WWJBD? What Would John the Baptist Do, and What Would Dr. King Do? (Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42) (January 18 2026 - MLK Sunday)
Date: January
18 2026 (MLK Sunday)
Location:
Eden UCC Chicago
Sermon title:
WWJBD? What Would John the Baptist Do, and What Would Dr. King Do?
Scriptures:
Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42
1) Opening: From WWJD to WWJBD
Good morning. Thank
you to our pastor, Rev. Jacki, for the invitation, and to Marta,
Jeff, Linda, Mykah, Kelly, and so many of you for your help and preparation.
It is an honor to share a reflection on this Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday.
Let us pray:
May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in
your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen.
Years ago, a small
bracelet took over Christian youth culture—four letters stamped on rubber: WWJD,
“What Would Jesus Do?” For some, it was a helpful reminder. For others, it
became a heavy weight—because it could sound like: Be perfect. Fix
everything. Never be afraid.
Today I want to
offer a different question:
WWJBD?
What would John the Baptist do?
And on this weekend when we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we
might add:
What would Dr. King do?
Not because Dr. King
is the Savior. Not because John the Baptist is the Light. But because both John
and Dr. King show us what the church needs in this moment:
a witness.
A witness does not
claim to be the Light; a witness points to the Light.
A witness does not try to be the Messiah; a witness says, “I know who is,”
and helps others find their way there.
And that may be exactly the kind of church we are called to be right now.
2) Page 1: Trouble in the Text
Let’s listen first
to the trouble in the Scriptures.
Isaiah’s trouble: called—and worn out
In Isaiah 49, the
Servant speaks like someone claimed by God from the very beginning:
“The LORD called me before I was born…”
“He made my mouth like a sharp sword…”
This is not a casual volunteer role. This is vocation—calling—with sacred
purpose.
And then, suddenly,
the Servant says something painfully honest:
“I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing.”
The Servant is not
pretending. God’s call is real—and so is fatigue.
And then God answers
in a way that surprises us:
God does not say, “Try harder.” God does not say, “Lower your expectations.”
Instead God says:
“It is too light a thing… I will give you as a light to the nations, that my
salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
It’s almost
shocking. The Servant says, “I’m worn out.”
And God says, “Then let me show you how wide my purpose really is.”
John’s trouble: the witness who loses the spotlight
Now look at John 1.
John the Baptist is doing one thing that helps us understand our mission today.
He sees Jesus and
testifies:
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
And then two of
John’s disciples leave him and follow Jesus. John does not cling to them. He
does not compete with Jesus. John points to the Savior—and guides his disciples
toward Christ.
This is WWJBD.
Then Jesus turns to
those first would-be disciples and asks a searching question:
“What are you looking for?”
That question exposes motives. It tests whether our search is for God—or for something else.
3) Page 2: Trouble in the World
Now the trouble in
our world.
We do not need to
repeat every headline to know the temperature of public life. Many of us feel
we are living in a season of civic and moral turbulence.
For some, it is fear
about whose rights will be protected, whose bodies will be controlled, whose
histories will be erased, whose neighbors will be scapegoated. For others, it
is the sense that truth has become a weapon, that cruelty is being normalized,
that vulnerable people are treated as expendable. For many, it is simply
exhaustion—the constant outrage and anxiety.
And in that
environment, the church feels pressure from two directions.
One pressure is a messiah
complex:
“If the world is going to be saved, we have to save it.”
That leads to burnout, resentment, and despair.
The other pressure
is self-protection:
“Let’s stay quiet. Let’s not risk conflict. Let’s just keep the institution
running.”
That leads to shrinking vision—and a church that becomes a museum of good
intentions.
And right in front
of us is something very practical: our upcoming annual congregational
meeting—a time to review ministries, discuss budget and leadership, and
make decisions about priorities.
It can feel like
administration.
Or it can be a sacred moment—an Epiphany moment—when we hear Jesus’ question
for ourselves:
“What are you looking for?”
4) Page 3: Grace in the Text
Grace in Isaiah: God holds the weight
In Isaiah 49, when
the Servant says, “I have labored in vain,” God does not shame the servant. God
says, in effect:
“Your worth is not measured by visible results. Your vindication is with me.”
And then God expands
the vision:
“You are part of something bigger than you can carry.”
God does not deny
exhaustion, but God refuses to let exhaustion define the calling.
Grace in John: witness, not messiah
In John 1, grace
looks like this: John the Baptist is faithful without becoming the Savior.
He testifies. He points. He helps other people meet Jesus.
That is spiritual maturity.
And Jesus responds
to seekers with an invitation:
“Come and see.”
This is how discipleship works: not instant perfection, but time with the Lord—time that reshapes us.
5) Page 4: Grace in the World—WWJBD + MLK
So what would John
the Baptist do today?
John would point to Jesus—clearly
John would refuse to
let the church become the center of its own story.
John would say:
“Look—the Lamb of God.”
In a chaotic
political environment, that matters, because the world is full of false
saviors: power, nation, tribe, ideology, money, and domination. John—and the
church—does not baptize those idols. We name them as idols. And we point people
toward the Light, toward the Savior, toward the love that does not let go.
We practice witness
in chaotic times.
And on MLK weekend,
if we picture Dr. King as a “John the Baptist” figure, that does not mean he
replaces Jesus. It means he shows what witness can look like when love refuses
to stay private.
Dr. King did not
say, “Look at me.”
He said, in his own way, “Look at what must be true if every person bears the
image of God.”
His dream was not
sentimental. It was moral. It was spiritual. And, it was also costly.
If John the Baptist points to the Lamb of God, Dr. King shows what a movement
of Jesus’ followers can look like.
So at an individual
level—and as a congregation preparing for our annual meeting—we hear the
question from the Lamb of God:
“What are you looking for?”
This is our moment
to ask:
- Are we witnessing to Jesus—or protecting
ourselves?
- Are we forming disciples—or
maintaining preferences?
- Are we content with “small
things”—or are we willing to be “a light” in the community?
Isaiah says God’s
mission is not “too light a thing.”
John shows that witness means pointing to the truth, even when it costs you.
Dr. King shows that dreaming is not escaping reality—it’s naming what God
intends, and then organizing our lives toward it.
Closing: one incident, one call and one speech
What would John the
Baptist do? And what would Dr. King do?
I want to close
today by holding together one incident, one call, and one speech.
First, an incident: about
a week ago, the heart broken news from Minnesota - the killing of Renee
Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis
on January 8, 2026.[1]
Second, our denomination, the United Church of Christ, has summoned us
to respond to what is being called “The Call to Minneapolis.” The
statement names targeted violence against immigrant communities—families torn
apart, communities organizing and protecting one another—and it warns that we
are witnessing corruption, racism, and the worship of money over human
life—threatening the soul of this nation.[2]
People of faith are summoned to gather together this weekend, to as (1) ICE out
of Minnesota immediately, and (2) no further funding for ICE.
We can find the
details information through the UCC’s channels.
Third, a speech: I
want to quote from Dr. King’s “How Long? Not Long!” speech on March
25, 1965, at the close of the Selma to Montgomery march:[3]
[15] Today I
want to tell the city of Selma, today I want to say to the state of Alabama,
today I want to say to the people of America and the nations of the world, that
we are not about to turn around. We are on the move now.
[16] Yes, we
are on the move and no wave of racism can stop us. The burning of our churches
will not deter us. The bombing of our homes will not dissuade us. The beating
and killing of our clergymen and young people will not divert us. The wanton
release of their known murderers would not discourage us. We are on the move
now.
Like an idea
whose time has come, not even the marching of mighty armies can halt us. We are moving to the land of freedom.
[35] I know
you are asking today, “How long will it take?” Somebody’s asking, “How long
will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive
bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?”
[36] I come
to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating
the hour, it will not be long, because “truth crushed to earth will rise
again.”
[37] How
long? Not long, because “no lie can live forever.”
[38] How
long? Not long, because “you shall reap what you sow.”
[39] How
long? Not long:
Truth forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the
throne,
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And,
behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch
above his own.
[40] How
long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends
toward justice.
[41] How
long? Not long, because:
Mine eyes
have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is
trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He has loosed
the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword;
His truth is
marching on.
He has
sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting
out the hearts of men before His judgment seat.
O, be swift,
my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant my feet!
Our God is
marching on.
Glory,
hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah! Glory, hallelujah!
[42] His
truth is marching on.
Let us pray.
Closing
Prayer
God of light and mercy,
we thank you for revealing yourself in Jesus Christ—
the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
In a time of anxiety and
division, steady our hearts.
When we are tempted to despair, give us hope that is disciplined and real.
When we are tempted to retreat into silence, give us courage shaped by love.
When we are tempted to carry the world as if we were the savior,
remind us that Christ alone is Lord—
and call us back to the humble strength of witness.
Make us, like John the
Baptist, people who point beyond ourselves.
Make us, like faithful witnesses in every generation,
people who speak truth, practice compassion, and pursue justice with
tenderness.
As we prepare for our
congregational meeting,
grant us wisdom that is prayerful, not reactive;
unity that is honest, not superficial;
and decisions that bear testimony to your kingdom.
Show us the next faithful step for our ministries—
so that our neighbors may encounter your welcome,
your healing, and your peace.
Take our hands, Precious
Lord, and lead us on.
Pour your balm upon the wounded places of our city and our nation.
And send us out as people who sing with courage,
live with humility,
and love with persistence.
We pray in the name of Jesus
Christ,
the Light of the world and the Lamb of God.
Amen.
https://youtu.be/Ul-RhzqO1dc?si=xG58dJkx4DvZ5opo&t=2315
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