“ADVENT FOUR 2024”
Saint John 1: 19-28
4th Sunday of Advent: December 22 Anno Domini 2024
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
There has to be a record. Proof must exist to establish something that has happened in the past. There are of course truths and lessons and proverbial wisdoms that can be learned from myths and fables and stories of legendary heroism. But the truth must be established, anchored, plunged into the ground for an ensign, a rallying banner; or, as a tree—a cross.
There are many types of accurate and truthful records of the truth: eye-witness testimony; circumstantial facts; and written documentation—provided by eye-witnesses and observers. For the truths of The Lord there is the ultimate witness, God The Holy Ghost, The Lord and Giver of Life.
Even with the strongest of oral and literary evidence—records—the unbelievers, stoked by the Prince of Unbelief—will deny and reject. You are surrounded by such satanic skeptics in your daily lives. Your own “old nature,” hard in heart and stiff-necked always tends to incredulity.
Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist was given to write a “record”—the 4th Gospel of the New Testament. He was an eye-witness and he was constrained by The Holy Ghost to pass on in writing, inspired, inerrant, and infallible, what He had already been preaching and teaching. After His Evangel’s prologue (which will be preached upon Christmas morning) he moves into his story—The True Story.
“And this is the record of John” he begins. He is talking about Saint John the Baptist. In the Evangelist’s Greek he actually writes that it is the “marturia.” This is where we get our word martyr.
He is giving you the martyring—the witnessing and confessing of The Baptist. This indeed will happen to Elisabeth and Zacharias’ son in “red” and not just “white.”
You all are also martyrs of The Christ. Like the Baptist you too are set-upon by Jews and “false priests,” and fanatical pietists of arcane and trivial requirements. By martyring to The Truth of Jesus you are upsetting their hegemony and control of the world’s mammon—their stache of power and influence. No man can serve two masters.
They asked John who he was—just “who did he think he was.” Now they knew his name but they wanted his claim to authority or “office,” or special dispensation for what he had been doing.
You will sooner or later be asked similar questions. By governmental officials, law-enforcement, or even family members.
John was not the Christ, and he plainly said so. John was THE VOICE but you too are all voices. John was THE Martyr, but likewise you too will witness and confess Christ.
John actually was Elias, but not in the way an unbeliever would take it. While not literally the Old Testament Prophet—the greatest of The Prophets—John was the second Elijah in Spirit and Purpose. He proclaimed Jesus as The Lamb of God. Elias did many miracles, but John Baptized with his own hand the head of The Miracle, Emmanuel.
So, who are you? Are you the Jews, Priests, and Levites? No. You are followers of The Christ. Do you need to give answer to your adversaries and enemies for The Faith? No, not in any ways that would weaken and falsify the message, the “scandal” of the cross. But yes, as Saint Peter says: “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” [1 Pet. 3. 15]. And though their intentions were not sincere, nonetheless John answers the brood of vipers as boldly as he would later confront Herod: “…make straight the way of The Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias!” That is the Law of God. Repent. Repent because all flesh is as grass. The grass withers and the flowers fade. Death comes to all sinners. Repent. And then believe. To believe is to “make straight the way of The Lord.” No one does this by themselves…not even one tiny bit. It is He Who is The WAY that picks up His lost lambs and places them in the straight way of Light and Life.
You cannot birth yourself, so you as an 8-day infant wash or feed yourself. So, the Pharisee question to John, is the same sectarian/non-denom/ question to me and all the other Lutheran pastors: “why do you baptize (babies in particular)? You are not Christ. You are not Elijah. You are not Moses.”
Your own answers for also believing, teaching, and confessing The Truth, is my answer, because it is The Church’s answer, i.e., Jesus’ answer.
“I baptize with water.” Because Christ so commanded and instituted, and Paul made clear also that it was for all mankind—not just those at some “made-up” age of discretion. I administer and provide natural bread and natural wine because Christ instituted His Holy Sacrament whereby HIS Words—echoing and filling all eternity—this very morning—make the simple elements His Body and Blood.
Like all of you, like John, I myself am not worthy to unloose Mesias’ “shoe latchet.”
So, the Pharisee in all of us is silenced. Our own actions, piety, and efforts to be washed and fed and housed in heaven are worthless. John was beheaded for The Truth; he martyred (recorded and testified) to The Truth. Christ The Truth baptized you with His Water of regeneration and Blood of Atonement at the Holy + Font. Christ had his shoe’s removed by His crucifiers, so that the spikes could pierce his True flesh. That blood you will soon drink. And you will truly be “loosed” from sin and damnation. And you will martyr—bear record of The God/Man, for THESE things are done in BethAugsburg beyond God’s rivers, where Jesus IS.
In The Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
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