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The Third Sunday of Advent Luke 3:7-18 |
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EACH YEAR, IN THE MIDST OF OUR BUSY PREPARATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS, AS WE RUSH TO GET THE HOUSE DECORATED AND FIND THE PERFECT PRESENTS FOR THE FAMILY, SOMEONE COMES ALONG TO REMIND US ONCE AGAIN ABOUT JUST WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE DOING. IT IS NOT THE JOLLY OLD ELF IN THE RED SUIT WITH THE EIGHT TINY RHEINDEER, BUT IS A SOMEWHAT LESS ENDEARING CHARACTER; JOHN THE BAPTIST. IN THE ADVENT SEASON, WE HEAR TWO, OR MORE, GOSPEL PASSAGES ABOUT JOHN AND HIS MESSAGE, AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. ADVENT MEANS “THE APPROACH,” OR “THE COMING,” AND JOHN TELLS US IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS JUST WHO IT IS THAT IS COMING AND JUST WHAT IT IS FOR WHICH WE ARE EXPECTANTLY PREPARING. THE MESSAGE OF JOHN IS HARDLY THE SACARINE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS THAT SURROUNDS US IN THIS SEASON, NOR IS IT THE SIMPLISTICALLY SWEET “PRECIOUS MOMENTS” THAT COMFORTS US AND WARMS THE HEART. IT IS NOT A MESSAGE ABOUT THE DECORATIONS, THE “FEEL GOOD” MUSIC IN THE STORES OR THE GIFTS UNDER THE TREE. IT IS, INSTEAD, THE PROCLAMATION OF WHAT GOD IS DOING FOR HIS PEOPLE, AND THE URGENT CALL TO GET READY FOR WHO AND WHAT IS COMING. IT IS A MESSAGE THAT MAY SOUND HARSH AND GRATING TO SOME, BECAUSE IT IS SO URGENT. THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD TOLD JOHN THAT THE MESSIAH WAS COMING, AND HIS MISSION WAS TO MAKE HIS WAY STRAIGHT IN THE HEARTS OF GOD’S PEOPLE. LAST WEEK, YOU HEARD ABOUT HOW GOD CONTINUALLY CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO RETURN TO HIM AND TO COME HOME. YOU HEARD HOW GOD CALLS ALL OF HIS CHILDREN TO COME HOME, AND PROVIDES FOR THEM A HIGHWAY IN THE WILDERNESS TO GUIDE THEM ON THEIR JOURNEY. THIS JOURNEY HOME TO GOD IS NOT MERELY A PHYSICAL ONE, BUT IS, MORE IMPORTANTLY, A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. THAT IS WHY JOHN WAS IN THE WILDERNESS ONE THE BANKS OF THE JORDAN RIVER PROCLAIMING A BAPTIZM OF REPENTANCE. A WASHING BY IMERSION FOR RITUAL PURITY WAS A LONG ESTABLISHED PRACTICE IN THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF ISRAEL, BUT WHAT JOHN WAS DOING WAS RADICALLY DIFFERENT. HE WAS PROCLAIMING A BAPTISM FOR THE REPENTANCE OF SINS. REPENTANCE IS NOT SIMPLY FEELING SORRY FOR OUR SINS, ALTHOUGH IT INCLUDES A DEEP SORROW FOR OUR SEPARATION FROM GOD CAUSED BY OUR SINS. THE ROOT OF THE WORD MEANS TO LITERALLY “TURN AROUND” AND TO GO IN A NEW DIRECTION. TO REPENT MEANS TO STOP DOING WHAT WE WERE DOING, TO STOP GOING IN THE DIRECTION WE WERE HEADED, AND TO TURN AND GO IN THE DIRECTION GOD LEADS US AND TO DO WHAT GOD TELLS US TO DO. THIS IS WHY JOHN CHALLENGED ALL WHO CAME FOR BAPTISM, CALLING THEM A BROOD OF VIPERS WHO WERE JUST SEEKING SOME SORT OF “FIRE INSURANCE” AGAINST THE DAY OF THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH. REPENTANCE IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN, NOR IS IT SOMETHING WE CAN INHERIT BY VIRTURE OF OUR BIRTH OR OUR RELIGION. NOT EVEN BEING CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM, OR MEMBERS OF A CHURCH, IS SUFFICIENT; GOD CAN MAKE STONES INTO CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM. WHAT IS NECESSARY IS FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO REIGN IN OUR HEARTS, AND TO TURN US IN A NEW DIRECTION THAT LEADS US TO THE COMING CHRIST OF GOD. THE PEOPLE CRIED OUT, “WHAT THEN SHOULD WE DO?” THE ANSWER IS TO STOP AND TURN FROM YOUR SELF – CENTERED WAY OF LIVING AND LET THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD LEAD YOU IN THE LIFE THAT BEARS THE FRUITS OF REPENTANCE. IF YOU HAVE TWO COATS, GIVE ONE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NONE. IF YOU HAVE FOOD, SHARE IT WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NONE. EVEN IF YOU ARE A DESPISED TAX COLLECTOR, BE HONEST IN YOUR DUTIES. IF YOU HAVE POWER OVER OTHERS, LIKE SOLDIERS DO, DO NOT USE YOUR POWER TO EXTORT OR THREATEN OTHERS OR DEMAND MORE THAN YOU ARE DUE. IN ALL WAYS AND IN ALL THINGS LIVE AS IF YOU WERE UNDER THE CONSTANT EYES OF GOD, FOR HE IS COMING TO BE WITH YOU ALWAYS. WHEN THE PEOPLE HEARD WHAT JOHN MEANT BY REPENTANCE, THEY BEGAN TO WONDER IF HE WAS THE PROMISED MESSIAH, BUT JOHN STOPPED THIS TALK BY TELLING THEM THAT HE WAS MERELY PREPARING FOR THE ONE TO COME. “I BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER; BUT ONE WHO IS MORE POWERFUL THAN I IS COMING. I AM NOT WORTHY TO UNTIE THE THONG OF HIS SANDALS. HE WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH FIRE.” REPENTANCE IS THE PREPARATION FOR THE ONE WHO IS COMING, FOR IN HIM IS THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, AND HE WILL GATHER IN THE PEOPLE OF GOD LIKE WHEAT INTO HIS GRANARY. THUS, THE SEEMINGLY HARSH AND URGENT MESSAGE OF JOHN IS, IN REALITY, FULL OF THE WONDEROUS GOOD NEWS OF THE ADVENT OF OUR GOD. THE ONE WHO IS COMING IS GOD IN OUR MIDST; TURN TO HIM AND HE WILL LEAD YOU HOME ON THE HIGHWAY OF GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT. “SING ALOUD, O DAUGHTER OF ZION; SHOUT, O ISRAEL!” THE WORDS OF THE PROPHET ZEPHANIAH RING WITH THE GLORIOUS MESSAGE OF THE COMING OF THE ONE FOR WHOM JOHN PREPARES THE WAY. “REJOICE AND EXULT WITH ALL YOUR HEART, O DAUGHTER JERUSALEM! THE LORD HAS TAKEN AWAY THE JUDGMENTS AGAINST YOU, HE HAS TURNED AWAY YOUR ENEMIES. THE KING OF ISRAEL, THE LORD, IS IN YOUR MIDST.” THE URGENCY OF THE MESSAGE OF JOHN IS THAT THE KING OF ISRAEL, THE LORD, IS NEAR. REPENT; TURN TO HIM, FOR HE WILL BE HERE, WITH US, NOW AND FOREVER MORE. IN THE MIDST OF OUR PREPARATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS, WE ARE RECALLED, ONCE AGAIN BY JOHN, TO THE TRUE MEANING OF WHAT THAT BIRTH OF A CHILD IN THE MANGER IS ALL ABOUT. “O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL.” GOD HAS COME TO US IN THE PERSON OF JESUS, IS NEAR TO US EACH MOMENT OF OUR LIVES, AND, IN HIM, AND IN HIM ALONE, IS GOD’S FORGIVING GRACE. GOD HAS COME TO HIS PEOPLE, IS NOW IN OUR MIDST IN JESUS, AND WILL COME AGAIN IN ALL HIS MAJESTY AND GLORY TO REIGN TRIUMPHANTLY FOREVER. THIS IS WHY WE MUST HEAR THE CALL OF JOHN EACH ADVENT SEASON. GOD HAS COME TO US IN THE PERSON OF JESUS, AND HE CONTINUES TO COME TO US, IN OUR MIDST, AS OUR CONSTANT COMPANION IN THIS LIFE AS WE AWAIT HIS COMING AGAIN IN POWER AND IN GLORY. WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE AS THE ADVENT PEOPLE, TURNING AWAY FROM ALL THAT WOULD KEEP US FROM OUR GOD AND KING, AND, BY A LIFE OF CONSTANT REPENTANCE, TURNING TO HIM AND FOLLOWING WHERE HE LEADS US; HOME TO GOD WHERE WE BELONG.
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