Open your Mouth—You Are the Voice!

     There are plenty of “make it big as a singer” shows on television today. One of the entrants in this style of reality shows is called “The Voice.” Contestants compete to become “The Voice of America” and the next big singing superstar. On “The Voice,” current singers and stars serve as both judges and coaches to help their contestants become the next Voice. One thing that impresses me with all of these reality shows is how much talent is out there. Hundreds of wonderful voices don’t even make it onto the show, simply because there aren’t enough spots for all of the talent.

     There was a new talent, a Voice that the people of Jerusalem couldn’t miss. Matthew wrote, “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan” (Matthew 3:5). This preacher, this Voice was a throwback to an older age, a man who looked and sounded like the prophets of old, prophets who had been long dead.

The religious leaders in Jerusalem became nervous whenever a new preacher began sharing his ideas. There were plenty of men who had tried to preach rebellion against the Roman empire and a new age of glory for the people of Galilee and Judea. Those who didn’t lose their popularity often lost their freedom at the hands of the government. So, the Jews sent religious experts—priests and Levites—out to see who this preacher was and listen to his message.

     They didn’t find a preacher dressed in fine clothes and lots of fancy jewelry. Instead, they saw that “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4). John the Baptist looked and sounded an awful lot like another prophet who had once been The Voice for Israel. His name was Elijah. He had worn a garment of hair and a leather belt around his waist. He had preached repentance to God’s people.

     Who was John the Baptist? Let’s take a look at John 1:20-22. “He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Finally they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’” (John 1:20–22). Who did the representatives think John might be? The Christ? Elijah? The Prophet?

      It would make sense that they thought John was Elijah. Not only did he look and sound like him, God had promised to send Elijah. Our Old Testament reading said, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes” (Malachi 4:5). They also thought it could be Moses’ successor. Moses had said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15). John the Baptist wasn’t any of these individuals. He was the Voice, the one sent by the LORD to open people’s eyes, ears, and mouths in advance of the Savior’s arrival.

     The people doubted John’s credentials. They wanted to know how John could go around baptizing if he wasn’t the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet. They didn’t believe what came out of his mouth! John clearly witnessed to the truth, but many of the people who heard him didn’t want the truth. They wanted an exciting preacher. They wanted a savior from the Romans, not from sin. They wanted a glorious Jewish empire, a return to the days of David and Solomon.

     John, the Voice sent by God, must have been frustrated by many in the crowds. They didn’t want to hear a message of repentance and forgiveness. We aren’t any different today, are we? We like to look for The Voice when it comes to preachers and often put the messenger before the message. We wonder, “Does he look like Joel Osteen? Does he preach like Billy Graham? Does he write like Max Lucado? Does he promise big things like Mac Hammond?” We look for the abilities of a person rather than listening for God’s Voice.

     Sometimes it’s not the messenger we’re concerned about, but the message. We are quick to ask all kinds of questions about God’s Word, but we aren’t so quick to listen to the answers. We want answers that match our opinions. Instead of asking God what he wants for our life, we tell him what we want and how we want it. We question his authority over our lives and focus on what we think is right behavior or what we believe is the correct interpretation. We are tempted to ask, “Who are you to tell me how to live my life?” We’re happy as long as Pastor and the Word don’t cut too close. That’s too painful. We don’t want to listen to that voice!

      If we ignore the Voice God sends and refuse to listen, we face the judgment God talked about in the last verse of Malachi’s OT prophecy: “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:6). God is serious!

     John was the Voice sent from God. He didn’t hesitate to open his mouth and confess the truth. He confessed freely and openly, “I am not the Christ.” He told the people that he was not Elijah returned from the dead, or The Prophet that Moses had promised. “John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”” (John 1:23). When the apostle John wrote this gospel, he told his audience who John was. Let’s look at the first few verses of our text again. “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” (John 1:6–8). What was John sent to do? Be a witness. What would happen when he did it? People might believe—not in John, but in Jesus!

     John the Baptist knew God had sent him to be the Voice. When the Pharisees questioned his authority to baptize, he didn’t point to himself. He pointed to the Word. “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:26–27). John wasn’t the one. His authority came from a higher source. John pointed to Jesus and gave him glory for the authority John had been given. He called him “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus would forgive the sins of the people. He would forgive our sins when we struggle with the pastor or the message!

John the Baptist was a great Voice for the Lord. Jesus later said, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John” (Luke 7:28). He was the greatest of the prophets, yet unlike most of them. He didn’t perform any miracles, at least none that are recorded in Scripture. He didn’t provide an entertaining setting for worship. He preached a simple message in the wilderness! His presentation wasn’t anything special, but the message was powerful. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” John opened his mouth and let the Word do all the work.

     God has called each one of us to serve as the Voice for the good news of Jesus. We need to open our mouths and do the same thing John did—proclaim the truth for everyone to hear. We may not think we can do it as well as a prophet like John the Baptist, but listen to something Jesus said: “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). We end up being greater prophets than John because we have the entire Scriptures at our fingertips. We can open our Bibles, turn on our smartphones and iPads, and we can study the word of all the prophets fulfilled in Jesus! We have faith in a risen, crucified, and ascended Lord, something John the Baptist didn’t get to witness before he died! We have the complete message, and God wants us to open our mouths and be the Voice—His Voice to the world!

      God calls all of us to open our mouths and tell others what we know. Pastor Birkholz and I use our different gifts and talents to do that every day. God gives all of us many opportunities to be the Voice that shares the simple message of Jesus. Our Sunday School children shared it this morning. Jesus is God’s perfect Christmas greeting. That’s what our friends and neighbors need to hear from us!

      Being God’s Voice means more than talking. It also includes the way we walk with God every day. The apostle Paul gave us some hints on how to live as God’s Voice in our second lesson for today. He said, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

      Be joyful! People can see the love for Jesus that we talk about by the way we react to different situations. When we lose a loved one, a simple word about Jesus’ promise of heaven can express eternal joy to someone who has never experienced it.

Pray continually! Stay in constant communication with the Lord. Set aside some time every day, put away the distractions, and talk to your Heavenly Father.

     Give thanks in all circumstances! We’re good at giving thanks, but not usually in all circumstances. Find ways to be thankful even when we don’t get what we want, and recognize that God will always make things work out for our good.

     John was The Voice. He opened his mouth and made sure everyone heard the message God had entrusted to him. The Savior is coming! Prepare your hearts! We are The Voice. We need to open our mouths this Christmas time and help everyone to see that Jesus is coming.         Christmas is about Jesus and his work of salvation. Prepare to meet him on Christmas morning. Invite someone to come with you, and help them experience God’s kingdom on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Amen.

 

To God alone the glory!                Pastor Jon Brohn