It is almost
expected the inquisitors would not have been satisfied with his initial
response declaring who he was not. The
logical follow-up would have been, "O. K., you told us who you are
not! Well then, now tell us who you
are!" if not for one small detail.
They had been sent to John the Baptist because they knew who he
was. News of the powerful preacher of
the desert undoubtedly has reached the big city. Jesus has not yet appeared on the scene, so
it was just this peculiar prophetic voice calling all comers to repentance.
They begin a
prophetic checklist. These people know
their Scriptures! They begin with
Elijah. After all, he had been swept
away in a chariot of fire, so perhaps he had come back for a second visit. They know the answer before John gives it to
them. I sense they really want to ask
the second question all along, "Well, are you The Prophet?" The impending answer must have made them
shudder. They knew of the words of God
and Moses recorded in the Torah (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18). What if John was The Prophet, why would they
not have been in the loop? His answer
may have relieved them a bit.
John, is not the
Christ. He is not the second coming of
Elijah. And he is not the Prophet spoken
of by Moses. Each of these individuals
represents a different expectation to the people and to the religious
leaders. Elijah is unique in his
ministry and in his fiery rapture into heaven.
The Prophet also brings pre-ordained authority from God. The Messiah brings the expectation of
deliverance from the hated Romans. None
of these matches John's calling. He
knows who he is not-- that is important. But he also knows who he is and the purpose
for which he is called. There is an
empowerment that comes from knowing I am fulfilling the purpose for which God
called me. There is no reason to compare
or contrast. It's not a contest. It is a calling, and I have my personal
mission field. I will pray that God
affirms me in my calling where I stand through who I am…in Him.
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