John 1:19-22
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
John’s is a negative confession.
We’ve noticed before, both in this gospel and in the other three we’ve studied together, that the Evangelists seem to hold a somewhat ambivalent attitude about John the Baptist. On the one hand, he is a figure that was undeniably important to the early Christian community and, perhaps more significantly, to Jesus. At the same time, each is at pains to make sure we know that John was not the Messiah and that, while John is important, he’s not as important as Jesus.
This suggests that there may have been some confusion about that, whether in the early church itself – perhaps some disciples of John continued to make claims about their dead leader – or from people outside of, but perhaps interested in, those early Christian communities. But because John was clearly such a major figure, the early Christians couldn’t just write him out of the story, and so each Evangelist clarifies his role.
John – the Fourth Evangelist, that is – does this by having John the Baptist make a negative confession. Actually, John (the Evangelist) has John (the Baptist) confess twice – “He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed…” – that he is not the Messiah.
And he’s not Elijah either (although other gospels cast him as something of a fulfillment of the promise that Elijah would return before the Messiah appeared). And he’s not the prophet, perhaps one expected to come to herald the coming messiah and/or end of the world. (Again, the other gospels cast John very much as the forerunner of the Messiah.)
We’ll get to what John the Baptist says about himself, at least in John’s Gospel, tomorrow. For now, it occurs me that there are times when a negative confession can be as important as a positive one. It doesn’t do the whole job – that is, we can’t ultimately define ourselves in terms of what we’re not – but there are times when it’s important. There are times, that is, when people look to us to be something or someone we are not. And it’s important to be honest about both our potential and our limitations.
A leader can help an institution turn itself around, but a leader cannot save an institution. A pastor can guide a congregation, but cannot believe for the congregation. A parent can prepare a child for the challenges of the world, but a parent cannot face all those challenges for the child. A coach can be friendly to players but cannot be their friend.
Sometimes its important to know what we’re not before we can properly articulate, and become, who we were really called to be.
Prayer: Dear God, help us claim your call to be the person you created us to be, even when that means facing what we are not so we can live into who we are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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