a good confession

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Deut. 6:16-25; Heb 2:1-10; John 1:19-28


He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
(John 1:20)

John, the greatest prophet, the forerunner, the voice, was pretty vague when he was asked for answers by the priests and Levites from Jerusalem. When asked, "Who are you?" he said "I am not the Christ." When asked "Then why are you baptizing?" all he really said in answer to that was, "I baptize with water."

My point is not to be disrespectful to John. (To be fair, when pressed, he he did say "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” ) Either he was being purposefully elusive in his answers, or he really did have a lot of specific answers, or he insisted on keeping the focus on Jesus.

When they ask him "Who are you?" John the Gospel writer reports that John confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." This was a "confession" - not in the sense of admitting to doing something wrong, but in the sense of a positive declaration of affirmation, or assertion, or a profession. His saying, "I am not the Christ," was not principally a denial but a positive witness to the truth.

Certainly, these people who were questioning were wondering if he was the Messiah, or claiming to be the Messiah. So John was cutting to the quick in his reply. But I think we can learn from this. We are called to confess Jesus before people, and not deny him ("acknowledge" here is the same word John uses here of the Baptist's confession):

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33)

Robert mentioned in his sermon Sunday that so often we are thinking about us and our response when talking with people, and quickly give our input as soon as they finish (or in my case, too often interrupting!). It is better in conversation to listen to and to honor the other, than to call attention to ourselves.

We are made and re-made in the Image. We are made and re-made to reflect his glory, and live to the praise of his glory. This doesn't necessarily mean always giving articulate, formulated confessions of faith. But it does mean in all we do and say we act like Jesus, we are quick to reflect his goodness and glory.