Advent 3A

"Who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?

Tell me, who are you?"

(play the opening lines of The Who song)

The chorus ends with "Cause I really want to know"

Can you imagine John the Baptist singing out to the Who while in prison?

Tell me, who are you?

But this truly what John is asking Jesus

Who are you?

Are you the Messiah? 

I can hear John thinking, 

Jesus, I thought you were going to be the Messiah, but I'm in prison and I'm not so sure anymore...

Who are you?

Some of you know I am participating again this year 

in the Franklin Civic Operetta Association's Messiah production at the Barrow Civic Theatre. 

If you haven't heard Handel's Messiah, 

I highly recommend attending or finding another production of it to watch. 

During one of the parts, the singers have a dialogue, starting with this same question,

"Who is the King of Glory?" 

We sing it over and over, Who is the King of Glory? (sing it three times)

I think this is one of the single most hard things to understand about Christianity

Who is our Messiah, our Savior?

A man who was born as a baby to a poor backwater family

who was a wandering rabbi

who was killed by the conquering regime for treason

yet, who changed all life as we know it

by overturning death and bringing new life

by being the greatest example of love 

in a hateful world. 

Even still, throughout the centuries, we continue to ask

Jesus, who are you?

Are you really the Messiah?

I love the way Jesus answers John in the gospel passage for this morning.

He doesn't seem to take it personally,

I might have responded, "Really, who am I? Can't you see who I am?"

Jesus simply points to what God is doing in the world:

Blessing the mess of humanity and giving it wholeness. 

The blind can see!

the lame can walk!

the lepers are cleansed!

the deaf are hearing!

the dead are walking!

and the poor are finding good news!

Look what is happening!

Look at how the prophets have been fulfilled!

Today, we even hear the prophet Isaiah speak about these joyous things,

the blind seeing,

the lame leaping like a deer,

the deaf hearing,

and the speechless singing for joy!

Look at these blessings in the midst of the mess of humanity!

This is who Jesus is,

He doesn't claim grand titles, 

though we know he deserves them. 

The Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings, The Prince of Peace, The Lamb of God

the Messiah, the Holy One, the Savior, the Glory of God.

No, he doesn't say that is who he is.

He simply points out what he is doing.

He is the one doing God's will.

This is who Jesus is,

God in human form.

Our neighbor.

In the first century,

the answer to who are you?

would normally include your family,

your citizenship status

and your status as either free or slave.

Jesus ignores all those conventions,

instead, he points out 

God's tremendous gifts 

and blessings in this world.

In our world today,

answering the question,

Who are you?

Can be a dangerous one.

There are so many labels,

which, depending on who you are talking with,

can get you in trouble.

Who are you?

Republican? Democrat? Conservative? Liberal?

Native? Immigrant? 

Unemployed? Rich? Poor? On social services?

Most of the time when people ask you who you are,

they are really asking, what do you do?

What is your job, your social worth to society?

Sadly, even though those are the answers,

and usually the information people are looking for,

those answers do not actually begin to describe 

who we really are.

I wonder sometimes who we would think 

Jesus was

if he showed up today.

Sometimes I wonder if he has shown up on earth since the first century 

and if we have totally missed him 

in our unending quest for personal gain.

We learn throughout the Gospel stories 

a bit about who Jesus really was.

He lets go of his human designations,

his town, his family, his social status as a carpenter,

he depends simply and totally on God.

He is a man who does God's will,

who brings blessings on those around him,

miracles, when we have the eyes to see them.

As we wait for the birth of the Messiah,

during this season of Advent,

it might behoove us to ask ourselves

Who are we waiting for?

Are we waiting for God's son, Jesus,

or are we waiting for a conquering Messiah

who the disciples and the people of Israel wanted to overthrow Rome?

Are we waiting for someone to take away our mess

or someone who will bless us in the midst of our mess?

Are we waiting for someone to come in crown and glory

or are we waiting for a baby, born helpless and full of love?

When Jesus comes, both as a baby and in his second coming in glory,

will we know who he is?

Will we recognize what he is doing?

Or will we have to ask,

as John the Baptist asks,

Who are you?

"Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"

I hope and pray

that we will be able to recognize Jesus for who he is,

the suffering servant, the waiting bridegroom, 

the sacrificial lamb,

the true King of Glory

coming to bless humanity 

with more peace and love 

than we could ever imagine.

For the kingdom of God is waiting

for those who believe in Jesus.

Amen.