Advent 3

Third Sunday of Advent 12/12/21 | Sermon on Luke 3:7-18; Phil. 4:4-7; Isaiah 12:2-6; Zeph. 3:14-20 | By Brad Everett |

This third Sunday of Advent is often referred to as Joy Sunday or Gaudete Sunday (which is Latin for “rejoice”). Coming near the longest night of the year, it serves to remind us that just as the days are about to begin getting longer and lighter, so too the coming of Christ brings light, life and joy into the darkness, death and despair we see around us.

The texts from today all reflect this theme.

The chapters and verses preceding today’s lesson from Zephaniah, speak in harsh and stark terms concerning God’s judgement against Israel and the surrounding nations for their wickedness and disobedience. But the book’s concluding verses remind us it’s God’s mercy, and not judgement that’s the last word for those who would receive it. As firm as God’s judgement was to be against Israel and its neighbours, God’s mercy would be even greater. Wrath would be turned away and the Lord would be in their midst. He would rejoice over them, renew them in his love and exult over them with loud singing. Disaster would be removed from them and their oppressors dealt with. God promised to save the lame and gather the outcast, changing shame into praise and renown in the earth. Israel would be brought home from exile to have their fortunes restored and the nations of the earth would praise them.

The passage from Isaiah describes Israel’s response to God upon the coming of his anointed one—who would not only bring the Good news of God’s mercy but enact it as well. Seeing, hearing and experiencing God’s gracious presence at work in their midst and their lives, the people would sing this song of joy, recorded in today’s lesson.

And from Paul’s letter to the Philippians—we find his exhortation to rejoice always. Not because everything is necessarily going the way they think it should, according to some scheme or standard they have devised, but because the Lord is near, and that as they present their requests to God in prayer, turning their hearts and minds to him, the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

In each of these, God’s power and presence is promised to his people regardless of the circumstance they may find themselves. In each passage, the emphasis isn’t so much on what God promises to do (which of course is a blessed hope to hold on to) but on the fact that God promises to be present no matter what is going on in their lives or the world. To be with his people, that they will know his love, and will be joyful. The source of joy is the presence of God. We can certainly enjoy it when things are “going right”, but with the understanding that because of the world we live in it’s all passing. However, the promise and presence of God is certain, sure and constant— the Lord is the source of our joy and peace no matter what else is going on.

But then we come to the gospel lesson and may find ourselves wondering “where is the joy in this?”

“You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come”, doesn’t sound terribly joyful by any standards. Yet the concluding verse of this passage describes John the Baptist’s message as “good news” and with good reason.

In continuity with all the previous passages, the focus remains on the presence of God. Because of repentance, turning back to God and away from their sin, illusion and rebellion, they are aware of God’s presence in a way that they weren’t before.

John’s baptism of repentance helped bring those who received it into a new relationship with God—they turned and were turned back to God. The promise of the one coming, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire held forth the promise for a greater, deeper, fuller experience of the presence of God than they had previously known.

But where the other passages speak in fairly general terms, John the Baptist gets unnervingly specific. The presence of God is going to mean changes (and we read about change in the other texts)—here the change begins with the baptism of repentance which is not just about turning from sin or sins, but turning back towards God.

This turning, if it is true and effectual, i.e. if the individual desires God to work this change in their life, they will be acting, thinking, speaking differently, they will see the effects, the good fruit as John puts it of repentance at work in them.

So, for example, if you have two coats you will to share with one who has none, likewise when it comes to food. Tax collectors were not to collect more than the prescribed amount (the Romans really didn’t care how much tax collectors charged, so long as the Empire received its share). So too with soldiers, who were “permitted” to supplement their salary by extortion or threats.

These may strike us as fairly small things but as John spoke, the people were filled with expectation. Things were changing—for them personally because of this baptism, but also for the world around them. This new way of living, this new way of experiencing the presence of God and allowing the grace of God to re-form and reshape how they spoke and acted and lived would impact everyone and everything they encountered.

And isn’t that the biggest change? When your life is different than it was before? When your attitude is new? When your words and actions are taken in a different direction—not simply out of your own desire to try something new, but because God is at work in you, making you into the image of the Son.

Of course, this expectation caused the crowds to ask John the Baptist if he was the one they were waiting for. Instead, he pointed away from himself towards the Christ, noting that this baptism of repentance with water that he performed paled in comparison to the baptism that God’s anointed, would work with the Holy Spirit and fire.

And this is the joy of the gospel. God meets us where we are, but is never content to simply leave us where we are, as we are. Instead, in His great and abiding love He desires to change us, to transform us into the individuals we were created and called to be. And that this change is not about following a process or program, but being willing and open to the work he wants to do in our lives.

To make the changes He knows need to be made, for us and our salvation. To strip away those attitudes, words actions and habits that are getting in the way of us enjoying more fully the presence and peace of God, and replace them with new ways of thinking, speaking and acting that not only reflect but enact God’s peace and joy in us, and the world.

To be fair, maybe the changes God wants to work in you will seem like 180 degree turn. But there is also the very real possibility that the changes might seem quite small, so small that we may dismiss them as being inconsequential. But don’t. A change of a few degrees, may only make a difference of a few inches over a short distance, but will result in a huge difference over a great distance. So too with our lives, what may seem like some minor thing God is working in us now, can grow into something much grander than we had ever anticipated.

And this is the simple message of Advent—repentance brings joy. Turning back, being turned back to God allows us to experience more fully his peace and grace and joy. And it is in this peace and grace and joy that we await Christ’s coming at Christmas, and the end of time.

—

Pr. Brad Everett

Calgary, AB, Canada

everettsts@gmail.com