This
is indeed a fair question, particularly if you are a Pharisee. This period of
time in Palestine has been ripe with Messianic pretenders and rabbis that stir
up the masses with all sorts of ideas about overthrowing the Romans and such. There is an uneasy sense that something is
about to happen that will shake the status quo, and it does not sit well with
the people in power.
John
the Baptist is just the latest in a series of prophetic voices emanating from the
desert. I am certain they question all
of them as they appear. After all,
they are “protecting the flock.” They
are personally invested in the future of Israel and want, in fact, the
Messiah to come. Of course, they have
their own ideas of what the Messiah will look like and how he will act, but that is a side issue
now. They are simply asking, “What are your
credentials?” “Where do you get your authority and information?” If he was not
going to clearly tell them who he is, at least he can come clean in terms of
his authority!
This
created a stir in my mind when I considered what this means to me. I recalled the whole fiasco with the seven
sons of Sceva. In that case it was an
evil spirit that asked, “Who are you?”
His exact words were, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
(Acts 19:15). What are my
credentials? What is my authority? If the best I can muster is that I have authority
from my church and my ministerial credentials, than I am in deep trouble. There has to be more! I will be challenged, am I always ready to
respond? What will be my answer? Will it be a true reflection of reality?
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