LENT DAY 4 – March 8, 2014

This is the Fourth Day of Lent and tomorrow is the First Sunday of Lent. Have you given anything up for Lent?  If so, how has that worked?

You understand that Sundays are never days of fasting, but always Feast Days, right?  Each Sunday is a celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection, so of course even though sometimes people decide to keep a fast, you don’t have to do that.  Sundays are always days of special rejoicing.

As we continue to think about Jesus and what we know about Him, there is a very revealing passage in the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel concerning Jesus’ identity as Messiah, the Anointed One of God prophesied in the Hebrew Bible through many prophets:

 “They asked him [John the Baptist], ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” ³⁴ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’”  [John 1:25-34 (NRSV)]

In order to get a handle on that, though, perhaps we need to refresh our knowledge of who John the Baptist is from the historical and cultural context.  The territory of the Promised Land became part of the Roman Empire in 63 BC. So by the time Jesus came to John to be baptized when he was 30 years old, the Jewish people had endured nearly one hundred years of oppression by the Romans.  That was on top of the years of Hellenization after the time of Alexander the Great that culminated in the Jewish Revolt of 74-73 B.C. 

A prophet recognized by the Jewish Temple leadership had not arisen for a very long time.  Then John the Baptist began “crying in the wilderness” for people to prepare for the coming of the Lord.  St. Luke relates John’s narrative in the second chapter of his Gospel.  We often read it during Advent and on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  From the perspective of miracles and fulfilled prophecies, John the Baptist is a bona fide prophet even before he is conceived.

John doesn’t only call the Jewish people to repentance. He stands at the very place on the eastern bank of the Jordan River where the Children of Israel crossed into the Promised Land.  Those who believed John came to be baptized in the Jordan and then go back to their homes

People who are both favorably and unfavorably impressed by John ask him if he is Messiah.  He replied that he is not and explained how he knew that Jesus is.  He said, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

What is it that convinces you that Jesus is the Son of God?

If you are not sure, ask the Holy Spirit to help you know.  He will show you in no uncertain terms if your heart is open.