the Christ.  He does so in the presence of the leadership from Jerusalem.  My study bible notes that this parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.    John the Baptist is a prophet, but he is not the Prophet, the Messiah, foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).  In John's Gospel, we will repeatedly note, the term the Jews is used like a political appellation, referring to the leadership of the ruling Council.  It is very seldom used to mean the Jewish people as a whole.   We must keep in mind that nearly all of the people mentioned in the Gospel are Jews, including John the Baptist and Jesus and His disciples, one of whom is the author of this Gospel.  The very fact that the leaders have sent these men to question John the Baptist tells us about the popularity of his ministry, and the high regard in which the people hold him.

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.  These men who are from the Pharisees play their role as the regulators of the faith, the inquisitors who must report back to the ruling Council.  The Pharisees were one party of the Council, who studied the Scriptures and held also a body of oral teachings and traditions as well.  John's baptism is for the preparation of the people for the coming of the Messiah, who is already among the people, according to John's testimony.  John's baptism is one of repentance, the tradition call of the prophets, and a preparation for the baptism of the Christ, the Messiah. 

The great and consistent thing that we note about John the Baptist from this first passage about him is his remarkable humility.  It has been said that much in Christian teaching was also present in one form or another in other religious teachings of the ancient world.  But what truly distinguishes Christianity from the competing religions of the time is the elevation of humility to a high virtue.  It is here immediately present right at the beginning of John's Gospel, in the person of John the Baptist.  The first thing that the Evangelist notes about John is, He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  The Baptist is held in such high esteem by the people as a holy man that he has many disciples (indeed, it is in this Gospel that it becomes clear Jesus' first disciples come through the Baptist).  He is so revered among the public that he could claim that he himself is the Messiah.  But he does not do so.  John's confession is eminently true, and its hallmarks are those of humility before Christ, and personal identity given in relationship to Christ.  John says, of the One who is coming, "It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  It is the advent of Christ, the Incarnation, that sets us into place in humility before Him, and gives us identity within His family of faithful (see Matthew 12:46-50).  It is through humility that we find our place in this family, through relatedness to Christ and recognition of our need for a discipleship that transforms who we are to reveal the image and likeness of the One by whom we are created.  It is through humility that we become the persons Christ calls us to become, to take up our own crosses as He will teach (Matthew 16:24-26).  Christ will show us His own deep humility before the Father, His condescension to become one of us, to serve all of us through His sacrifice on the Cross, in sharing in our suffering.  But first there is John the Baptist, whose radical commitment to the kingdom of God, to his mission to serve the coming of the Lord, remains a prime example of holiness for each of us.  Let us learn to understand humility, that it is the prime virtue that secures all other Christian virtues; it would serve as the basis and model for all of monasticism to come.  Humility simply means that everything in one's life serves Christ; it is a way to simplify, to cut out all extraneous and unnecessary considerations, and to focus on mission and what really constitutes the meaning and basis of one's life, to cut out all that distracts.  Humility is a way to take up one's cross, to find the true path to who we are -- and to see the things we don't need.  Are we up to the task?  It remains the greatest of virtues, a proper focus for our Lenten journey.