AT THE HEART OF OUR PREPARATIONS FOR THIS SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, STANDS JOHN THE BAPTIST, WHO CALLS US TO REPENT AND MAKE A NEW BEGINNING, AS THE DARKNESS INCREASES, WE TURN TOWARD THE LIGHT OF CHRIST'S COMING. FOR CHRISTIANS HE IS THE ROOT OF JESSE, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE WHO WELCOMES ALL, ESPECIALLY THE POOR AND MEEK OF THE EARTH.
WE WAIT WITH HOPE FOR THAT DAY WHEN THE WOLF WILL DWELL WITH THE LAMB, THERE WILL BE NO MORE HURT OR DESTRUCTION. WHEN WE LEAVE THE LORD'S TABLE, WE ARE SENT IN THE SPIRIT OF JOHN THE BAPTIST TO PROCLAIM THAT IN CHRIST THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME NEAR. OUR O.T. READING (ISAIAH 11:1-10) THE PROPHET DESCRIBES THE IDEAL RULER WHO WILL COME IN THE FUTURE AS A GREEN SHOOT SPRINGING FROM A DEAD STUMP ( DAVID'S ROYAL LINE) OF JESSE( DAVID'S FATHER). GIFTED BY THE SPIRIT, THIS MESSIAH WILL SEEK JUSTICE FOR THE POOR, AND THE REIGN OF THIS MONARCH WILL BE EXPERIENCED AS PARADISE IS REGAINED.
IN THOSE DAYS JOHN THE BAPTIST CAME PREACHING IN THR DESERT OF JUDEA AND SAYING " REPENT THE KIGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND." THIS IS HE WHO WAS SPOKEN THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH: A VOICE OF ONE CALLING IN THE DESERT. PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD, MAKE STRAIGHT PATHS FOR HIM. JOHN'S CLOTHES WERE MADE OF CAMEL'S HAIR AND HE HAD A LEATHER BELT AROUND HIS WAIST ( THE GARMENTS OF ELIJAH) THE PROPHET WHO WOULD COME BEFORE THE MESSIAH. JOHN'S FOOD WAS LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY. PEOPLE WENT OUT TO HIM FROM JERUSALEM AND ALL JUDEA AND THE WHOLE REGION OF THE JORDAN RIVER.
BUT WHEN HE SAW MANY OF THE PHARISEES, AND SADDUCEES COMING TO WHERE HE WAS BAPTIZING, HE SAID TO THEM "YOU BROOD OF VIPERS!" WHO WARNED YOU TO FLEE FROM THE COMING WRATH?" PRODUCE FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE.. AND DO NOT THINK YOU CAN SAY TO YOURSELVES, " WE HAVE ABRAHAM AS OUR FATHER" I TELL YOU THAT OUT OF THESE STONES GOD CAN RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR ABRAHAM, AND THE AX IS ALREADY AT THE ROOT OF THE TREES, AND EVERY TREE THAT DOES NOT PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT WILL BE CUT DOWN. AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE. " I BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER FOR REPENTANCE. BUT AFTERME WILL COME ONE WHO IS MORE POWERFUL THAN I, WHOSE SANDALS, I AM NOT FIT TO CARRY. HE WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE.
MATTHEW TELLS US THAT THE AREA OF JOHN'S PREACHING WAS IN THE DESERT COUNTRY NEAR THE DEAD SEA ALONG THE JORDAN RIVER. IT ALSO CALLS TO MIND THE WILDERNESS WHERE THE ISRAELITE'S WANDERED FOR 40 YEARS WHEN THEIR UNBELIEF DELAYED THEIR ENTRY INTO THE PROMISED LAND. IN THE WILDERNESS JOHN THE BAPTIST CALLED PEOPLE TO REPENT OF THEIR SINS, AND HE POINTED TO THE MESSIAH, WHO ALONE COULD BRING PEOPLE INTO THE KINGDOM. JOHN MESSAGE OF REPENTANCE ECHOED THE CALL OF ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS, AND SOON JESUS WOULD ALSO BE CALLING HIS PEOPLE TO REPENTANCE. NOW REPENTANCE INVOLVES A CHANGE OF DIRECTION (THINKING) OF MIND AND HEART IN DAILY BEHAVIOR AND LIFE. THE FULL RECOGNIZING YOUR SIN AS DISOBENDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMANDENTMENTS, FEELING TRUELY SORRY FOR YOUR SIN, HAVING SINCERE DESIRE TO AMEND YOUR SINFUL WAYS, TRUSTING IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, FOR FOREGIVENESS AND SALVATION.
REPENTANCE IS NOT A ONE-TIME ACT. IN HIS FAMOUS "95 THESES, WHICH" MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THE "REFORMATION." MARTIN LUTHER DECLARED THAT THE ENTIRE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IS TO BE CHARACTERIZED BY REPENTANCE. WE ARE TOLD THROUGH BAPTISM, WE ARE TO DROWN OUR OLD ADAM BY DAILY CONTRITION AND REPENTANCE. REPENTANCE OF ALL OUR SINS, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY BE UNAWARE, AND JESUS FORGIVENESS IS ALSO TOTAL. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JOHN'S BAPTISM AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR JESUS TO RECEIVE THIS BAPTISM WITH OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION TO JOHN IN (VV2B-3). BRINGING OLD AND NEW TOGETHER.
A VOICE CRYING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS IS PROMISED AND JOHN APPEARS ON THE SCENE. THIS PREPARES A PARALLEL THAT EXPLAINS THE MORE DIFFICULT FIGURE IN THE O.T. PASSAGE. WHAT DOES IT EXACTLY MEAN TO PREPARE A WAY FOR GOD?
JOHN'S ANSWER TO THAT IS TO CALL PEOPLE TO REPENTANCE AND THROUGH HIS BAPTISM, TO SHOW THEM HOW DESPERATELY IN NEED OF A THOROUGH CLEANSING THEY ARE. THIS IS HOW THE OBSTACLES ARE TO BE CLEARED
AWAY. THIS IS HOW THE PERVERSELY CROOKED WAYS OF RELATEING TO EACH OTHER AND TO GOD WILL BE MADE STRAIGHT. REPENTANCE AND THE CONFESSION OF SINS EVEN'S OUT THE BUMPS IN THE ADVENT ROAD. WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT THE SIGN'S ARE ALL AROUND US ANNOUNCING HIS IMMINENT SUDDEN APPEARANCE. A FRIEND OF MINE AND I WERE TALKING BASEBALL AFTER CHURCH, AND HE WAS TELLING ME HOW HIS DAD WOULD LISTEN TO THE CARDINALS ON THE RADIO RATHER THEN TO WATCH THEM. HE SAID EVEN THOUGH I NEVER QUITE INHERITED THAT ASPECT OF MY FATHER'S FAITH. HE WAS AMAZED AT THE ABILITY OF CERTAIN ANNOUNCERS TO CREATE THE WHOLE GLORIOUS PICTURE OF WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE IN THE STADIUM. A GOOD ANNOUNCER WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE LISTNER FULLY EXPERIENCE THE TENSION, EXCITEMENT, OF FANS IN THE STANDS. ANOTHER PICTURE WAS THE (FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS.) HE SAID AFTER HIS FATHER BEGAN WATCHING GAMES ON T.V., HE WOULD TURN OFF THE SOUND, AND LISTEN TO HIS FAVORITE RADIO ANNOUNCER. WE ARE ALSO TO BE ANNOUNCERS, THE VOICES THAT OPENS THE EYES OF THE WORLD ABOUT THE DRAMA THAT IS UNFOLDING AROUND US, LIKE MY FRIEND SAYS: " WE ARE IN THE LATE INNINGS!"
THE PURPOSE OF JOHN'S MINISTRY WAS NOT TO GAIN FOLLOWERS FOR HIMSELF, BUT TO DIRECT PEOPLE TO JESUS, THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY, JOHN SPOKE OF THE MORE POWERFUL ONE, FOR WHOM HE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE THE LOWLIEST SERVANT. THIS MORE POWERFUL ONE " WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE OLY SPIRIT."
JOHN ENDS HIS DISCOURSE WITH ANOTHER DESCRIPTION OF GOD'S JUDGMENT. HE SPEAKS OF A FARMER SEPARATING THE GRAIN FROM THE CHAFF ON HIS THRESHING FLOOR. AS A FARMER WOULD TOSS THE THRESHED GRAIN INTO THE AIR, THE BREEZE WOULD CARRY AWAY THE LIGHT CHAFF, HEAVIER KERNALS WOULD FALL TO THE GROUND. IN THE SAME, CHRIST WILL SEPARATE BELIEVERS FROM UNBELIEVERS. HE WILL CONSIGN UNBELIEVERS TO HELL., AND BELIEVERS INTO HEAVENLY MANSIONS. THE MESSAGE OF JOHN AND JESUS IS TIMELESS AND UNIVERSAL. NOBODY WILL BE ABLE TO ESCAPE GOD'S JUDGMENT, AND THERE WILL BE NO APPEALS TO ANOTHER COURT. " WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED, BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT BELIEVE WILL BE CONDEMNED."" MARK 16:16)."
THAT'S WHAT THE WHOLE BIBLE IS ALL ABOUT.
No comments:
Post a Comment