A New Creation
Salvation
And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Book of Genesis)
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light but came to bear witness to the light. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. (Gospel of Saint John)
On the first day of Saint John’s gospel, we are again introduced to Saint John the Baptist. Like Jesus, Saint John the Baptist was not only announced in the ancient prophecies but also foretold by the Angel Gabriel. While ministering in the temple, the Angel Gabriel came to Zechariah, John’s father, to tell him the miracle that was about to occur – his barren wife was to be with his child. God remembers his promises and was about to accomplish his promises mightily through a barren old couple, Zechariah (‘God remembers’) and Elizabeth (‘God is my oath’).
When John is born and named, Zechariah’s silence erupts into his Benedictus, which is at once a history and a prophecy, telling the story of Israel and the promises to be fulfilled. Filled by the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prays,
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people,
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all who hate us.
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers,
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath which he swore to our father Abraham,
to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High.
For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
through the tender mercy of our God,
when the day shall dawn upon us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
With a father like that, it’s no wonder that when John’s ministry takes off, he has such a strong awareness of his mission and understanding of the sacred scriptures. The Evangelist records that the Jews sent religious leaders – priest and Levites from Jerusalem – to ask John, “who are you?”
To this question, the Evangelist records,
He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
John isn’t the one. He made that point clear. The messengers wanted to know then, who was he? Elijah? The Prophet? They needed an answer for those who sent them. They asked John what he says about himself. John obviously learned from his father, for he quotes scripture to explain his calling,
I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.
John is like the moon. In its glory and fullness, it simply reflects the light of the sun. John in his fullness points people to Jesus the Messiah. The Baptist testifies,
No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice; therefore, this joy of mine is now full.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
Like the moon giving way to the greater light of the sun, John gives way to Christ Jesus. The darkness of the old religion was about to give way to the light of the new and eternal covenant. The light of eternal salvation was at its dawn, shining into a land of gloom.
Now, for an ancient Jew, one of the best places to hear and learn about the upcoming new and eternal covenant was in the stories and messages of the prophets. And supreme of all is the Prophet Isaiah, the prophet quoted in Zechariah’s Benedictus as well as in John’s introduction of himself.
But who is this great Prophet Isaiah?
His very name says it all, for Isaiah means “salvation of the Lord” or “God saves.” And Isaiah is the prophet who clearly outlines the plan of salvation hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. That’s right, centuries before the birth of Christ.
Isaiah lived in the time of Judean kings, centuries before the birth of Christ and even prior to the Babylonian exile and the apparent destruction of the Davidic dynasty. In fact, Isaiah was the prophet who went to the King Hezekiah and told him of the upcoming exile.
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah,
“Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who are born to you, shall be taken away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
Shortly after this incident, God’s hopeful message of salvation rings out,
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
This is what Saint John came to do, point people to Christ. The glory of the Lord – his only begotten son – shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Saint John was specially chosen for a divine mission – to prepare the way to Christ. Isaiah announced this would happen, and Saint John is part of the fulfillment of the divine promises prophesied by Isaiah centuries before the birth of both John and Jesus.
And so, when John comes on the scene quoting Isaiah, all that is associated with the prophets and their promises, prophecies, and proclamations is evoked and imputed onto Saint John’s message. Just like “in the beginning” meant so much more to ancient Jews than a simple phrase, likewise, “a voice cries in the wilderness, ‘prepare the way of the Lord’” means so much more than simple words, it is the hope of a prophecy fulfilled. It evokes centuries of prophecies and promises by the prophets of our Lord, not just Isaiah’s proclamation but the hope and yearning of all that the people of God – past, present, and future. Wow!
For this reason, and many others, the Book of Isaiah is often referred to as a 5th gospel. It’s read more than the gospel of Mark in the church liturgy. It’s read throughout the Advent, Christmas, and Easter seasons. Isaiah foretold not only the nativity, but also the passion of the cross, not only Christ’s birth, but also his crucifixion. Isaiah is not only read in the liturgy of our Lord, but also quoted throughout the New Testament as recognition of the plan of God being fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Both John and Jesus quote Isaiah to kick off their missions and ministries, and we would all do well to hear and heed the prophecies of Isaiah, for they announce the plan of salvation by God. Isaiah foretold what Christ would do and did.
Even though Isaiah’s book is called the 5th gospel, it’s closer to being the 0th gospel. The laws of thermodynamics were created and then the scientists realized they had overlooked the basis, the standard needed to measure the later laws. And so, they instituted the 0th law that gave them the temperature scale by which they could measure how laws of energy function in our universe. Similarly, the Church realized Isaiah’s prophesies are the standards by which we see God’s promises fulfilled in Christ. And so, while many call it the 5th gospel, read in the light of the holy Spirit, Isaiah and, more so, even all the law and prophets are our 0th gospel, not that the Law or Isaiah or the other Prophets are missing anything, but that they were overlooked by the world until a later date. Christ warned this would happen, “if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”
In the sixth century before Christ, Isaiah prophesied that everlasting moment – the moment when the Word made flesh was Christ crucified. That moment was hinted at, it was announced before it came to pass, it was foretold, it was proclaimed before it happened, it was the prophecy that was later fulfilled. It was the message that had many messengers, and when the time was right God sent John as that last messenger to testify to the coming of the light. Is that not the way it should be?
For when kings, presidents, or any other dignitaries come to visit a people, are not preparations made before hand? Would it be any different with God’s own son? Are not plans established and appointments and festivities prepared for worldly visiting leaders? How much more should be done for a heavenly king? So, if people prepare for the coming of a king or president to their country, how much more so would God have prepared the way for his beloved Son, our King of kings and Lord of lords?
And how did that preparation come? By baptism. By immersion. It’s important that John came baptizing. The religious leaders were perplexed, “then why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them,
“I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Salvation is not simply found in words, even sacred words, but in God’s Word, that is, God’s Word made flesh. For Christ told his apostles to go forth and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. For salvation comes by divine grace through baptism.
Salvation in Noah’s time came by immersion of water. They had the ark to float as the earth was cleansed, and the waters of death for many became the waters of salvation for the Righteous One and his family.
Salvation in Moses’s time came by immersion in water, for the people of God were baptized into the Red Sea so that salvation would come to the people of God while their enemies were immersed into death.
And salvation came in Joshua’s time when he led the Israelites into the promised land, crossing the Jordan, into the promised land flowing of milk and honey.
These are not simply old stories, they are prophesies fulfilled in the one to come, our Christ and Lord Jesus. Not prophesies abolished, but prophecies fulfilled. The New Covenant figures are better than the Old Covenant prefigurements. Each of these ancient Old Testament stories – glorious, amazing, incredible in their own right – combined are still almost nothing compared to the glory of their fulfillment in the New Testament of Christ our Lord. These stories point forward to, are fulfilled in, and find their fullness of meaning only in the light of the New Covenant of our Lord, the beginning of our new creation. These stories find their meaning and fulfillment in Jesus.
And when, by the light of the holy Spirit, we see that the New Covenant is hidden in the Old and the Old is revealed in the New, we begin to understand why baptism is so clearly noted in the stories of Jesus. Baptism is mentioned in every gospel because it is the way of salvation. It was prophesied in the old stories, the stories of Noah and Moses. And it was confirmed in the New Testament writings.
Our first pope, Saint Peter, writes of baptism in his first holy letter because of baptism’s importance into entering the way of the Christian life. Baptism into Christ is how the people of God are saved. Hence, Saint Peter writes,
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
Thanks be to God, what Saint Peter wrote and taught was not anything new, but a fulfillment. What Saint Peter wrote was foretold by the Prophets, including Isaiah. With ears to hear, let us hear the prophecy,
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
When you pass through the waters I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Moments later, the Prophet continues,
Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring.
And so, is it no wonder, that John records the fulfilment for us? He records the Baptist’s witness about Jesus’s baptism, when the heavens opened and the Father revealed to us his only begotten son, for John testifies of that epiphany,