Christmas ANG

Intro

Lectionaries

Hebrew

Law - Prophets - Discourse on future hope

Early Church and Today

Similar except hope fulfilled.

Psalm 80 - Isaiah 40:1-11 - Luke 3:1-17

OT

Psalm 80 NIV

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm. Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? Boars from the forest ravage it, and insects from the fields feed on it. Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

Context

Poem/Liturgy of distress/crisis that is sung during worship like a ritual to a distant shepherd asking for help.

Figurative language, wordplay, rhythm, balance, emotion expressed to produce an emotional response in the reader.

Hear us

Restore us

Return to us

See us

Watch over this vine that you planted and build (Israel)

Let your hand rest on the son of man ( in this context, us as God’s first born and right hand among humanity). In NT: Jesus.

Kings often called shepherds (for ruler of the people).

Shepherds not highly esteemed in Greco-Roman lit.

OT - sheep were important economically. Shepherds had to be vigilant through weather, poor lodging, threats. Guided the sheep to sustenance, rest; kept them together, finding the lost.

Though God is seldom called a shepherd, the concept was common and remained a favorite idiom throughout Israelite history (cf. Pss 31:4—Eng v 3; 80:2—Eng v 1).

NT - Only literal reference to shepherds is in Luke's birth narrative (shepherds come to see Jesus. Other uses are metaphorical, like OT uses.

Gospels - Jesus portrayed as the good shepherd - who will sacrifice his own life for the sake of the flock.

- Compassion for the helpless

- Seeks the lost sheep of Israel

Mission is to gather those who have been scattered.

Church leaders were instructed to “tend the flock of God” (1 Pet 5:2), and the titles which were applied to them, such as elder (presbyteros) and guardian, bishop, or overseer (episkopos), are directly linked to the work of shepherding

Acts - Elders warned of false teachers and instructs them to shepherd and care for the church. Offices identified for this.

Prophet

Isaiah 40:1–11 NIV

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Sin has been atoned.

Prepare the way for the Lord.

Those who announce that the king is here (your God is here) do it loudly.

- He comes with power

- He rules

- He shepherds

- He gathers the young; carries them close to his heart

- He gently leads those that have young

NT

Luke 3:1–17 NIV

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ” John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John the baptizer is the voice of Psalm 80 crying in the wilderness.

What doesn't produce fruit will be cut down. What should we do/How should we produce fruit?

- Live justly

- Care for the poor, weak

- Share with those in need

- Do your work honestly; with integrity

The good news: The king is coming (16-17) and he will assess the fruit.

Fulfillment and Future Hope

Good news: King Jesus the shepherd and vine has come

Announce it

Go meet him where he is

Prepare the way for his return - bless all people.

Bear fruit - it will be assessed:

Carry those whom he carries close to his heart and their parents.

Live Justly

Care for the poor and weak

Share with those in need

Work honestly and with integrity

What will we ask of the lord - the king who has, is and will come to make us fruitful?