Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Traditionally, the season that prcedes Christmas, the Advent season is a somber season.

It is a season that calls us to reflection and repentance.

For in this season, amidst all the glitter, Chrismas carols, festive parties and holyday sales, there is a voice from the margins to hear.

It is the voice of John the baptist, crying out from the wilderness for justice, repentance and righteousness.

John’s voice, often forgotten and overlooked in our hurried holiday preparation is crucial for our understanding of the season.

The message

John’s message is such a crucial message that all four gospel writers included his story.

Mark, in particular begins his gospel with the words…

For Mark, the beginning of the gospel was not Jesus’ birth narrative as in Matthew and Luke… Mark begins with the one who proclaims the Messiah…

How do you prepare the way of the Lord?

…

For Mark, the beginning of the gospel was not Jesus’ birth narrative as in Matthew and Luke… Mark begins with the one who proclaims the coming Messiah…

Here we find John, the cousin of Jesus, proclaiming the Advent of the Savior of the world and His kingdom…

Advent: the time of anticipating the arrival of a notable person or event…

The christian church observes a time of expectantly wating and praparation for both the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus and the second comming of Christ

The Christian church observes a time of expectant waiting and praparation for both the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus and His second coming

It is a time of preparing the way of the Lord…

What will He find when he comes?

… What does the master expect from us in his absence?

Advent, like John the Baptist, calls for reflection and preparation for the coming of God’s annointed one…

Mark 1:

But let’s back up for a bit… to John’s birth (Luke 1)

John’s father, Zechariah prayed a prophetic prayer at the birth of his son…

before he has anything to say to the little boy John in his arm… Zechariah proclaims the arrival of the Messiah, the Christ...

This was probably the last prophecy spoken about the coming of Jesus… just a few months before he was born in Bethlehem…

Zechariah says that God has visited and redeemed his people…

The “horn of salvation was the long awaited Messiah… and he was to come out of the line of David and reign on David’s thrown forever…

Here, Zecharaiah points not only to salvation through the Christ according to God’s covenant with Abraham… but also to our response to salvation… namely that we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days…

Salvation, brought about by the saving grace of the Son of God implies our response of serving in holiness and righteousness…

John’s Exhoration

Fast forward about thirty years later…

We meet John the Baptist as an adult… preaching in the wilderness… as Isaiah had prophecied…

Now we meet the one Isaiah propheciet about:

Luke 3:4-

Luke’s gospel continues where Mark’s gospel begins by providing the most detailed portrait of John’s wilderness preaching…

Here the reader learns about the kingdom values… And this is why it feels so right to bring it into the Advent season - the time of reflecting and preparation for the coming King…

John exhorts:

Luke 3:8

Bear fruits in keeping with your repentance…

It is not enough to say, “I’m sorry”.

Repentance means to turn away from your sins and turning toward God…

Repentance is, as John stated to “Bear fruits in keeping with your repentance”…

In the following verses (luke 3:10-14), John is answereing to three groups of people, coming to him asking what they should do to prepare for the King and his kingdom…

He tells those who have an abundance to share with those who have none…

Luke 3:

he tells the tax collectors not to cheat people for their own gain…

Luke 3:

and he tells the soldiers not to treat the pople fairly…

Luke 3:

To bear fruit involves the treatment of others… generosity, fair measures, the proper use of wealth and resources, and a sense of contentment…

Conclusion

So, first we met Zachriah, the father of John the Baptist… prophecying about the Horn of David who is has come to show mercy according to God’s covenant with Abraham… that we might serve him, without fear, in holiness and righteousness all our days…

Then we met the Johnhimself, thirty years later… preaching in the wilderness… prepare the way of the Lord… repent… and bear fruits in your relationships with others… by sharing your resources and fairness…

This also reflects Jesus’ later teaching in … the story of the goats and the sheep…

This also reflects Jesus’ later teaching in … the story of the goats and the sheep…

Jesus is speaking here of his second coming… which we are inticipating as we prepare for Christmas…

Matt 25:31

It is interesting to me how the prophecy of Zechariah, the exhortation of John the Baptist, and Jesus’ teaching about his second coming are in harmony with each other?

They all cry out to us out of the wilderness of twinikling lights, decorations and preparations, and holiday shoping and the sound of carols… Repent and bear fruit in keeping with your repentance…

Amen