The Other Baby

Luke 1:67-79

This is Christ the King Sunday. This is a tradition that started in the early part of the 20^th century. When political powers were rising in the world to such a degree that people found it necessary to align themselves to one side or another, the church decided to make a statement; to make a stand to say that no matter what your political affiliation, no matter how powerful an earthly ruler is Jesus Christ is still our king! In fact Jesus Christ is our only king. It is fitting that the last Sunday in the church calendar is set aside to affirm Jesus as the Centerpiece of Civilization (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX_7j32zgNw ).

Today is the end of the Church year.

This is it! This is the last Sunday before Advent.  Next week the sanctuary will be decorated; the candles will be lit and our preparations for Christmas will have begun.

Four weeks of preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus the messiah; the anointed one; the Christ! Four weeks of songs, parties, pageants, and gift giving. For four weeks your favorite TV shows will have Christmas specials. We will hear about massive crowds at shopping malls; we will hear about civil liberties groups bringing suit against cities to have nativity scenes removed from public places.  For some of us we will spend the next those four weeks preparing our hearts to have new life born again in our lives through Jesus Christ. 

All that because a baby was born over 2000 years ago.

But today we are going to talk about the other baby that was born back then.  There is always the “Other baby”

About 6 months before Mary the mother of Jesus gave birth, her cousin Elizabeth gave birth.  They named him John (actually they name him Ἰωάννης which sounds nothing like the English name “John”).

Zechariah went to make an offering of
incense when he was visited by an angel
of the Lord. 

Like Jesus, an angel of the lord visited a parent of John before he was conceived. Only it was John’s father Zechariah who was visited by the angel in the temple, in the Most Holy Place.  Zechariah didn’t believe the angel so he was struck mute.  He was unable to speak until the things that the angel said came true. 

When the time came Elizabeth gave birth.  She and Zechariah named him John as the angel instructed and Zechariah was immediately able to speak. 

The words he spoke might have been high hopes for a beloved first born son but they turned out to be prophesy. 

Because Zechariah’s son John grows up to be John the Baptist.  The one in the wilderness preparing the way for Jesus. 

John the Baptist is the “Other Baby” in the Christmas narrative.  I have never seen a Christmas pageant with a baby John, Just a baby Jesus. Who do we relate to more, Jesus or John? John is the one that points to Jesus so many people may feel that they relate more to John.  We point the way to Jesus.  We don’t claim any credit for saving people we know its Jesus that saves.  We know it that restored relationship with God through Jesus that is transformative.

But Jesus is the one that calls us to be like him.  Jesus calls us to do as he does.  Jesus calls us to do even greater things. 

Jesus is our Rabbi, he is our master.  We should be like him.  We should identity with Jesus. Only John the Baptist is John the Baptist. And there is only one you. We all have our own unique place in the Kingdom. We all have our own gifts that God has granted us to use for God’s glory. Just because John was the one that made the way straight doesn’t mean that we have the same ministry. Our ministry is to use our gifts in a way that Glorifies and honors God and fulfills the great commission (Go; make disciples, baptizing, teaching.)

We are called to be like Jesus but we lift up the other baby this morning or rather his daddy’s words about him 8 days after John was born. 

He knew that God’s promised messiah was coming.  He knew that his son John had a part to play in the unfolding of events that was about to take place.

“And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn form on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide or feet into the way of peace.”

When my first born came into this world I had great hopes for him and I still do.  But the difference between now and 17 years ago, is that the blanks that have been filled in.  When he was born it felt like he was the only child ever born and I was the only father to feel such pride.  But then I know most first time parents feel something like this.  My baby and all other babies are the “other baby.” 

The first 17 years of my son’s life have been written and they are no longer a mystery.

When John was born His father didn’t know what John’s life journey would look like, but he knew the destination.  He knew his son had a purpose.  If the angel told Zechariah that his son would live in the wilderness, wearing cloths of camel hair eating locust and wild honey for sustenance, would he have ever let him go?  If Zechariah knew that his son would one day speak against the king and get arrested would he have trained him to keep his mouth closed?  If he knew that he would be unjustly executed would he have done all he could to break him out of prison.  Probably.  Wouldn’t you?  We don’t know what lies ahead.  We don’t know what difficulties we will stir up when we follow God’s will. But we know the destination.  We know that if we use the gifts God gave us to go and make disciples; if we glorify god with thoughts, words and deeds, God will use all of that to grow his kingdom.  There are lots of different ways that we can do that; there are many opportunities to use our gifts.  We may not have the same path as John the Baptist but we all have the same purpose. We are to be obedient to the call of God on our lives “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide or feet into the way of peace.”

I love the description from Malachi 4:2 “But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves form the stall.” Have you ever seen that?  The way a calf leaps?  It is unrestrained; uninhibited.  And if you stand too close it could be a little dangerous.

So how is it with you today?  Have you ever felt like that?  Have you ever had unrestrained joy flowing through you because of the freedom God has given you?  Malachi looked forward to that.  Zechariah knew it was coming; John the Baptist pointed to the one who would provide it; Jesus offers it.  Jesus was born in a manger he is the one baby who grew to be the savior of the world. The rest of us are the “Other babies” that grow up to grow His kingdom.