The Gospel of John
Matthew Philip
The One Sent: 1:6-8
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
From the heady theology of the first few verses of chapter one, our attention now shifts to a concrete place (the river Jordan) and time (first century AD). And what a dark period it was for the nation of Israel!
For 600 years invasion after invasion had crushed the people of Israel, from the Babylonians to the most recent occupier: Rome. Worse, by far, was the feeling of divine abandonment.
After centuries of perceived divine silence, the prophetic Word was finally being preached. People flocked to hear this unexpected messenger. His appearance was strange, but his message compelled attention, quickening hearts to repentance. There was excitement in the air!
Careful not to draw attention to himself, John (the one sent from God) is crystal clear in his witness: “that through Jesus all might believe.”
As a non-Jew, I am particularly heartened by the “all might believe.” The God of Israel was declaring himself to be global again. Not just to the Jews in occupied Palestine, but also to the estimated 200 million people in the world then and the billions who would follow.
Witness stands out in these verses and throughout the gospel. The common meaning was legal: “one who knows the truth and can testify to it in a court of law.” The witness theme emerges more vividly in the chapters that follow, in the context of controversy and denials of Jesus’ claims with the Jewish leaders.
I am uncomfortable when I realize that the root of the word witness is martyria (Greek). While I have to be careful not to read my understanding of the word martyr into the intention of the Gospel writer, I am reminded that John’s own witness led to persecution and death, so did that of Jesus and his disciples. Persecution and rejection may be something we too face today if we are witnesses for Christ.
My witness here in the United States is far more sanitized than John’s; it’s even nice: encouraging words, plenty of quiet empathy for the difficult times, favorite verses and gentlemanly behavior. Re-reading the text, I realize that witnessing is less about me and far more about the person Jesus, the light.
Internally, I examine my ‘witness tool box’: in the middle are proofs for Jesus’ death and resurrection, reasons for the existence of God, the uniqueness of humankind. Off to the side, stories and memories of him as friend, savior, lord and master. While I am more comfortable with the intellectual ‘tools’, I resolve to lean more into those pieces that celebrate his life and light in my space, my reality. Honestly, after 20 years of ministry, it’s the stories that have attracted more of my friends to Jesus than the arguments.
Listen to Johnny’s story. He encountered Jesus last year through the witness of a friend here in Michigan. As he grew in his relationship with Jesus and understanding of His truth, Johnny voluntarily turned himself in for a crime he had committed earlier. He was sentenced last month. Read yesterday’s email update from Lea Shipman, a colleague of mine:
Johnny is now in his "permanent home" for the next few years.
He is doing what Johnny does best, sowing and reaping, sharing about Jesus. He already has 8 other men interested…
In his last letter he asked if I thought he was qualified enough...my personal belief is God does not call the equipped, he equips the called. Johnny is called and he is being obedient, please lift him up.
Today my prayer is that the examples of both these men, two thousand years apart, yet with the same name, would encourage me in my witness as I point to Jesus as friend, savior, lord and master.
Which of your encounters with Jesus would you share today? With whom?
Like Johnny and John, the one sent from God, we can only bear witness to what and who we know to be real.
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