2nd Sunday in Advent - Sermon text and Video of Divine Service

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer

Second Sunday in Advent 

Isaiah 11:1-10      
Romans 15:4-13       
Matthew 3:1-12

O Lord, your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. 

In the 1990s and early 2000’s I often found myself in pastor meetings hearing about how to plant and grow a church. 

·      A clearly stated mission was important

·      Outreach into the community

·      Vibrant worship

·      Location for the church house

The key words for the church building where the faithful will assemble are “assessable” and “visible.” The building needs to be visible from the road, a sign saying “Church – Enter Here, parking needs to be in front so passersby can see that people are there. Assessable means easy in and easy out, reasonable parking, clearly marked entrances and signs inside for restrooms, nave, rooms, etc. 

The argument for assessable and visible was based on God’s instructions to Moses that the Tent of Meeting always be located where people can see it. And, in Jerusalem, the Temple also needs to be in the midst of the people, the city. 

Given God’s instructions and following the logic of His instructions, it seems odd that the prophet John the Baptist is led by God to conduct his preaching and baptizing out in the wilderness away from the majority of the people. The location appears to be wrong because the ministry site is not clearly visible nor easily assessable. 

As it turns out, the place has as much to say as John the Baptizer’s Words. John is preparing the people for the coming Christ. Jesus is the source of our peace with God and is the doorway by which we enter the Promised Land, the eternal land flowing with milk and honey. When Moses led Israel out of the slavery of Egypt, God declared that He was leading them to a land flowing with milk and honey. But, before they could enter the Promised Land, they had to go through the Wilderness first. In the wilderness, they learned repentance and learned to place their faith in God alone. Every time they tried to take matters into their own hands, things did not work out so well. 

John’s distinctive, rustic clothing also takes Israel back into its past history. John’s wearing of Camel skin and thick heavy belt is reminiscent of the prophet Elijah. (2 Kings 1:8) As Elijah before him John the Baptist does not mince words. He is blunt and plain spoken. Elijah’s ministry was to confront Israel’s forsaking the one true Lord God for the Canaanite idol Baal. He called the political and religious leaders to account for their sin. John the Baptist also preaches against idolatry. Only, now it is the idolatry of faith placed within their own merits, their self-righteousness, and in their heritage. As Elijah preached repentance, so does John the Baptist. God draws Israel into the wilderness to hear the strong word of accusation and to prepare to meet the coming savior and receive His gifts.  

John proclaims, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” John is the voice crying out in the wilderness that Isaiah prophesied about in Isaiah 40:3. 

The Greek word that is used for repent is metanoete. Metanoia itself is used to translate the Hebrew word Shuv in the Septuagint. Shuv means to “turn,” to change direction. You are walking toward the idol of Baal, turn around and return to the Lord God. Metanoia has the additional meaning of changing one’s mind. Not just a change in direction of walking or in a direction of life, but it is also a change in one’s thinking. To change one’s mind means that priorities are changed. For example, where God was the last thing on one’s mind, it becomes the first. Consequently, where we sought no guidance from God’s ten commandments in the conduct of our life, our mind is changed and the ten commands shape our choices of word and deed. 

There is an additional layer to metanoia that John’s preaching invokes. We should understand the force of what he is saying about repentance in conjunction to receive a baptism as nothing short of a conversion. Conversion means to move from no faith in God to having a saving faith in God.  The Pharisees and the Saduccees came to hear John with an attitude of confidence that they did not have any need to repent. Did they go because they were curious? Because they had hear about him and wanted to hear for themselves what was being said? We do not know. What we know is what the Holy Spirit led John to intuit about their true spiritual condition. They felt no need to repent because they had nothing to repent of. They wrongly trusted either in their own works of merit to please God or they assumed that their shared heritage in Abraham brought them the necessary righteousness. 

God disagreed. John called them on it.  

As it happens, the preaching of John the Baptist is used several times in the our 16^th century confessional book, the Book of Concord, when discussing the biblical teaching on repentance. Martin Luther wrote the Smalcald Articles. He writes: “But here comes the fiery angel of St. John, …, the true preacher of repentance. With one bolt of lightning, he hurls together both < both those selling and those buying works>. He says, “Repent” (Matthew 3:2). Now one group imagines, ‘Why, we have repented!’ The other says, ‘We need no repentance.’ John says, ‘Repent, both of you. You false penitents and false saints, both of you need the forgiveness of sins. Neither of you know what sin really is. Much less your duty to repent of it and shun it. For no one of you is good. You are full of unbelief, stupidity, and ignorance of God and God’s will. But he is present here, of whose ‘fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). Without him, no one can be righteous before God. Therefore, if you want to repent, repent rightly. Your works of penance will accomplish nothing. As for you hypocrites, who do not need repentance, you serpents’ brood, who has assured you that you will escape the wrath to come and other judgments?” (SA III III 30-32)

If the Pharisees and the Saducees stopped listening to John the Baptist, but stuck around to see the baptism of repentance, they would have beheld a new ritual. In the Old Testament, water is used as a means of healing and spiritual renewal. But the water is always applied by the individual being healed or seeking spiritual renewal. 

For example, think of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. Naaman has leprosy. When Naaman goes to the prophet Elisha for healing, Elisha tells him to go wash in the Jordan seven times, then he will be healed of his leprosy. Ultimately, Naaman complies and is healed. But, Naaman entered the water alone. No one administered the healing. Naaman simply obeyed Elisha.

John the Baptist breaks with the standard practice of the Old Testament. He is the one doing the baptizing. This is a unique experience. After he concludes his sermon, John enters the water, and those who wish to receive a baptism of repentance, go to John in the Jordan. John asks the individual, “Do you repent of your sins?” He hears the response of “yes.” We do not know, but we can conjecture that he most likely heard some details of what they are repenting of. If nothing else, he hears their confession that they are preparing for the coming Christ. John the Baptist, then, is the one who places them in the water and brings them out again. 

The baptism of repentance happens only once. In that respect it foreshadows Christian baptism. Christian baptism only happens once. Even if a person renounces Christ and then returns to the faith, the first Christian baptism is in effect. Instead of a second or third baptism, words are used. Words of reconciliation and reception are spoken as the prodigal is received back into his church home and the loving embrace of our Lord Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. 

The uniqueness of John’s baptism of repentance continues in that it signifies the forgiveness of sins for the baptized.  Professor Ziegler of CTSFW writes, “For those who repent and are baptized not only seek to escape the wrath of God – the punishment of God for their sins – but do truly escape it, because they are forgiven.” 

In the wilderness, God is at work preparing the people for Christ. The prophet John the Baptist speaks God’s demand for the true repentance for their sins. God expects nothing less than a complete turning away from the former life of lies, deception, and all other sins. In the wilderness, faith was demanded of Israel before they entered the Promised Land. Once again, in the wilderness, true faith is demanded of Israel to prepare for the Christ who will lead them to their eternal Promised Land through his death on the cross. 

As we prepare ourselves for the coming Christ in the manger and in the final days, we place our faith firmly on Jesus and his cross. Jesus bears our sins upon himself for us. The sinless one bears our sin and bears God’s wrath upon his own body, so that we may be declared forgiven. By his sacrifice, Christ makes us righteous before the Father. In His mercy, we await the fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven. 

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.