It May Be Better Not to Know All the Details

“I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” John1:31 NLT

It's inevitable. Every time, after God has walked me to the stage, put a microphone in my hand, and given me words to say, I wake up the next morning asking, “What? What are your plans for me? Is this really what you want me to do?” And now with social distancing, this path seems to have yellow ‘no trespassing’ tape blocking the door. What am I to do? 

I ask those questions, not out of humbleness and obedience, but out of doubt and mistrust. A little bit of frustration. I don’t like this faith walking. I want the whole picture painted out before me. I want “This is the way – walk in it.” But God is being silent on this subject and I don’t like it.

So I talk to Him and tell Him I don’t like it. I feel like I am out here all alone; walking this strange tightrope of trying to serve Him, yet, I am pretty unsure of my next steps. I am pretty doubtful if I will actually reach the solid ground that I imagine is just up ahead.

I have been wandering around in the old news of Genesis for so long, so I decide to look this morning at that new stuff. I flip open my bible and press smooth the pages of the first chapter of the gospel of John. And there it is - the beginning of the new story; “In the beginning was the Word…”

This perfectly echoes the first story of God in Genesis; “In the beginning God created…” God is always connecting the dots, continuing the story. The first day of creation culminates in the creation of light – and God declaring it ‘good’. And right here in the gospel of John, this man he is writing about is called life – and is made known by light. 

“The light shines into the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” (John 1:8-9) God’s presence brings life and light. And darkness cannot overcome it. The presence of Jesus will bring life and light. And darkness will not overcome it. I like it.

This disciple John begins telling the story of the man named Jesus by telling the story of another John. This John was known as John the Baptizer. John the Baptist introduces Jesus by an unusual title, “Behold, The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. (John 1:29) If you think about it – for just a moment – you have a vague idea that this story of Jesus isn’t likely to end well. 

Those Jewish people had a whole complicated form of worship, and slaughtering innocent lambs was one of the ways they found forgiveness when approaching their God. It was a blood-stained business. Nobody in their right mind would be wanting the job of being the sacrificial lamb.

But I keep reading – not pausing to think about Jesus, because the very next thing John starts explaining is that he has been spending all this time and energy standing in the Jordan river, baptizing people with water, shouting for the people of Israel to repent… yet he didn’t know exactly who was coming. Wow. John didn’t know? John? 

John. John, who was born miraculously to the old priest Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth of the tribe of Aaron. That John? The child who was announced by the angel Gabriel while Zachariah was alone in the most Holy area of the Temple, presenting the burning incense to God? This child, who would be filled with the Holy Spirit of God while in the womb and would live a holy life, set apart, prepared by God to turn the hearts of the people back to their God… and to prepare the path for the coming Messiah? That John? 

Well, I’ll be. I think of John shouting insults at those who came to see him. He was sort of the Donald Trump of prophets. I am sure that thought is sacrilegious. He would never have fit in with today’s speakers of God’s word. Well, come to think of it – he didn’t fit in then, either. His hair had never been cut; I imagine it was quite a mess of dreadlocks. He didn’t wear finely woven robes, but the skins of animals. It occurs to me that he was constantly being reminded of a sacrificial death – covering him, covering his sin.

And he ended up losing his head in the end. Something to do with sequins, a sensual dance, and a stripper's pole. No, wait – that was the Superbowl Halftime. Just take away the pole and you are probably pretty close. Herodias’s daughter danced for Herod at his birthday party and the next thing you know, in front of everyone, he is offering her any little thing her heart desires. Her mother, who really doesn’t like the damning accusations of John the Baptist about not having sex with your brother-in-law, tells her daughter to ask for John’s head on a platter. Just think of that for a moment. This is a pretty wicked woman who thinks this is a great idea for a party favor. And it says a lot about the power of dance. (Matthew 14:1-12)

Okay – back to my point I started out with. Here I am asking God to show me clearly what He wants me to do. To sort of sketch out the big picture, give me a nice concise to-do list, and let me know that what I am doing is going to have purpose and meaning. And instead, He leads me to God-anointed, Spirit-filled, John. The John who would baptize the Lamb of God. And John explains to the folks there on the shore of the Jordan River that he didn’t know who he was doing all the shouting about until the dove came down on Jesus there at the moment of baptism. If John didn’t know that his own cousin, Jesus, was God’s long-awaited Messiah who he was preparing the way for, then who do I think I am to ask God to spell everything out in black and white for me? It makes me laugh at myself.

So I guess God is not being silent. He is just teaching me to trust Him. He does speak, doesn’t He? He just tells us what we need to know at the moment. A new friend told me the only thing I need to know is obedience. I bet John would tell me the same thing.

Question: Do you find it hard to follow God when He asks you to walk with Him and you just aren’t sure where you are going? Do you ever follow God out of your comfort zone?

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.