A Greyhound bus driver tells the story of driving through a small town on his regular route each week. About twice a month he was met by the sheriff as he passed through the town. The sheriff had an inebriated fellow in handcuffs. He put the man on the bus, handcuffed him to a seat and told the driver, “Here is the key for the handcuffs when you cross the county line, let him go, but, don’t let him go before you cross the county line.” 

Two weeks later the same sheriff puts the same drunk back on the Greyhound bus. This particular time the guy was very loud and very obnoxious. He kept saying, “I’m on the wrong bus, I’m on the wrong bus.”  

Finally a very prim and proper lady came forward shaking her finger in the man’s face and she said, “Young man, do you know you are going straight to hell?” to which the young man replies, “Ma’am, I’ve been telling them that I’m on the wrong bus!” 

The disciples of John wanted to know that if they followed Jesus would they be on the “right bus?” The question they asked was this, “Are you the one who is to come or shall we wait for another?” John was in prison. He had publicly denounced King Herod. He had bad mouthed Harod which was an absolute no-no in those days. Herod was very sensitive and short tempered so he threw John into prison. 

John sits in a dark, damp prison cell. He wonders will he die there of old age? Will he rot? Will he contract some dread disease or will he be executed? The only thing he knows for sure is that he has probably preached his last sermon.  

He begins wondering about Jesus. Jesus was not quite what John expected. John expected a scorched earth policy-a fiery judgment. That is not what seems to be happening around Jesus.  Yet Jesus is still intriguing and he is compelling. So John sends his disciples to ask Jesus the question, “If we get on board with you, will we be on the right bus?” 

Frequently, when Elaine and I are touring some place in the country there will be multiple busses. When we stop at a particular site the driver always says, “Remember the bus number and be sure to get back on the right bus”  

When I board a plane for a flight somewhere the flight attendant says these words, “This plane is leaving for Dallas in a few minutes.  Are you on the right plane?  If not, get off now!” 

A few weeks ago, two people had tickets for same seat just ahead of me. It turned out that one of them was on the wrong plane!  She scurried off. 

A medical salesman was looking for the capital of Vermont  Montpelier is the smallest capital city in the nation. As he drove through one small town he stopped and asked an old man sitting on his porch, “Is this the road to Montpelier?”  The old man looked at him briefly and then said, ‘Yep.” The salesman rolled up his window and drove off but only went about 100 yards. Suddenly a thought came to him. He backed up, rolled down the window again and said to the old man, “Am I heading in the right direction?” The old man responded with a twinkle in his eye, “Nope.” 

“Jesus Are you the right bus, the right plane, the right road, the right path, the right direction? Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?” 

John should have known the answer; but he did not.  At least not yet! 

Years ago when Tip O’Neill was Speaker of the House in Congress, he told a wonderful story on himself. He was stranded at an airport.  His flight was delayed. He took up conversation with someone he vaguely recognized. Tip didn’t think to ask his name. As they talked for awhile the other man said, “You don’t know who I am do you?” 

O’Neill apologized. He said, “I meet a lot of people. I don’t always remember them. Who are you anyway?” The other man responded, “We met a dinner in Washington about six weeks ago.” Extending his hand he said,  “My name is Robert Redford.” 

Perhaps John should have known who Jesus was. But he had to ask. 

We understand John’s question.  I understand John’s question. John is very much like you and me. “Jesus, I worship you.  I feel good about you. I even attend a church that bears your name (Christ United Methodist).  But are you the one?”

We may ask the question today in various ways today. Is Jesus the one? Is Jesus the only one? Is Jesus the answer to the questions of life? 

As secular gods crumble… 

As science no longer delivers what it has promised….

As technology no longer gives us saving power….

As guaranteed employment or retirement is no longer our luxury…

As rationalism cannot deliver peace of mind…

We begin to look again at Jesus and ask.  “Are you the One?” 

Adam Hamilton, who pastors the Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, says about Jesus, “He is the solution to the deepest longings of the human heart. He is the answer to the most serious problems that plague our society.” 

That is exactly what John wanted to know. “Are you the solutions to my heart’s longings, Jesus? Are you the answer to our world’s most serious problems?”  

Is Jesus the right bus?  We’d like to know. Because if he is, nothing else matters much. Are you on the right bus? Let me offer you my answers to that question after 45 years in ministry…. 

THE ONE TO WHOM I HAVE HITCHED MY LIFE.

First of all I can say to you that Jesus is the one to whom I have hitched my life. I could have grown up Buddhist, Islamic or Hindu.

Or I could have grown up in a very secular home. But I grew up as a follower of Jesus. Very early on I learned to hitch my life to Him.  Somewhere in my early twenties I heard His call.  And for 45 years I have served His church.  

I cannot call others “wrong” or in error if they do not follow Jesus.

Billy Graham was once asked, “Are non-Christians bound for hell?”

Bill Graham gave a very thoughtful answer. He said, “I believe in a caring, benevolent God. I am not about to condemn anyone. This is     God’s call!  I just know the one who is at the center of my life.”

I can say that. I don’t know the Buddhist or Hindu or Islamic story very well. But I do know the Jesus story.  And I am ever more drawn to it. 

Mormons believe they have a later word from God in the person of Joseph Smith. I respect many of the things the Mormon people do and the ways they serve. But my life is drawn exclusively to Jesus of Nazareth. 

Lewis Smedes says, “Jesus is the center point and the circumference of my faith.” 

Mystery remains, of course.  Wonder and awe, remain. I like the statement from Dag Hammarskjold’s diary, “…we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason. [i]  

Jesus is the One to Whom I have hitched my life. I may look at others from time to time. But I don’t need to look FOR anyone else! Because for me Jesus is the one. 

HE CLARIFIES MY PICTURE OF GOD 

Secondly, Jesus is the one who clarifies my picture of God. One of the opening verses of John’s Gospel says this, “No one has ever seen God. It is Jesus who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” (1:18) 

Few weeks ago, I told you of the first book of theology I ever read.

Today, I tell you about the second one. It is a book by  D M Baillie entitled GOD WAS IN CHRIST. The book was formative for me. It still is in many ways. When I disassemble my library in a few months that book is one that will stay with me. God was in Christ.  Jesus gives me the clearest picture of God. 

British scientists were trying to put together a picture of Jesus. They were trying to make a composite picture.  What would Jesus look like? They asked a lot of people! One person gave them this response. “Most people say he takes after his father.” 

A corollary of this is that as you grow in Christ, people see a copy in you. That is the way our lives are meant to be. We are like a fax machine. We are not the original, but we are a close duplicate! 

Jesus is the image of God.  We provide a faxed copy! Stay close to him, immerse yourself in him and you will provide a reasonably good copy. 

THE ONE WHO GIVES ME A FUTURE 

Thirdly, Jesus is the one who give me a future. The church I served in the 1970’s still has as part of their vision statement these words. “Convinced the future is in Christ…” I believe that.  And I will believe it into my retirement. 

A colleague wrote me a not the other day. He retired several years ago. In the Methodist system ministers are first appointed to attend school, then appointed to a local church and then appointed to retirement. My colleague said this, “Retirement is the best appointment I ever received from the Bishop.” I believe that Jesus is in my retirement. I believe that Jesus is in the balance of this life. I believe that Jesus is the future beyond this life! 

THE REST OF THE STORY 

The end of this story in Scripture is instructive. Disciples of John ask their question. Jesus gives an interesting response, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the poor have good news preached to them.” (Note that five of the six responses that Jesus gives have to do with healing and wellness!)

Jesus says, “Go and tell John.” 

I can almost hear John’s disciples looking at each other. “Say what?  Maybe he didn’t hear us.” Maybe they asked the question again.  But if they do they get the same answer. 

And then the story ends.  We are never told what happens next. Meaning what?  “Hey,” Matthew says, “John must decide for himself.”

In telling this story, Matthew is saying the same to us. “You a 21^st century disciple must decide for yourself.” That is the point of Matthew’s story.  

Tony Compollo tells about a day in which he was called to preach in a church in a distant city. He was a little late in arriving, so he called ahead and asked them to go ahead and start the service. He was on his way and he would be there in time to preach. 

He arrived at the church, parked his car, went in the main doors of the sanctuary and walked down the center isle. He was waving and smiling to people as he walked down the isle. When he got to the front of the church the minister of the church said, “Who are you?” Compollo said, “I am the preacher for today.” “No you are not”, said the minister. “At what church are you supposed to be?” Compollo said, “First Presbyterian church.” The minister said, “Friend, this is First Baptist church.” Compollo said he looked around sheepishly to find the nearest exit sign. When he found the door, he backed out slowly and for reasons that are still unclear to him he gave a little salute as he walked out of the door and raced to his car. 

Compollo says he doesn’t really know what happened in the rest of that service in that Baptist church, but he suspects that many of the people were asking the questions, “Who was that man?” 

Matthew wants us to ask that same question. “Who is this Jesus? Jesus are you the one?” Jesus says, “Look what happens in this ministry. People find healing, peace, strength, courage and hope. 

Look what happens around Jesus. Look what happens around Jesus’ people. Then you decide. 

Does Jesus reveal the nature of God? I say yes! Is Jesus the clearest picture of God? Yes. Does Jesus show us unequivocally and unalterably what God is like? Again, I say yes. Is Jesus’ call a call to discipleship ministry? Does Jesus show us God’s priorities for justice, peace, and love? Yes. Is He the One who is to come? Yes. Is He the One? YES!  YES!  YES! 

I believe He is the One.  I look for no other.