Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, give us Your Spirit in our heart, Your truth, and Your humility.
Text: John 1:19-28
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.
Devotion
Let John the Baptizer teach us truth and humility, he prepares the way for the Savior, and we receive true Christmas joy. The steady stream of messengers from priests and Levites surely could have turned John’s head. Even more so, their questions that honored him as the Christ made it tempting for him to make himself into the Messiah. But John confesses the truth here, just as later before Herod Antipas, and does not deny his Lord and Savior. “I am not the Christ,” he says. “I am His voice,” nothing more, nothing less. Although I am nothing, yet Christ uses me as His voice. Don’t ask about me, about my person, but ask about Him. Why won’t you recognize Him who stands in your midst! He is the eternal God, who alone puts power both in my words and in my baptism. I am a lowly servant, not worthy to loose His sandal strap. Let all who have a little knowledge of themselves recognize how ambitious mankind is, and they must praise John’s humility as a miracle of grace.
Yes, John is great in his love of truth and in his humility! Of all who lived before Pentecost, he sees Jesus the most clearly. And because Christ’s glory and grace shine so brightly in his soul, for that reason he is so humble. And again: because God’s Spirit has taught him so clearly to know himself and made him so humble, therefore he sees the Lord so clearly, while others do not recognize Him.
But you, my friend, who are you? When you should confess and not deny, confess the truth and say who you are, what is your name, then? What are you? – But what should you be? You too are destined for something great, but have become utterly lowly. Only when you know this, do you have greatness and glory again. Have you learned to know yourself? And do you know the One who is unknown to the world, the One who stands among us? Have your eyes followed John’s finger pointing to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? O may we hear God’s Spirit who guides us into all truth (Joh 16:13), and become humble of heart, so that we too may become great before the Lord! And in this way the soul rejoices in the unspeakable gifts of the eternal Father.
Closing Prayer
Merciful God, You gave John such deep knowledge of self, such truth and humility in heart. We sincerely pray You for the same grace. Give it to us and teach us rightly to receive our Savior, that we may have true joy and peace in Him. Amen.
John the Baptist, holy Lord,
Went to preach Your saving Word;
He esteems himself so low
That the whole world You may know,
Saying he is just a voice,
That we should in Christ rejoice,
Preaching penitence to all
And redemption from the Fall.
His unworthiness he knew
E’en Your sandal to undo;
Much less have I any worth,
Child of Adam, made of earth;
I’m unworthy there to stand
Where You walked the holy land,
Nor within Your courts to stand
‘Till You save me by Your hand.
Sweetest Jesus, David’s Rod,
I will praise You as my God;
There is room for You to stay
In my heart and soul alway;
With repentance in my breast
May I with Your grace be blest.
Come and be my welcome Guest;
Grant a blessed Christmas fest.
Kingo: Store Gud og Frelsermand L 122:2-4 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Spanish Chant (ELH 510); alternate hymn: When all the world was cursed ELH 107