Date: 23 December 2023
Author: Loli Reiter
Text: John 1:6-8, 19-28
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 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.’”[d]
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Oooooh, I love playing “20 questions”! You pick something – like an object in the car or a movie title or a famous celebrity – and then people try to figure out what it is by asking “yes” or “no” questions. John seems to like playing, too. “Are you the Messiah?” “No”; “Are you Elijah?” “No”; “Are you the Prophet?” “No”. “Well then who ARE you?! ...what do you say about yourself?” I wonder if John first said, “That’s not a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, is it?”
But it is a good question – when you’re trying to figure out who a person is, how they will change things in your life and the world as you know it, and when you’re trying to figure out how to deal with them. That’s what these guys were trying to do on behalf of the Jewish Leaders because he was already causing a disturbance in the region. People were coming from all over wanting a change, to move past their mistakes, and start again fresh. So hoping, they were coming out to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John is upfront with people, “hey, I’m the one who waved the sign that got your attention to take a step in the right direction...but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
He's talking about Jesus. He is the one who stands among us. Jesus is present here and now, but it is easy for people to miss him. Especially during the holiday season which is supposed to celebrate and point to him in the first place! We’re just too easily distracted by decorating, lists of presents to give and to get, cleaning up your room because your aunt is visiting, final exams, concerts, and parties. There are plenty of others who are waving signs to get our attention and attract us to take a step in their direction, whether it is the right direction or not. You yourself are one of those people! As Christians, we all share in John the Baptists’ calling to point to Jesus, to call attention to him and his way of doing life. And I’m going to risk sounding a little “priestly” and “Levite-ish” to ask you the question: So, who are you and what do you say about yourself? What do you say about yourself in your feeds, your DMs, your posts and what do these messages point others to? Do they point them to feeling better or worse about themselves? Building community through understanding or further dividing by judging and calling people out? Encouraging people to be grateful for the good things and good people in their lives or complaining about how terrible the world and others are?
There was a person sent from God whose name was __(please insert your name here)____. S/he/they came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him/her/them all might believe...believe in the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love that is possible because Jesus, the son of God, is among us. May who we are and what we say about ourselves give witness to Christ’s light. May it share the light that reaches the darkest corners of our world, our minds, and our hearts.
Challenge:
Go to your social media apps and look over your past posts, likes, and snaps. What do they say about you? what values do they reflect? List at least 5 observations/values. Do your “social media fingerprints” match who you are and who you want to be? Is there a trusted adult or friend that you could invite to look over your “social media fingerprints” and answer these questions with you?
Prayer:
God who moves over the waters and in our wi-fi, help us to shine your light in our lives and to see Your light shining in others. Jesus among us and within us, show us how this “holy flashlight” works in our words and in our actions, and Spirit, stirrer of hearts and the winds of change, help us turn away from those who would distract us from the ways of the Lord and figure out how best to love them, too. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Author: Loli Reiter
Text: John 1:6-8, 19-28
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 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.’”[d]
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with[e] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Oooooh, I love playing “20 questions”! You pick something – like an object in the car or a movie title or a famous celebrity – and then people try to figure out what it is by asking “yes” or “no” questions. John seems to like playing, too. “Are you the Messiah?” “No”; “Are you Elijah?” “No”; “Are you the Prophet?” “No”. “Well then who ARE you?! ...what do you say about yourself?” I wonder if John first said, “That’s not a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, is it?”
But it is a good question – when you’re trying to figure out who a person is, how they will change things in your life and the world as you know it, and when you’re trying to figure out how to deal with them. That’s what these guys were trying to do on behalf of the Jewish Leaders because he was already causing a disturbance in the region. People were coming from all over wanting a change, to move past their mistakes, and start again fresh. So hoping, they were coming out to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John is upfront with people, “hey, I’m the one who waved the sign that got your attention to take a step in the right direction...but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
He's talking about Jesus. He is the one who stands among us. Jesus is present here and now, but it is easy for people to miss him. Especially during the holiday season which is supposed to celebrate and point to him in the first place! We’re just too easily distracted by decorating, lists of presents to give and to get, cleaning up your room because your aunt is visiting, final exams, concerts, and parties. There are plenty of others who are waving signs to get our attention and attract us to take a step in their direction, whether it is the right direction or not. You yourself are one of those people! As Christians, we all share in John the Baptists’ calling to point to Jesus, to call attention to him and his way of doing life. And I’m going to risk sounding a little “priestly” and “Levite-ish” to ask you the question: So, who are you and what do you say about yourself? What do you say about yourself in your feeds, your DMs, your posts and what do these messages point others to? Do they point them to feeling better or worse about themselves? Building community through understanding or further dividing by judging and calling people out? Encouraging people to be grateful for the good things and good people in their lives or complaining about how terrible the world and others are?
There was a person sent from God whose name was __(please insert your name here)____. S/he/they came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him/her/them all might believe...believe in the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love that is possible because Jesus, the son of God, is among us. May who we are and what we say about ourselves give witness to Christ’s light. May it share the light that reaches the darkest corners of our world, our minds, and our hearts.
Challenge:
Go to your social media apps and look over your past posts, likes, and snaps. What do they say about you? what values do they reflect? List at least 5 observations/values. Do your “social media fingerprints” match who you are and who you want to be? Is there a trusted adult or friend that you could invite to look over your “social media fingerprints” and answer these questions with you?
Prayer:
God who moves over the waters and in our wi-fi, help us to shine your light in our lives and to see Your light shining in others. Jesus among us and within us, show us how this “holy flashlight” works in our words and in our actions, and Spirit, stirrer of hearts and the winds of change, help us turn away from those who would distract us from the ways of the Lord and figure out how best to love them, too. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
