What the President Should Have Said, but Could Not

The Third Sunday in Advent

16 December A+D 2012
Rev. Jon C. Olson

There is a sharp contrast between the preaching of John the Baptist and most other preaching heard today.  You can notice it in the way John’s hearers responded to his preaching.  When John preached he laid bare the sins of the people, exposed their guilt and shame, and they could only respond: "What then shall we do?"  Most preaching today is less personal and less direct, less about sin, and more about achieving your hopes and dreams.  You can tell this by the response of the people.  Today, the biggest question after the sermon is not "What then shall we do?" but "Where then shall we eat (after church)?"  In other words, John preached a message that meant life could not go on as it had been.  Today preaching seems almost designed to keep the status quo, that is, un-confrontational, and that seems to be what the hearers want, or at least are comfortable with.
            So whose fault is it?  Are the preachers in the pulpits of today worse or is it the hearers in the pews?  Or both?  Preaching that is not direct, that doesn’t apply to individual Christians in the pew, is definitely problem.  Something is wrong with the preaching when we are not convicted by the weight and burden of our sin and moved to call on God for help.  When hearers are distracted from hearing the Word of God because hearts and minds are caught up in the here and now, something is wrong with the hearers.  Every sermon should lead the hearer to be moved to ask "What then shall we do?"
            John came as a lone voice crying in the wilderness.  It was his vocal chords sounding the words, but God's Word coming out.  God was speaking through His preacher to awaken His people to prepare for the Savior who was coming. 

John did not beat around the bush.  He called a spade a spade, and sin a sin.  He called a thing what it is.  He called out judgment against sin – a judgment that could not be set aside by the claim of being descended from Abraham (Jewish children of the promise), or rank in life, (that is, “you can’t tell us what to do, we are people of power and position”).  The urgency of John's preaching was marked by the sharp and critical nature of the content of what He preached.  His preaching did not allow anyone to escape the consequence of what God is doing.  No one.  No where.  No how.

I suspect that if all John preached was a Law of condemnation and judgment, He would have been rebuked by Jesus.  But this was no doom and gloom preacher and message.  It was not "repent for the end is near."  No, this was the voice of hope.  "Repent for the Kingdom of God is near."  In other words, the focus was not escaping the wrath of God but being ready to meet the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist did not just point out the problem, he proclaimed the solution.  God was coming to His people to save them.  He was entering time and space; taking on human flesh to fulfill His promise of salvation and deliver His people from their sins.  It was not mere fear of God’s wrath that shaped the people's response, but profound hope in the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
            They were called not to run and hide from sin, but to confront it head on with repentance.  The promise here is that if you confess your sin, God, who is faithful, and just, will forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  Does that sound familiar?  We need to get rid of our sin not to escape God's wrath but to meet His Son who comes with salvation and life.
            Our problem today is not merely that we don't get all that upset about sin and morality.  Our problem is that we do not hunger and thirst for forgiveness and righteousness.  We have grown casual and complacent.  The message is not urgent because we expect God to meet us as we are – just like everyone else in our lives has to.  We are not moved to live repentant lives because we no longer hunger for God, at least not a God who does not like us just the way we are, still stuck in sin.
            Where preaching does not confront us with this urgency, it is flawed and pointless.  Where we do not hear this compelling call to repentance and faith, we become complacent and oblivious to what God has done and what He has promised to do. 

This morning, the families and friends of the children murdered in Newtown, CT are not complacent.  As our broken world rages with evil in these last days, the devil is found lashing out in much the same if not even more violent ways.  He is seething with rage, because the Savior Christ Jesus has defeated him.  He hates life and loves death.  For these young innocent children whose lives have been cut short, Jesus has died to grant resurrection to life once more.  In Holy baptism He has joined His death and resurrection to sinners to protect our children's bodies and souls for all eternity.  He avenges evil.  He will return to judge what happened and end the violence once and for all.  

“What then shall we do?”  Well, you have heard it said, “you can’t take anything with you when you die.” Truly, truly I say to you, “there is one thing you can take with you, and that is your children”.  You can see them again!  Baptize your children, and grandchildren.  Be diligent to give them more than the material things this world offers.  Keep them and their souls safe in the ark of Christ's holy Church.  Give them the Word of God not only at Church but in the home too.  As parents, be models of the Gospel to your children; let them hear you say “I forgive you” to your spouse.  Teach them how precious all human life, from conception onward, truly is. 

Ultimately, John was not speaking for himself.  No preacher does.  The message is God's, though the voice may belong to the preacher. Advent is not about the call of God that comes to us today to prepare for the coming of the Savior to be born in Bethlehem.  It is much more than that.  Advent is instead a time to prepare for His return to finish His new creation.  He is calling to us not to shape up for judgment, but to prepare for the completion of the work of God began in Bethlehem, to Calvary, and to the Garden of the Empty Tomb, to His Ascension and finally to the coming of Jesus Christ on the Last Day. 

There is a sadness that we all feel as a result of the terrible events of this past week.  Yet in Christ there is also hope and expectation as we await the Day when Christ comes to seal His victory for all eternity.  As you wait, repent and live daily in the light of God's mercy. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  And be saved. 

Rejoice in the Lord always, Again, I say rejoice! (Phil. 4:4) Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5) Even so, come Lord Jesus, In His name we pray, Amen.

(Special thanks to Rev. Peters for the main direction of this sermon, and Rev. Sherill for some of the main thoughts concerning the shooting murders in Newtown, CT.)