People of the Word-- The Voice
People of the Word • Sermon • Submitted
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Have you ever considered what it means that John the Baptizer was “The Voice“ calling in the wilderness?
There are any number of settings where a person becomes the “voice” of an organization or a group of people. For example, I understand that Ernie Harwell became “The Voice of the Detroit Tigers” through his 55 years of broadcasting. Or perhaps even more widely known was Vin Scully, “The Voice of the Dodgers,” for 67 years until his retirement in 2016. They really do become so intertwined with the organization that it seems wrong to have anyone else’s voice attached to the broadcasts. And, I think that, ironically, they earn the monicker not by making the broadcast about themselves, but by their ability to connect people to the drama of what is happening on the field.
There is, arguably, a good parallel there to John the Baptizer. John’s ministry wasn’t even a tenth of the length of Ernie Harwell’s career, let alone Vin Scully’s, but Jesus, Himself, confirmed that John is “The Voice” calling in the wilderness. And he certainly did not earn that title by making it about himself. His whole message was directed at pointing to the one who was soon to come. John was quite explicit:
The Voice
And he certainly did not earn that title by making it about himself.
15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”)
When Jesus had begun His ministry, John gladly proclaimed:
29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Because of his humility, “Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (). He is The Messenger (). He is The Voice. His whole existence is distilled down to that one function, that one ability. “The identity of the messenger is completely subsumed under the message” (Oswalt, John. “The Book of Isaiah Chapters 40-66, p. 51). “What shall I cry?” says the prophet (). He, himself, has nothing to say because he, like all flesh is like grass. He withers and fades.
John is more than a prophet (). All of the Old Testament prophets and prophesies come to a head in him. The ongoing refrain of the prophets, from one generation to the next, was: “The Messiah is coming!” Each prophet added a piece to the picture of who Jesus would be and what He would do. And now John cries out, “He’s here!” He’s not greater because his message supersedes theirs, he’s greater because his message encapsulates everything that has come before and declares, “It’s happening! Now is the time!” He is The Voice. Really, that’s quite fitting because, in essence, there has only ever been one Voice: God’s. When we think of prophets we think primarily about predicting the future. But the greatest function of a prophet was to speak the Word of God.
We joke about people having voices that are so beautiful that we could listen to them read the phone book all day. But, in reality, the most important aspect of a voice is the words that it speaks. That’s true of this voice, too. In fact, it’s doubly true, since you and I are people of the Word. But what words has the voice spoken?
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
You are people of the Word. And
It was sent with words of comfort. Elsewhere in the book of Isaiah, for example, that prophet wrote:
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
Now John has the privilege of declaring that this Word is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. On the mountain of Golgotha He would, in fact, swallow up death, leaving behind an empty tomb. And because that death paid for the sins of all humanity, it was not just for Himself. He swallowed the covering that was cast over all peoples, the veil over all nations. That, along with every other prophetic word, is now declared to be fulfilled. And that word is trustworthy and true:
That word is trustworthy and true:
8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
And it’s not just true, it’s true for you.
You aren’t people of the word based on how well you hold it precious. You are people of the Word because of what the Word has done for you and to you. That Word was attached to water that was applied to you, meaning that that water was not plain water, it was a baptism, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and the washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit “as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three: ‘He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.’ ()” (Luther’s Small Catechism, “Baptism, Third.”)
That’s why God commands you to hold His Word sacred, gladly hear and learn it.
Brothers and sisters in Christ— People of the Word— especially during this season of Advent, listen for the Voice that encapsulates all that God has promised down through the centuries. Hear the Word and know that it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And treasure it because, through that Word, all that God promised is yours in Jesus Christ.
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.