In our gospel reading for the first Sunday of Christmas, John the Baptist is interrogated by the Pharisees for the crime of baptizing without a license, and they want to know, “who does he think he is?” John claims no special status, except, he has been called to fulfil the prophet Isaiah, to make straight the way of the Lord. John will reveal to Israel...whom they should think Jesus is....
The new guy. The upstart. The rookie. Every once in a while, someone appears on the scene who doesn't follow the established norms and customs, who doesn't respect the hierarchy that is already in place. They take liberties, messing with things they are not qualified for. For those who have invested their very soul in climbing that hierarchy, this is more than just extremely annoying, it is an existential threat. It is worth any price to break the new guy, and put him in his place....
The Pharisees were at the top of the religious hierarchy of Israel. And they looked with suspicion at this upstart named John, who was commandeering their Jewish ritual of baptism...to do what? They had many questions for him, in the attempt to neutralize him. Would he claim to be the Messiah? The Pharisees were the experts in the qualifications for Messiah, they would certainly be able to debunk his claim. Would he claim to be Elijah, who was promised to return before the Messiah arrived by the prophet Malachi? No, but Jesus would later claim it for him on his behalf. Would he claim to be a prophet in the mold of Isaiah? If he did, the Pharisees could use his haughty presumption against him in the hearts of the people. Whoever this John thought he was, it was important that his influence be minimized, for the sake of the power and prestige of the Pharisees.
The world has similar questions for Jesus. “Do you claim to be real, or are you just a myth, a fable told to instruct children?” The world is constantly putting effort into trying to “debunk” Jesus and his commandments. “Do you claim to be human, or are you just a ghost, a mass delusion from 2000 years ago?” The world is constantly putting effort into trying to “de-historize” Jesus and his sacrifice. “Do you claim to be divine, or are you just some guy who got himself crucified by the Romans?” The world is constantly putting effort into trying to “de-deify” Jesus and his resurrection. Whoever this Jesus thought he was, it is important that his influence be minimized, for the sake of the power and prestige of those who profit under the system of the world.