The Messenger, The Message – sermon on December 6, 2015
Luke 1:57-80 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.
Then Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant – the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
Luke 3:1-6 It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee. Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John, son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all people shall see the salvation of God.’”
Sermon: The Messenger, The Message by Reverend Doreen Oughton
Our gospel passages this morning focus on John the Baptist, starting with his birth, and continuing with his receipt of a message from God that it was time to get the people ready. Let’s go back just a little bit, the set up for John’s birth. His father, Zechariah, was a priest, and his mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of a priest. Scripture tells us they lived blameless lives, but had no children, which was problematic at that time. Elizabeth was “getting on in year,” indicating, most likely, that she was past the fertile years altogether. Zechariah was chosen by lot to perform the ritual offering of incense in the innermost sanctuary of the Temple, while people prayed outside. While he was in there he was visited by an angel. Can you guess which angel? The very same angel that visits young Mary just a few months later – Gabriel. Gabriel tells Zechariah that Elizabeth will bear a son, who is to be named John, who will be the cause of much celebration for Eliz and Zech, as well as for many others. Gabriel tells him that John will turn many people towards God. He will have spirit and power to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Zech expresses some doubt, asking how he can trust this, can the angel show him something more concrete that this will happen, more than just this statement. After all, his wife is getting on in year. Gabriel only states that he was sent by God to speak to Zech, and because of his doubt, Zech will be mute until this promise is fulfilled. And this is where the reading picks up, with John’s birth, the loosening of Zechariah’s tongue, and his sharing of the angel’s promise of the role John will serve.
One of the beautiful things about scripture is that it is so resonant. It was developed from an oral culture, where stories are shared from generation to generation. One story is meant to call to mind other stories. So in this story, what other stories come to mind? … Angels visited Abraham and promised him that his wife Sarah, also well on in years, would bear a son. And Abraham’s daughter-in-law Rebekah was also barren, and her prayer was answered when she became pregnant with twin boys. She was told by God that the older of the two would serve the younger. But this is the first story where someone is told what to name the child, and to be given such a clear message on how the child would grow to serve God. It is the first such story, but it is not the last, right? Just a few months later Gabriel makes another visit, tells what the child is to be named, and what role this child will have in serving God. But that is next week’s story. For now, let’s stick with John.
Our second reading skips ahead a few decades, and John has received a word from God that it is time, time to do his thing, to get the people ready for the coming of the Lord. John calls people to repent, to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. This is how the paths are made straight, the roads leveled and the rough ways made smooth. This is the way that all will see the saving grace of God.
I read something recently that said there is no such thing, really as sins, plural. There is only sin, which is separation from God. Anything that turns us away from God, distracts us from remembering who and whose we are is sin. And so John calls people to repent. Does anyone know what “repent” means? Not be sorry, not feel bad, not even do better. It means to turn. And this is what Gabriel said that John would do, that he would get people to turn towards God. People have headed down a path that takes them away from God and into sin. They cannot see the saving work of God, they cannot come into the kindom if they are turned in the wrong direction. To be baptized into the forgiveness of sin is to be blessed in the turning around, the turning from the wrong path and turning towards God. To accept that baptism means to believe that John knows the way. He is like a GPS – recalculate, make a u-turn as soon as possible. Maybe if he came to us in our time his nickname wouldn’t be John the Baptist, but John the GPS.
John has been prepared his whole life, from the time of his conception, for this job. He takes it seriously, traveling up and down the Jordan River. We didn’t hear this part read this morning, but John takes the people to task, calling them vipers, challenging those who are convinced they are on the right path because Abraham is their ancestor. He assures them that such means nothing. They have still wandered astray. The way of repentence, the turning, primarily involves sharing what they have with others in need. So the wrong path involves looking out for yourself, stockpiling things for your own security, perhaps being overconfident that you are on the right path and hence refusing to turn.
Jesus expands on these themes in his ministry. If you are looking out for yourself you are going the wrong way. You are living in sin. You have separated yourself from God by doing such. The kindom of God has come and is coming, but you will miss it if you haven’t turned toward God, if you refuse to respond to John the GPS and turn in the way he tells you. God’s salvation is indeed for all to see, but not all will see. Will you? Do you need to recalculate the route you are on? Prepare the way for the Lord.
