Listen here.
Welcome to Devotions for Worship where we meditate on the
appointed Scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday. I am Pastor Eric Tritten
from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hudson, OH. Thank you for being with me
today.
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent;
the season that reminds us of Christ’s coming. So, on the one hand, we are
preparing to celebrate Christmas – joining with the saints of the Old Testament
and remembering their anticipation of when the Messiah would come – when we
remember the amazing events of Jesus’ birth. On the other hand, we are also
preparing for Jesus to come again to judge the living and the dead.
Last week we were introduced to John the Baptist, a prophet
and preacher in the wilderness of Judah who prepared the way for Jesus. This
week, we continue to read about John, but now we hear his testimony about
himself and the savior he served.
Let’s listen to God’s Word.
The appointed reading for the 3rd Sunday of
Advent is: John 1:6–8, 19–28 (ESV)
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe
through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about
the light.
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the
Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are
you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I
am not the Christ." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are
you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the
Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22 So they said to
him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do
you say about yourself?" 23 He said, "I am the voice of
one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the
prophet Isaiah said."
24 (Now
they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him,
"Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah,
nor the Prophet?" 26 John answered them, "I baptize with
water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who
comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." 28
These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
(Jn. 1:19-28 ESV)
Comments
“Who are you?” That
is the question at issue in this reading. Everyone wants to know who John is.
Specifically, they want to know if he is the Christ, the Messiah, or, in more
modern language, the Chosen One. And his answer is firmly in the negative. “I
am not.” So those looking for answers began looking for other explanations for
this fascinating man that so many people were going out to the wilderness to
see. But they didn’t just go to see him, they went to hear him preach and to be
baptized by him. So the religious leaders of the day were trying to get a
handle on who he was.
For John’s part, his response seems pretty straightforward, “I
am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the
Lord.’” He is the forerunner for the one who would come after, the one whose
sandal John was not worthy to untie, who we know to be Jesus.
In terms of the flow of Advent, this reading puts us in mind
of Christmas; that the savior came at Jesus’ birth. However, at the time of the
events in this reading, Jesus was already an adult. Remember, John said the one
he was preparing for was in their midst! Jesus was actually about to begin his
ministry, and John was preparing the way for him to begin preaching and
teaching. John prepared the way that would lead to the cross, although he didn’t
know that. John prepared the way that inaugurated a new baptism; not a baptism
for repentance, but a baptism into Jesus’ death, which washes sins away and
connects us to Jesus’ resurrection.
John, the forerunner of Jesus, is an excellent example to us
who are followers of Jesus. You see, John was clear about who he was in
relationship to the Savior, and we too can be clear about who we are in
relationship to Jesus. We are redeemed, forgiven, a new creation, citizens of
the kingdom of God, ambassadors and witnesses of Jesus Christ to this world and
this time. John pointed ahead to Jesus, and we point back of Jesus. Our focus
is the same. Our mission is the same. We’re just on different sides of the key
moment – Jesus’ death and resurrection. Our mission, like John’s was, is to
point people to Jesus, to testify about Him. We take the focus off of ourselves
and place it where it belongs: on Jesus.
And yet, we are also similar to John, in that we are waiting
for Jesus to appear. He promised that He would come again, and we take up the
ministry of preaching repentance, preparing the way for the Lord to come again.
Our desire is for everyone to welcome Jesus when He returns, and so we speak of
Him, His death and resurrection, His ministry and miracle, we remember his
parables and lessons, and, at this time of year, we celebrate the miracle of
His birth.
Prayers – a Collect
for Advent 3 from Lutheran Worship (p.12)
Almighty God, through John the Baptist, the forerunner of
Christ, you once proclaimed salvation; now grant that we may know this salvation
and serve you in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives; through
Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. Amen.
Memory Verse:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - 16 Rejoice always, 17
pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Thank you so much for using Devotions for Worship, I pray
that our time together has blessed you and given you something to meditate on –
some reminder of God’s grace to rattle around in your brain – for the rest of
the day.
Would you do me a favor? If you got something out of this
devotional time, would you like and/or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or
wherever you do social media? That would help me get the word out, and
hopefully help these devotions be a blessing to others.
God bless you!
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