The sermon for December 22nd was on John 1:19-28.

Grace and peace to you . . .  

At the time John the Baptist made his confession in the text, Jesus had already been born in Bethlehem . The heavenly hosts had already appeared to the shepherds and announced to them, “Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The shepherds had already gone to see the Child in the manger, and when they had seen it, they “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child.” And all that heard had already wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  

After having waited throughout the long Advent season of the Old Testament, you might expect that all Israel would have been excited about the Savior’s birth, that they all would have gone with haste to see the Child. But such was not the case. Few seem to have noticed anything unusual about Him. Like any other child, He grew up, the supposed Son of Joseph. By the time He was thirty years old, people took no special notice of Him. Almost no one recognized Him as the promised Messiah.  

John lamented, “There stands One among you whom you do not know.” To the Levites and priests who asked, “Who are you?” John answered, “I am not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet. I am only preparing the way for Christ. But Christ stands among you.” But what did they care? They seemed not at all interested to find out more about that One. Not one question do they put to John, “Where is He? Where can we find Him? Show Him to us.” They didn’t know Christ, nor did they care to know Him.  

Does it surprise you that the Jews didn’t know Jesus? It shouldn’t. More than 2000 years have passed since the birth of the Savior. The angels’ message to the shepherds has been repeated time and time again. Year after year Christmas is celebrated in honor of His birth. Elaborate preparations have been made for Christmas. For months already the store windows have been decorated, gifts have been displayed, purchased, wrapped, sent, and received, greetings exchanged, homes and trees decorated, children’s pageants practiced and performed, all supposedly in honor of the birth of the Babe in Bethlehem ’s manger. And yet John’s words in the wilderness still hold true, “There stands One among you whom you do not know.” People today may think they know more about Jesus now than people did in the days of John the Baptist. But Jesus Himself they do not know; they have no understanding of who He is and what He has done for them.  

There are many who do not know Jesus. I am not talking about the millions in the dark, heathen lands who never heard of Jesus. I am talking about people right here in Fort Wayne . I am talking about your neighbors, even those who celebrate Christmas every year in honor of Christ’s birth. I am talking about people even in Christian churches, who know the whole story of Christ’s life from the cradle in Bethlehem to the cross of Calvary . They may know much about Jesus, and yet not really know Jesus, that He is God and has died for them.  

A person who really knows Jesus also believes and trusts in Him alone for his salvation. A person who really knows Jesus tries to honor Him with a Christian, God-pleasing life, as he is lead by the Holy Spirit. Or do you think that a person who lives an unrepentant, unchristian and ungodly life really knows Jesus? Does one who really knows Jesus walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, and sit in the seat of the scornful? Does he take part with the unbelievers in all lusts and pleasures of this wicked world? Of course that cannot be! A person who really knows Jesus will try to honor Him with a Christian life because Jesus Himself lives within him.  

How about you? Do you know, trust and believe in Jesus? Remember the Jews, the Levites and priests. They knew much about Jesus. Do you really know Him? Do you confess with the Church, “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord”? If you do not know Him this way, then He will say to you on Judgment Day, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” But if the Holy Spirit has blessed you with this faith, that is, if you know, believe and confess Jesus as your Savior, then He will say, “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”  

Now think about John’s exclamation, “There stands one among you.” When the Jews sent messengers to John to ask him whether he was the Christ, John might have taken that honor for himself, and it seems that the Jews would have been glad to receive and welcome him as the Christ. No doubt many of the people came out into the wilderness to hear him because they believed that he was the Christ. But John confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ. I am only the forerunner of Christ, the one who prepares the way for Christ. But there stands One among you whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose, He who, coming after me, is preferred before me.”  

In that confession John preached the Gospel to the Jews in all its beauty: “You think I am great. There stands One among you greater than I, so great that I am not worthy to perform the duties of the lowest slave for Him, to untie His sandal strap, because He is Almighty God.” And therefore John adds, “Although He comes after me, He is before me. He is the eternal God, from everlasting.” In short, John’s confession can be summed up in the one word, “Immanuel,” God with us. God, the Christ, the promised Savior, stands among you. That was John’s joyous message, and should have filled the Jews with joy. But it didn’t. What did they care about Christ?  

But even though they did not rejoice at John’s exclamation, “There stands One among you,” many others did rejoice. They were glad to hear John preach the Immanuel, the Christ, the Savior, God become man. They came to John confessing their sins and were baptized by him. How must their hearts have leaped for joy when one day John, pointing his finger at Jesus of Nazareth, exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”  

John’s exclamation of joy is still preached in the wilderness of this world. Today it is again being preached from this pulpit: In the Christ Child of Bethlehem God Himself has come down from heaven to dwell with the children of men to redeem and save them. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” Yes, indeed, God sends preachers out into all the world with the joyous exclamation, “There stands One among you.” Christ Himself has promised, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” And again in Matthew 18:20 , “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  

Yes, when you are heavily bowed down with trials and tribulations there stands One among you who says, “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you.” When you are in pain and suffering because your body is falling apart at the joints or beset by aneurisms or riddled with cancer, there stands One among you who promises, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you. And I will raise you up on the Last Day.” When you come here to the house of God there stands One among you who says, “In all places where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.” When you bring your child to be baptized, there stands One among you who says, “Let the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” When you confess your sins there stands One among you who says, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” When you approach the Lord’s Table He is literally right there among you, saying, “This is My body, this is My blood of the New Testament which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” When you stand at the death bed of your loved ones, your husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother, brother or sister, there stands One among you who says, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, that they may rest from their labors.” And when, at last, the hour of your own departure has come, He still stands among you and says, “Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.” And then you will confidently say with the Psalmist, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” Indeed, you have every reason to join John in his joyous exclamation, “There stands One among you!” In life and death, He stands among you; Immanuel, God with us! Amen.

Last Updated: 7/15/2008