Children's Sermon and Get Your House in Order
Listen.December 7th, 2008
Rev. Dr. Craig A. Wagner
Introduction
Announcements can change a person’s life. Think of the following announcements and how they changed the lives of the people who heard them:
If you are the right age you will remember the announcement about the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Perhaps you may even remember what you were doing when that announcement changed the life of everyone in America. I was speaking with a person the other day. She related that when the announcement came she was walking on a street in Chicago and vividly remembers the newspaper vendors yelling at the top of their voices; as a young girl just the sound startled her and brought fear into her life.
Another announcement that shocked the United States and the world came on November 22, 1963; the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I remember the announcement coming over the loud speaker in my high school: Forest View. At that precise moment I was in the trampoline room at the school practicing for the next gymnastic meet.
If you are still younger, you probably remember the date of September 11, 2001 and the unbelievable terrorist attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. That attack forever marked a turning point in our feeling of safety. As I viewed that on the news that morning, I thought at first it was simply an ad for a movie – until reality set in.
This morning, we hear a life changing message that the Savior is coming. This is a call and a challenge for us to stand ready for the Messiah’s return and in the process to change our life, develop a new set of priorities and BE READY!
John the Baptist’s message
The gospel of Mark is interesting in that it begins with a phrase and not a complete sentence, which suggests that this may have even been the title: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” There are no angels or shepherds or midnights that are clear. There is no baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, no manger, no Mary and Joseph and in fact no birth narrative of Jesus. If Mark were the only gospel, we would have no Christmas celebration! Rather, Mark jumps right in with the important announcement that he will be relaying a life-changing message of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. Be ready for this amazing announcement.
How amazingly important this announcement is can be felt almost immediately as Mark suggests that it is good news: In the Roman Empire the term “good news” was used to describe a victory by Caesar’s army or when a new emperor took the throne. Ready? This is very important news.
Mark ties the announcement to the Hebrew Scriptures by inserting a quote from the prophet Isaiah – except that it’s not all Isaiah. In fact, the first half of the quote is from Malachi 3.1 and the last is from Isaiah 40.3. This means that Mark was drawing from popular oral tradition concerning the arrival of the Messiah. The bottom line is that Christ is arriving and that the preparation must be made for his arrival. This would be a new exodus, not from Egypt, or even from Rome, but from bondage to sin and death to new life in Christ.
Finally, John the baptizer arrives on the world stage and proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. John was a person of some renown because we read that people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him and was baptized by him. Baptism was not a new phenomenon at this juncture of history. In fact John’s baptizing was probably modeled after Leviticus 14.9 where we find instruction for the priests to wash themselves in a purity rite. And in the Qumran community we note from the Dead Sea Scrolls, that there was a daily ritual washing usually self-administered. These washings were for purification and symbolically washing away sin.
Of course with John’s baptizing, we find John administering the baptism and it was a singular event; not done everyday even though the concept of repentance, confession and forgiveness occurred each day.
And naturally with John we are always enamored with his diet and his dress code. Probably John was not the person most likely to be invited to a party, since he lived alone in the wilderness. He was a rather rough and tumble sort of rugged individual. His clothing and his diet evokes images of Elijah. The diet was a diet of pure food not processed. He looked the part. His announcement was received by people longing for the Messiah. And he proclaimed the message of preparation and repentance. The Christ was about to arrive and the people were to be ready!
The Advent call of repentance
The call to repent and stand ready for the coming of the Christ at the end of time is still a current and immediate theme. Advent in the church year is a time to reflect and focus on our readiness. As we consider John’s call to repent we realize that we’re really not quite sure about whom he is calling to repent. It could be a communal type of repentance, or individual. It could have been a public confession, or it could have been a private confession. The people could have confessed their sinfulness in general terms or in specific terms of actual sin.
However, we do understand from John’s announcement that confession and repentance were vital in preparation. Baptism signified the grace of God that would wash over the people in a cleansing act.
The call to repentance is a call to turn around, to change one’s mind and to walk in the opposite direction. As I think about that it occurs that we could issue a call for corporate or communal confession; this could signify repentance on behalf of a country for not abiding by God’s direction or even a congregation. So often we have seen conflict in congregations that has divided a congregation and forced the congregation to focus and use energy on things that are not of God’s plan. I think many of us in congregations need to repent and confess those areas in congregational life that are self-centered rather than God centered. We need to corporately pray for forgiveness for times of conflict over trivial issues, for a lack of focus on God’s direction and a failure to live as Jesus wants.
And of course there is personal confession and repentance also. This is silent, but also can be verbally expressed. We need to confess from our hearts those things that separate us from God and from one another. Last Thursday evening I we talked about repentance and confession in Confirmation class. Every one of the students understood what it was to have done something wrong. I’m sure all of you do, too. But the next question is more difficult: Have you ever confessed out loud to someone whom you had wronged or sinned against?
If that has happened and the person forgives, there is a great feeling of relief and joy in hearing that absolution. Have we confessed? Have we repented? Are we ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus at the end of time? If not, prepare the way into your heart through confession and repentance for the announcement is: Jesus is coming!
Jesus is coming
Someone pointed out that it is quite impressive the number of churches that are named after John the Baptist. Yet, if John walked the earth today it might offend him that his name was on the front of all these buildings. Perhaps for a couple of reasons: First I wonder if any of the churches would want him for a member – or for a pastor. He was gruff and dressed strangely and called people to account for their sinfulness. He would be the kind of person that would afflict the comfortable.
Secondly, I think that he would be offended because he came to call people to lives that are lived according to faith in Christ. There is a spiritual dimension of his message, not a message of building buildings.
The call is issued today: the announcement that will change lives is proclaimed. Repent, turn around and be God’s people. Many of us have been baptized into Christ; many at a very early age. Yet, simply because we’re baptized does not mean that we are sinless, rather it means that with the Spirit of God within us, we are moved to live repentant lives; lives that focus on Christ. Is there something in your life that needs to be changed in order to be ready for the coming of the Lord? Now is the time to repent.
For Jesus will return: and on that great and glorious day will draw all to himself. The kingdom will be established in its fullness and the glories of God and of his Christ will be revealed. Until then, we prepare faithfully and by God’s grace living our lives in repentance and in hope.
Conclusion
The holiday season is a time of entertaining and having people over to the house. If you’re anything like me, when I have someone over, I tend to really dig into cleaning the house, and straightening things, putting things in their proper place. I try to get the house as neat and organized and clean as I possibly can (Lorna helps too). We work hard to prepare. Should we work any less for the arrival of the Savior of the world?
The announcement is issued and it changes our lives and our perspectives of the season as we prepare ourselves through confession, repentance, so that we may be found faithful and ready to celebrate when Jesus arrives. Amen.