2022 12 18 Sermon

Testifying to the Light
Advent 4 John 1:1-9, 14, 30-31, 34, 3:30
The Message of John the Baptist sermon series, week 4
Based on the book Prepare the Way for the Lord by Adam Hamilton
Rev. Karl-John N. Stone

August 21, 2017. My family lived in Lincoln, Nebraska at the time. It was a momentous day, with newspaper articles and social media accounts providing lots of information. A new school year had recently begun, but students were let out of class and sent outside to experience this special event. Special glasses were being sold at just about any store you went to. Birds became confused as it seemed that dusk had arrived. As we set our chairs up in a local park, we watched the swallows fly and flit hunting insects for their bedtime meal. Can you guess what was so special about that day? … A total solar eclipse passed right over us!

Wearing our special glasses, we watched as the dark circle of the moon gradually covered up the sun. Then for two and half minutes the moon completely covered the sun, until the moon once again gradually moved away, and the sun fully reappeared. Yet even when the sun was fully covered, it kept shining, the sun’s rays kept finding a way to poke out around the moon that eclipsed it. Even though in our spot on the planet, the midday looked as if a smoke-free haze had settled over the earth during the eclipse, it never became fully dark. There was enough brilliance continuing to shine from the sun, that the darkness could not completely overtake it.

Is it any wonder, then, that we use the sun as a metaphor for God? “The Sun of Righteousness”. Or that we use light as a metaphor for Christ? “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” Or that Psalm 119 says “Your Word, O Lord, is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”?

John the Baptist lived his life and preached his message with these truths in mind. As John prepared the way for Jesus the Messiah, he taught that “He must increase, but I must decrease.” A total solar eclipse lasts for a little while but then gives way to the sun shining in all of its glory. Likewise, John knew that his job was to point to Christ, not to cover him up. John knew that his job was simply to reflect the light of Christ into the world, just as we can see the moon in the night sky only because the sun’s rays reflect off of it.

We know that John the Baptist loved God, and wanted to serve the Lord. He was also an inspiring leader, and lots of people responded to his message and joined his movement of “preparing the way for the Lord”. John even had his own group of disciples who were really committed to him. So much so that they became jealous when Jesus came along. They saw the success Jesus was having with his ministry. They saw the success Jesus’ disciples had. It’s only natural that they would be jealous, after all the hard work they had put in to become successful in their own mission. Why would they want to hand everything they’d worked for over to someone else to complete? But this is where John showed his character, and it shows us a good example of how to live the Christian life as inspired by John, by offering up our abilities, our talents, our accomplishments in a way the reflects the light of Christ into the world.

The message John preached was often harsh towards everyone who came to hear him. The message Jesus preached, on the other hand, was harsh towards religious leaders who put up stumbling blocks that made it harder for people to get closer to God. But Jesus’ message for ordinary sinners was full of compassion and mercy. When Jesus came along, John knew that his message had served its purpose. He had prepared the way. Now it was time to let Jesus and his message of compassion and mercy take over. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

It’s like John was the spark plug, but Jesus was the engine. John was the catalyst who prepared the way. But Jesus is the one who keeps God’s Kingdom moving into the world and into our lives.

John’s attitude toward Jesus teaches us two key points about how we can be witnesses testifying to the light, reflecting Christ into the world. First—have a humble heart. As great as your accomplishments might be, God’s are greater still, and God has given you the ability to do the things you are good at doing, just as God has given other people different things that they are good at doing. Second—celebrate the success of others. It would have been easy for John to let his ego or personal ambitions get in the way of Jesus’ mission. Instead he took satisfaction in being able to fulfill the purpose God had for him, and then he found joy when Jesus picked up where he left off and Jesus fulfilled the different purpose God had for him. John reflected the light, but Jesus came to be the light of God’s grace and glory in the world.

A total solar eclipse is a rare event (even though the weather we’ve been having lately kind of makes it feel like every day is a solar eclipse). But we have the promise that nothing will eclipse the light of Christ. This promise was spoken by the Word, who was in the beginning; who was with God and who was God; who (with the Father and the Holy Spirit) brought all things into being. This Word became flesh and lived among us, and we called him “Jesus”. Jesus has given us the promise—a promise sealed by his holy cross and rising from the tomb; a promise sent into all creation by his ascending into heaven—that no matter how dark it may be, his light will keep shining in the darkness and the darkness will not overtake it.

Whether it is “big” kinds of darkness like the oppression unleashed on Ukraine, the injustice of racism, the inhumanity of mass shootings, the suffering spread by a world-wide pandemic—or whether it’s “smaller”, more personal, kinds of darkness that still feel plenty big to those going through them, such as the death of a loved one, figuring out how to deal with a chronic illness, struggles in a personal relationship, or facing a moral dilemma—none of these darknesses will ultimately prevail. Nothing will eclipse the love and light of Christ. Even when it’s difficult to see a way out, and harder still to do what you need to do in trying to make it to a better place—the Word who became flesh lives among us still. He will have the last word, and his light will keep finding a way to shine. Amen.