|
|
SERMON for DECEMBER 13, 2020
|
RECEIVING JOY
Text: I Thessalonians 5: 16-24; John 1: 6-8, 19-28
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” I Thessalonians 5: 16-22
In the Gospel lesson this Third Sunday of Advent, once again, John the Baptist is lifted up – as he was in last week’s lesson from the Gospel of Mark. I confess that I checked the scripture reading twice in multiple liturgical resources while groaning inwardly “John the Baptist – again?” Funny how memory works – or how it does not work may be a more accurate way to say it, for I do not recall preaching about John the Baptist on two consecutive weeks in previous weeks during Advent. Do I really need to highlight John the Baptist again? On one hand, John the Baptist is the one who calls the people to repentance in order to prepare for the Lord’s arrival, yet that was the message last week. Does that message need to be repeated so that we do not rush headlong into Christmas without adequate preparation? During the season of Advent, it is true that we have to be watchful against celebrating Christmas four times before the actual Christmas Eve service. Still - there must have been some reason why the early church thought that it was important to include John the Baptist twice in this season, especially this Third Sunday of Advent on which the theme is “JOY.”
When I think about joyful people, in general, and prophets of joy, specifically, John the Baptist does not ordinarily come to mind. His call to repentance cuts to the quick and convicts us of our sin, and that is not usually a natural occasion for joy. Nevertheless, this prophet of the Lord, John the Baptist, like prophets before and after him who are filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, calls us to repent in order to prepare for the way of the Lord. Is John the Baptist a prophet of joy? Perhaps, underneath John the Baptist’ unusual clothing and fiery preaching about repentance, the prophet actually has a joyful countenance – a calm and peaceful strength that draws the people to him so that they can hear and heed his call to repentance.
The religious leaders question John the Baptist about his prophecy: is he the Messiah? John the Baptist makes it very clear that he is not the Messiah: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” [John 1: 23]
We make straight the way of the Lord by clearing away the garbage, debris, and sin of our lives, by removing the roadblocks of arrogance and pride that shield us from taking an honest and fearless moral inventory, and by confessing that we are, after all is said and done, sinful people who sin time and time again – sinners who need God’s help to deliver and save us from our sin.
Our human nature leads us in the opposite direction. We resist judgment and do not want to be held accountable for our sin. We tend to forget or overlook – intentionally and unintentionally – an important truth revealed throughout the scriptures: the joy of our salvation comes after repentance.
In the First Lesson for this Sunday, the Apostle Paul delivers a similar message about repentance: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” [I Thess. 5: 19-22] Paul, as a former persecutor of Christians who was convicted of his sin in the dramatic Damascus Road conversion experience, this Apostle well understands the joy of the Lord that follows repentance: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
One of the profound blessings of the scriptures is that God’s Word turns our usual ways of thinking upside down. John the Baptist, like the Apostle Paul, is actually a prophet of joy who prepares us to receive the gift of joy that is coming in the birth of the Messiah, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. As disciples of the Risen Lord, we can rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, because we have already received the joy given in Jesus Christ, the joy of our salvation that John the Baptist was preparing people to embrace.
This day and always, the Holy Spirit is waiting to spark joy in hearts and minds who prepare Him room. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Text: I Thessalonians 5: 16-24; John 1: 6-8, 19-28
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” I Thessalonians 5: 16-22
In the Gospel lesson this Third Sunday of Advent, once again, John the Baptist is lifted up – as he was in last week’s lesson from the Gospel of Mark. I confess that I checked the scripture reading twice in multiple liturgical resources while groaning inwardly “John the Baptist – again?” Funny how memory works – or how it does not work may be a more accurate way to say it, for I do not recall preaching about John the Baptist on two consecutive weeks in previous weeks during Advent. Do I really need to highlight John the Baptist again? On one hand, John the Baptist is the one who calls the people to repentance in order to prepare for the Lord’s arrival, yet that was the message last week. Does that message need to be repeated so that we do not rush headlong into Christmas without adequate preparation? During the season of Advent, it is true that we have to be watchful against celebrating Christmas four times before the actual Christmas Eve service. Still - there must have been some reason why the early church thought that it was important to include John the Baptist twice in this season, especially this Third Sunday of Advent on which the theme is “JOY.”
When I think about joyful people, in general, and prophets of joy, specifically, John the Baptist does not ordinarily come to mind. His call to repentance cuts to the quick and convicts us of our sin, and that is not usually a natural occasion for joy. Nevertheless, this prophet of the Lord, John the Baptist, like prophets before and after him who are filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, calls us to repent in order to prepare for the way of the Lord. Is John the Baptist a prophet of joy? Perhaps, underneath John the Baptist’ unusual clothing and fiery preaching about repentance, the prophet actually has a joyful countenance – a calm and peaceful strength that draws the people to him so that they can hear and heed his call to repentance.
The religious leaders question John the Baptist about his prophecy: is he the Messiah? John the Baptist makes it very clear that he is not the Messiah: “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” [John 1: 23]
We make straight the way of the Lord by clearing away the garbage, debris, and sin of our lives, by removing the roadblocks of arrogance and pride that shield us from taking an honest and fearless moral inventory, and by confessing that we are, after all is said and done, sinful people who sin time and time again – sinners who need God’s help to deliver and save us from our sin.
Our human nature leads us in the opposite direction. We resist judgment and do not want to be held accountable for our sin. We tend to forget or overlook – intentionally and unintentionally – an important truth revealed throughout the scriptures: the joy of our salvation comes after repentance.
In the First Lesson for this Sunday, the Apostle Paul delivers a similar message about repentance: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” [I Thess. 5: 19-22] Paul, as a former persecutor of Christians who was convicted of his sin in the dramatic Damascus Road conversion experience, this Apostle well understands the joy of the Lord that follows repentance: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
One of the profound blessings of the scriptures is that God’s Word turns our usual ways of thinking upside down. John the Baptist, like the Apostle Paul, is actually a prophet of joy who prepares us to receive the gift of joy that is coming in the birth of the Messiah, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. As disciples of the Risen Lord, we can rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, because we have already received the joy given in Jesus Christ, the joy of our salvation that John the Baptist was preparing people to embrace.
This day and always, the Holy Spirit is waiting to spark joy in hearts and minds who prepare Him room. Thanks be to God. Amen.