Malachi 3:1–4 ESV

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Luke 3:1–6 ESV

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

Peace in the Darkness

It happens every time. Every time I get together with seminary buddies, we tell the same stories we have told together a thousand times.

“Do you remember the time that so and so said that one thing in church history class?” “Do you remember the really hard exam we had to take in Hebrew? You know. . . the one where we had to translate part of Ezekiel on the fly?” “How TERRIBLE was that one class?” 

Those of you who are still in touch with high school or college friends or even colleagues you’ve worked with for a long time might have noticed the same thing. Often the conversation turns to the hardest classes, the worst classes, the terrible customers, the professors we didn’t like, that boss with the attitude. It seems like it’s easier to talk about those things than the highlights sometimes. I know when I’m with seminary friends, it’s not that any of us hated seminary or anything, there is just some sort of weird camaraderie that happens when you’re reminiscing with former classmates or colleagues about the difficult times. 

At first, it seems like that might be what Luke is going for in this passage of his gospel. Roman rule could not have been easy to live under. The rulers were out for their own interests rather than those of the people. They weren’t very nice. And they did not like Jesus and his posse of disciples very much. So in a way, it seems that perhaps Luke is setting up the scene in order to build some sort of early Christian camaraderie.  And that’s probably part of what he’s doing here, but there is more to it. 

I remember exactly where I was when the Challenger exploded and I’ll bet many of you do too. We could probably talk about that for quite some time. I remember that I was late to work on September 11, 2001 because I was supposed to be there at 8:30 and I walked in just as the radio announcers were trying to figure out what was happening. I will always remember I was with you all planning for this Advent when we heard about the Tree of Life massacre.

At first, it seems like that might be what Luke is going for in this passage of his gospel. Roman rule could not have been easy to live under. The rulers were out for their own interests rather than those of the people. They weren’t very nice. And they did not like Jesus and his posse of disciples very much. So in a way, it seems that perhaps Luke is setting up the scene in order to build some sort of early Christian camaraderie.  And that’s probably part of what he’s doing here, but there is more to it. 

Why do we do this? Note certain events in this seemingly dark way?

We have a need to have confirmation that we were in a place and a time. We each have historical weight and significance and that can be measured by comparing it to the history of another person. And often, it’s the shared conflict that brings us closer together because not only do we have a shared history, it’s a shared history of overcoming some sort of adversity or trauma.

Luke starts off this narration of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus by saying, “This is the time and place into which God came in, as, and through Jesus Christ.” By saying, “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,” Luke is saying, “Jesus came into the real, physical, historical world. Jesus came into this world in a time and a place to share in the historical importance of our lives. Jesus shared in our suffering and in our difficult past.”  

He’s telling us this because every one of his friends and family and other people he was writing to would have known all that as well as we know where we were on 9/11. They all would have known exactly the struggle and trauma that came with the occupation of their land and would have immediately connected that this Messiah Luke is talking about was there, right in the midst of the mess of humanity.

An artist once drew a picture of a winter twilight—the trees heavily laden with snow, and a dreary, dark house, lonely and desolate in the midst of the storm. It was a sad picture. Then, with a quick stroke of yellow crayon, he put a light in one window. The effect was magical. The entire scene was transformed into a vision of comfort and cheer. The birth of Christ was just such a light in the dark world. —Sunday School Chronicle

—Sunday School Chronicle

That’s what we celebrate at Christmas. We’re not celebrating some abstract, pretty story about strangers being nice to a young couple and giving them space in the barn to have their baby. Not only is that a historically inaccurate translation of the passage - Jesus was probably born in the home of extended family, just in the area the animals would have stayed rather than the already full guest room. Barns and stables weren’t a thing in the first century Middle East. And the historical accuracy matters because it’s not just an abstract, pretty story.

It’s not just a weird old story about a baby that symbolized peace. If all it is is an old story about a baby that symbolized peace, it is completely meaningless, so why bother? The world needs more than just a symbol of peace.

We’re not just talking about the birth of a cool guy. I’m sure Jesus was pretty awesome to hang around with, but if he was just a great guy with great things to say, Christmas doesn’t mean any more than Martin Luther King Jr Day. We should absolutely celebrate Martin Luther King Jr and his accomplishments and the great things he had to say, but it’s not the same as Christmas.

We’re celebrating the day that God broke into time and space and history to be with us and to share in our collective history and experience. Not just from some abstract place or far off spiritual realm, but right here walking on Earth with us. That baby didn’t symbolize peace, that baby was and still IS peace in the flesh.  

Peace is important because we have that shared experience of the hard times and we can appreciate peace by sitting together and saying, “remember when we didn’t have peace?” Much like grad school graduates sitting around appreciating being done with grad school by talking about how hard it was.

He received treatment that was almost inhuman. There were vehicles which he was not allowed to ride. There were restaurants in which he couldn’t eat. There were hotels where he couldn’t sleep. There were restrooms that he couldn’t use. He was persecuted, slighted, and cheated. Griffin wrote about his treatment in his book Black Like Me.

That’s the difference that Jesus coming as a human into very real history and space makes.

That’s the difference that Jesus coming the opposite of peace. Peace is important because we have that shared experience of the hard times and we can appreciate peace by sitting together and saying, “remember when we didn’t have peace?” Much like grad school graduates sitting around appreciating being done with grad school by talking about how hard it was.

It’s that gift that inspires us – in theory – to give gifts to our loved ones at Christmas. But often what we give are just presents – P R E S E N T S – or trinkets. They are things we give out of obligation or some sort of pressure, but not out of a desire to be with and share in life with a particular person like God did when Jesus was born. We buy trinkets and tchotchkes and all sorts of things for people who don’t need them. Things that just pile up and are forgotten. 

We all have things that we cherish that were given as gifts at Christmas, but I’d be willing to bet my lunch – and you all know how I feel about lunch – that very few people here, if anyone, could tell me everything they got for Christmas last year or the year before. I know I can’t. Sure, I got some great things the past few years – my box drum, a banjo, my favorite running shirt – but the reason they were great gifts was because they were from some my favorite people (my husband and my mom) and because they were gifts of presence (P R E S E N C E) – not just presents (P R E S E N T S). My mom knows that I love to run even when it’s freezing cold out. Tim knows I love to learn new instruments and play music with him. They are gifts of time and presence. Every year, Tim’s mom takes the kids to the theater for their big Christmas gift. While toys get old or lost or broken, they can tell you all about all the great plays and musicals and concerts they have gone to with their grandma. PRESENCE.

This passage in Luke uses attention to historical detail to help ground it in the real world. Jesus gave us the gift of being with us in the real world as we know and experience it - ALL the ways we know and experience it. Jesus felt our pain and shock when the Challenger exploded. He knew our sorrow when we watched the towers fall on 9/11 and the worry we had for friends and family in New York and DC. The Messiah intimately knows the horror that we experienced when a gunman murdered worshipers at the Tree of Life. The greatest gift ever given is God’s physical presence among us in our own world and history and time and space. God’s physical presence in the world with us, right here in time and space is a move of solidarity. God says, “I can sit here in the hard times with you and understand them in the same way you do.”

As we remember God’s gift to us by giving gifts to one another, let’s remember that. Let’s give one another the gift of presence – that’s p-r-e-s-e-n-c-e, not p-r-e-s-e-n-t-s. Sure, we can give things to people, but what and why are we giving them? Is it something that’s just going to wind up in the basement or attic or garage, or is it something meaningful that will reflect the love of Jesus and the presence of God? Sometimes that’s in the form of things that show thought and attention. And often, they are the least expensive presents that best communicate loving presence. 

Last year, an anonymous person – you know who you are – gave me a package of highlighters because she’d been paying attention to how much I love to organize things and highlight stuff! It was hilarious and touching all at the same time. It was a small gift, monetarily, but it was a sweet and wonderful gift of presence. And the coffee table book about chickens? Excellent! That person was really paying attention! What a gift of presence!

That’s what we’re going for if we are serious about focusing on Christ at Christmas. There is no amount of Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping that will show someone the love of Christ in and of itself. A stocking can be completely stuffed to the gills and still be utterly devoid of Christmas. Many of the Christmas trees with the most stuff under them – with the highest ticket items and the shiniest wrapping paper – are the saddest and least Christ-like examples of gift giving because they are just presents. 

“Pastor,” you may find yourself saying, “That sounds like a lot of hard work.” 

Well. . . yep. It sure is. And that’s why it matters more. It shows that person you care about just how much they matter. They matter enough that you’re willing to take some extra effort to let them know you know them. You’ve been paying attention. In a busy, spend-happy world, a little bit of presence in the midst of all the presents is exactly what we all need. That’s exactly what God did. 

That is the profound sort of peace that Jesus came to bring: the peace of knowing that we are not in this alone. God has not left us to this earth in a way that God can never understand. God knows intimately what it’s like. That’s why wacky John the Baptist is so important, calling the people to get ready because “Here he comes! Here comes God! Make way!”

Spoiler alert: John the Baptist died before Jesus did. He was beheaded by a maniacal, weak minded politician. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a messenger any more. In this second wave of waiting, so to speak, the second advent waiting time when we await the second coming and the fullness of redemption, WE are the messengers! We are the ones crying out in the wilderness, “Here comes God! Peace is coming!”

We all need more than just a baby in a barn who is a sign of peace. We need something with more weight than that. We need a God who knows what living in this world feels like. This is the message of the Longest Night service we’re having up at Ben Avon Community Presbyterian next week. I encourage you to be peace bringers by inviting loved ones and friends and acquaintances who are having a hard time to that service.

When we see awful things happen in the world, it’s ok to center ourselves in history by talking about it. It’s ok to ask questions like, “Where were you when you heard about Pearl Harbor/the Challenger/9-11/The Tree of Life?” As long as we balance it out with the knowledge that it is into that pain, into that sorrow, into that very real experience of humanity that Jesus comes. It’s OK, provided we remember that we are located not just in the history of the world, but in the history of salvation. We are part of God’s plan as messengers to the rest of the world!

This Advent, remember that we are the voice in the wilderness crying “Prepare the way of the Lord!” We are the ones pointing to Jesus in the midst of all that is wrong and violent and unjust and warring in our world and saying, “There is the peaceful promise! He is right here in it with us!”

We all need more than just a baby in a barn who is a sign of peace. We need something with more weight than that. We need a God who knows what living in this world feels like.