Second Sunday of Advent (12/4/22)
A special messenger is born to prepare the way.
Advent
deals not only with Jesus’s first coming as the babe of Bethlehem in the middle
of salvation history but also with his Second Coming at the end of salvation
history. John the Baptist is the last of the old covenant prophet and Jesus’s
forerunner in birth, message, and death.
So, let’s
put John’s ministry in the context of the Advent/Christmas season. How can we be
faithful witnesses preparing for the birth of Christ? How do we firmly
establish Jesus as the “reason for the season?” Well, just as John the Baptist
offered his life as a faithful witness to Christ, we must offer our lives for
the sake of the Gospel. Now, we will never likely see martyrdom as John did,
but we can, with the same intent and enthusiasm as John, offer our lives and possessions
as a “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1).
We can be
capable and good witnesses of Christ by showing (not just through our words,
but by our acts) God’s love and the grace of Christ throughout the year. The
whole year. Not just a few weeks, mixed in with concerts, events, sugary foods
and shopping…while hoping to see a little snow fall. Now, these things are not
necessarily bad or unhealthy – except, of course all the sugary, wonderful,
delicious desserts. But I’m afraid that too many times the way we have come to
celebrate Christmas might, actually, be of offense to God. Too often, we spend
thousands of dollars for Christmas gifts to give to people who have little need,
at the expense of those who find themselves in great need. We feast and dine to
excess while there are those around us who spend the holiday hungry, cold, and
void of someone’s love.
The
apostle John declared that “God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son” (John 3:16) and later tells us how that message is to be demonstrated:
“But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his
heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 NASB).
Christmastime is also about sharing hope and love to all… just as God did by
sending Christ, Christ did by giving us the Spirit, and John’s sacrifice in so
boldly letting us know by his testimony and actions.
Scripture:
Luke 1:5-24, 57-80, Matthew 3:1-3, John 1:29-34
Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 In the days of Herod, king of
Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[a] of the division of Abijah. And he
had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And
they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the
commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they
had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in
years.
8 Now while he was serving as
priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according
to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the
temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the
whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of
incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of
the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And
Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But
the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has
been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall
call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and
gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for
he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or
strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy
Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he
will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he
will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the
hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom
of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the
angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is
advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him,
“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to
speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And
behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these
things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be
fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were
waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And
when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had
seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and
remained mute. 23 And when his time
of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife
Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus
the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my
reproach among people.”
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to
give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her
neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her,
and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the
eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him
Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother
answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And
they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they
made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And
he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they
all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was
opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear
came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through
all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who
heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this
child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah was
filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for
us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets
from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to
grant us
74 that we, being delivered from
the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet
of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his
ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us[h] from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became
strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public
appearance to Israel.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3 In those days John the Baptist came
preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[a] 3 For this is
he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare[b] the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
Behold, the Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming
toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the
sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I
said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before
me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for
this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And
John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove,
and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not
know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on
whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who
baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have
seen and have borne witness that this is the Son[a] of God.”
Carols:
Joy to the World
1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
let ev’ry heart prepare him room
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
2 Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
3 No more let sins and sorrows grow
nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.
4 He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.
Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
1 Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
2 Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
3 The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
4 Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
5 When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying "Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee."
My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.
Prayer:
Ask God to make us good “messengers” and to help us know how
to prepare people to listen to the good news about Jesus.
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