I Can’t, But I Know A Guy

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light…
…And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 1:6-8, 19-28 ESV

In 2 Kings 2, the prophet Elijah wraps up his ministry when, in full sight of his protégé, Elisha, is taken up into heaven by a chariot and horses that ‘swing low’ to gather him up. He does not die but is taken up alive into Heaven. Sometimes The Lord throws out odd-ball moments like this just to mess with us a little. At least that’s my theory. Just when we think we have a good bead on reality and how the Bible and theology work, suddenly God just swoops up one of his prophets into Heaven. No explanation. No precedent.

Go figure.

Because Elijah performed so many miracles (just flip back in your Bible to 1 and 2 Kings.) and because he was taken up to Heaven in such a dramatic way, alive, a lot of legend beyond what is in the Bible had developed about him. Now suddenly here comes John the Baptist on the scene. 

He dresses weirdly.

He eats weirdly.

He speaks a sharp, challenging message like someone they all knew about from the mists of legend. 

Small wonder that as the people tried to make sense of the Baptizer he would get compared to Elijah.

The hope was that one day Elijah would return and usher in a new era. An era where God’s people were not the butt of the joke, occupied and defeated. A new era when their prosperity would be restored and the world would once again respect the people of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. An era that would coincide with a new king. A Messiah.

Are you the one who’s going to get kick the Roman Empire out?

Are you the one who will restore the nation?

Are you the one who will heal what is broken and restore what is corrupt?

Will you bring new life and a fresh start with God?

John The Baptist’s answer:

I can’t, but I know a guy.

I won’t be like you’re expecting though. it will be much, much, better.