Dancing to Doctrine: Knowing Our Place

“And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’"—John 1:19

Before we can participate in the dance of God, we must know two things: who God is and who we are. Without understanding these two essential truths at the onset—there is no dance. Which is where doctrine comes in. Doctrine teaches us that God is the creator, we are the creation—He is the Master and we are the servants. We are sinners and He is the Savior. In a dance there are two partners—the one who leads and the one who follows. Within the dance of God, God leads and we follow.

John the Baptist knew his place in the dance of God better than anyone else. His job was to clear the way for others to participate and direct people to the dance that was about to occur in and through Christ. After beginning his ministry, the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John what his purpose was. He responded that he was not God’s Christ (John 1:20). Though he wasn’t God’s Christ he still had some sort of purpose, “What then? Are you Elijah?”—John 1:21. John’s response, “I am not.” Undeterred they asked, “Are you the Prophet?” Once again, John answered in the negative. If John didn’t fulfill the ministry of God’s Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet, then who was he? John responded, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said”—John 1:28.

John’s ministry laid the groundwork for the coming of Christ—and pointed others to the dance of God about to take place in and through Christ. His sole focus in life was to direct others to life in Jesus. As he said when he saw Jesus,

"’Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel.’ And John bore witness: ‘I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I myself did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God’"—John 1:29-34.

Such unmitigated and resolute devotion enabled Jesus to say, “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John” (Luke 7:28).

The heartbeat of John’s ministry can be seen in his response to an argument between a Jew and some of John’s disciples over the dramatic growth of Jesus’ ministry. John’s response to them is telling:

"A person cannot receive even one thing unless it 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.' The one 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 complete. He must increase, but I must decrease"—John 3:27-30.

John recognized that his job was over—the dance was starting and people were responding. He was to decrease and Jesus increase. His joy and task were now complete.

Doctrine is what enabled John to know his purpose in God. He understood that he was the voice in the wilderness and that Jesus was the Christ. And it is through doctrine that we are invited to participate in the dance of God. Kevin J. Vanhoozer explains,

“Christian doctrine is the reward that faith finds at the end of its search for the meaning of the apostolic testimony to what God is doing in the event of Jesus Christ”—Kevin J. Vanhoozer, The Drama of Doctrine, p. 4.

In referring to “the event of Jesus Christ,” Vanhoozer says,

“By speaking of the ‘event’ of Jesus Christ, I mean not to distinguish but to integrate what is traditionally referred to under the headings of His ‘person’ and ‘work.’ The ‘event’ of Jesus Christ thus refers to the saving significance of His identify and history. Accordingly, one could just as well refer to the ‘story’ of Jesus Christ”—Kevin J. Vanhoozer, The Drama of Doctrine, p. 4.

John’s reward was the joy of doing what God made him to do. And our joy is discovering the means by which we can glorify God through Christ, which doctrine enables us to do—participate in the story or dance of God.

Have we accepted God’s invitation to dance? By embracing Him by faith, we find the joy of knowing who He is and what He has purposed us to be—and do. May God’s name be praised as we learn the steps of doctrine and the joy that comes from dancing with Him. Amen.