The Question I Didn't Want To Answer

This passage fails to be polite. It isn't inclusive or safe for a dinner party. There are days I wish it wasn't in the Bible. It's increasingly easy to only get information that affirms our existing beliefs. So to claim that Jesus is the only Savior sounds jarring, and if the point gets pressed in conversation, it would quickly become offensive. But John the Baptist pushes back with a rigorous logic. He argues that every other philosopher and prophet is "from the earth." They are like us. At best, we can guess about God from the ground up. If I told you that I came from heaven, spoke God's words, was filled with the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit, and had responsibility for God's business, what would you think of me? But this is how John describes Jesus. And if he's right, then Jesus is the only way to know God. Still, the ending is particularly hard: for anyone who rejects Jesus, "the wrath of God remains on him." Notice the word remains. Too often, the gospel sounds like a threat. "Believe in Jesus or else!" But John tells us that judgment is the default state of a rebellious world. The "wrath" isn't a lightning bolt God throws. We can see for ourselves that we are disconnected from the Source of life. We know that if a doctor tells you that you have a fatal heart condition, she isn't judging us. Today, we can all get away with the posture that we're basically good people. But this passage refuses to let us pretend to be better than we are. Who can say, "Yes, broadcast my sins to the world. I'll be vindicated." I had to reject the fear-based approach I'd heard to see God's care for the vulnerable. Jesus is not a life coach but a lifeguard. If you're drowning, you don't need encouragement but someone who is already swimming toward you. Faith isn't about becoming a judgmental critic. It's about reaching out for rescue, and receiving eternal life.

Reflection Questions