John Announces Arrival of God's King
Notes
Transcript
This is our passage for 2nd week in Advent
It isn’t an obvious Christmas passage because talking about John the Baptist
He’s south of Jerusalem in desert beside Jordan river preaching repentance & forgiveness
And baptising people in river - all things John wasn’t supposed do...
John wasn’t a religious leader / priest of Temple -
only they allowed do religious ceremonies & pronounce forgiveness via sacrifices
So John deliberately defying and rebelling against religious leaders / system
While announcing God was coming in person as OT had predicted
to offer real forgiveness of sin & access to Gods Spirit…to everyone
Radical news - radical message
So let’s see what we can learn from this passage & what God might be saying to us today (slide)
God’s Promises Fulfilled
God’s Promises Fulfilled
So this passage is beginning Marks version of gospel - Jesus Story
Mark is earliest version of gospel we have - its succinct, punchy, to the point
Starts by announcing who its about then jumps right back to OT with quote (slide)
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ”
This quote - connected to 3 references in OT
Mark does this to connect story / history of Israel to Jesus story
And he does this by referencing 3 important points in Israel’s History - 1st Exodus 23 (slide)
When God brought Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt...
“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
At that time God promised to send angelic messenger ahead of them
To prepare way for them to land God had promised them from Genesis - Abraham - Joseph
Second OT reference that Mark is connecting to is prophet Isaiah 40 (slide)
He spoke good news to Jewish people captive in Babylon - about special messenger from God
A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
This special messenger will come to return Jews out of exile again back into promised land
And God will establish a new King who will rule a new Kingdom
Lastly Mark connects to last book in OT Malachi 3 & 4 (slide)
This passage talks about God’s messenger who will announce arrival of God’s King
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
This messenger will be like prophet Elijah - powerful mighty prophet of God
Who spent long time hiding in wilderness from King Ahab & Jezebel who tried to kill him
So Mark saying in beginning here John the baptisier was God’s messenger
He was one Jewish people had been told about hundreds of years before by Isaiah & Malachi
He was like messengers God used send went before Jews to lead them into God’s land
He was like prophets of old brought jews God’s good news of salvation & redemption
That he was like Elijah (who they all knew) - he was from wilderness & different
John’s arrival = beginning of something new & exciting they’d all been waiting for
Illus - Who has read Lord of the Rings here?
I first read that book/s when I was 10/11 & then read it every year until I was 22
Read it a number of times since then - I loved those books, story, characters
I felt emotionally connected to story - it was important part of my childhood
When I working in Wellington 1996/7 - saw news article about someone making film
I love watching films too - movie buff - when I saw that I got super excited...
I really wanted to see a lord of the rings movie… I thought it would be amazing
I knew book really well & could imagine what characters/places be like
So I waited for years for movie to be made - I’d constantly look for news
To see when it be finished, find out details on what it be like
Was huge expectation about movie from Tolkien fans worldwide
Excitement for first film was huge...
Like Lord of the Rings many Jews were waiting / hoping for God to send someone to save them
They knew scriptures, knew God had promised he’d send someone to lead them to freedom
So when John arrived preaching his radical message people were desperate to hear him
So what was John’s special message from God to Jewish people? (slide)
John Preaches God’s Message
John Preaches God’s Message
OK so here we have John who’s Jesus’ cousin (fun fact) & he’s been living in wilderness like Elijah
He’s dressed in course camel’s hair clothes, leather belt, & eats a health diet wild bugs / honey
He’s charismatic slightly left field character who would’ve stirred emotions & hopes (slide)
And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Notice what elements of his message were - confession, Repentance, & forgiveness of sin...
Now John’s message wasn’t one God’s conquering king arriving & slaughtering enemy
John radically breaking away from religious rulers, temple rituals & rules, official priests
Instead preaching - people should speak sins openly, choose to turn away from sin
Or choose to put God first & love all people, then God would forgive them
To signify God’s forgiveness of their sins John immersed them in water
As a way to illustrate / represent God washing away their past actions/words
Normally people would take an animal to temple & have priests sacrifice animal
And on persons behalf offer prayers while person stood watching passively on
John by-passed the religious rituals & rules & went straight to person & challenged them
He called them to make commitment to internal heart change by personal action
Rather than just make outward religious show performed on their behalf by another
John’s message was personal challenge & appeal for people to choose relationship with God
& leave behind lifeless religious ceremony & tradition - created distance between them & God
People were coming in hundreds, maybe thousands to hear John in wilderness
And many responding personally & publicly & being baptised (slide)
Illus - have you ever been on holiday and the suddenly hit with need to go to bathroom?
Its particularly bad if you’re in town / city you don’t know… especially if don’t speak english
So its with great deal of relief when you see sign like this & you know for sure toilets near
It was relief Jewish people felt when heard John’s radical message
God was making a way to get right with Him once & for all
no more sacrifices, temple visits, power hungry religious leaders & priests
They could have access to God’s forgiveness personally (Slide)
But there was a final piece to John’s message that was even more radical...
Looking Forward to God’s King
Looking Forward to God’s King
John was not only preaching message of confession, repentance, forgiveness of sin
He was also announcing imminent arrival of someone who was way above him (slide)
His status & authority so great John felt couldn’t perform lowest task slave does for Him
And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Taking someones shoes off / washing feet - worst lowest task slave would perform
John felt God’s soon to arrive King so great, so much authority, couldn’t even be in presence
This person so powerful, has authority God to give people something only God himself gives
Gift so precious only kings, leaders, & prophets in OT had received it
This special person would give God’s Spirit to every person who is baptised
Or to everyone who confesses, repents, & asks for forgiveness (slide)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Prophet Ezekial hundreds of years before John had promised God would give His people Spirit
Through Spirit God’s people would be changed / transformed from inside
No longer would people have to follow rules & rituals of Moses law
& only have access to God through temple & priests
Now God would enable them to know law internally & keep law
Through presence & power of God’s Spirit who would live within them
Before for Jewish people God was far away - in a Temple, behind massive curtain
He was only accessible through sacrifices, rituals, religious priests - God was held at distance
Now God had announced he was arriving personally to get to know them personally
They could confess to God their sins & he would forgive them individually
Then live with them individually, personally, helping them to live as His people
And that he’d never leave them, they’d always have God with them (slide)
This is true good news of Christmas - Jesus left eternity so through our confession of our sins
And with our desire to turn away from sin & choose God - we’d find acceptance from God
We’d receive God’s forgiveness & love, & most special gift anyone could ever receive
Personal Presence of God living in us; helping us to live life that please God (slide)
So if you want best Christmas present you could ever receive… ask yourself these questions
Have I ever genuinely confessed to God I’m a sinner, I’ve chosen to live the way I wanted?
Have I ever asked God to forgive me for rejecting him & rebelling against Him?
Have I ever chosen to publicly declare I’m a follow of Jesus through water baptism?
A Happy Christmas is one where we celebrate with God the wonderful gift he Has given us
If you aren’t able to answer positively to these questions & would like to receive best gift ever
Then nows a good time to get real & personal with God
So we’re going to enter a time of prayer of confession...