Finnish Lutheran Church in Ball

Pastor Timo’s sermon, December 14th, 2008 ; Translated by Katja Kupari

Third Sunday of Advent John 1:6-8,19-28

The Saint Lucia’s Day is celebrated in the middle of winter; the thought is that Lucia, like her name indicates, brings light into the darkness of winter. Saint Lucia’s Day has a long tradition in the Swedish-speaking culture, although the background of the Lucia story is as far as Sicily. Lucia is also the only saint who is officially celebrated in the Swedish as well as the Norwegian Lutheran churches.

The character in today’s Gospel, John the Baptist and Saint Lucia do not seemingly have anything in common. John the Baptist is a rugged and ascetic prophet who wears clothing made of camel’s hair and eats honey and locusts. Nothing like the beauty and festivity that is associated with Saint Lucia’s Day.

But what Saint Lucia’s Day and John the Baptist of the second Advent do have in common is what they are both testifying about; light. And not just any light, but the light of the Christ.

All gospels talk about John the Baptists work and message, but Luke also talks about his background.

Even before John the Baptist was born, an angel announced to his father, priest Zacharias that John :” 15 will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.^[^a] 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

John’s mother Elisabeth and Jesus’s mother Virgin Mary were related. Both mothers were notified by angels ahead of time that the children they were raising would have exceptionally great missions from God.

Not only were John the Baptist and Jesus related, they also shared something in their proclamations. They both proclaimed repentance and forgiveness of sins.

John encouraged people to repent. His proclamation was very practical: how can humans carry out God’s will in everyday life and choices. He did not talk about how to be at church, but how to be after church also. He did not talk about what is said in public, but also what’s said behind backs. So then John encouraged us to repent in those particular areas where many of us often struggle.

John also had an important message about sharing:" (Luuk 3:11) The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Still a very current topic, isn’t it?

John the Baptist adviced many different professionals; soldiers and tax collectors, and how they should strive for fairness in their work.

John the Baptist was a great celebrity of his time, unique and ascetic, but someone people wanted to listen to. Some people expected him to be the Messiah. But John was very aware of the mission God had given him. Joh 3:28, 30) 28”I am not the Christ^[^a] but am sent ahead of him.' 30He must become greater; I must become less”.(Luuk 3:16) "I baptize you with^[^a] water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

John the Baptist and Jesus also had different ways of life. John the Baptist was known as a profet of the desert who ate locusts and wild honey, and who fasted with his disciples. Both John and Jesus proclamations to their own generations divided people to those who believed and those who did not.

Jesus showed people with his proclamations that the time of excuses was over. God’s Kingdom had broken through to people, through Jesus. God talked and talks through His Word to people in many ways: it was their – it is our choice – if we want to listen.

Jesus also told His listeners: 31"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
   " 'We played the flute for you,
      and you did not dance;
   we sang a dirge,
      and you did not cry.' 33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' 35But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

During Advent we are preparing for the great celebration, to receive Jesus, the Savior of the world. When God works in this world, He often prepares us and also gives us a chance to prepare for what He is going to do. Our whole lives are actually chances to grow and prepare for what God can do in our lives. Our whole lives are then a great opportunity to make room for God.

If God sent John to prepare the way for Jesus, He had also prepared His own people to receive John. When John the Baptist began his work, the old prophecies of the Bible came true. 600 years before John’s birth God had prepared His people with, among other things, profet Isaiah’s message about ”a voice of one calling in the desert” (Isaiah 40:3) which would prepare the way for the Lord. Not to mention that the Old Testament has several prophecies of the coming Messiah, Jesus.

Both John the Baptist and Jesus themselves prepared for their own missions. John the Baptist had an important mission, that his parents found out even before he was born. But it took years before God sent John to proclaim His

Word. Before that happened, John himself was prepared for the work.

Jesus, too, begun His public work first when He was 30, by announcing: (Mark 1:15) 15"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

So when God works, He does not suddenly just appear for His people, but He wants to prepare humans for His salvation. He guides things, events and people, according to His wisdom, which is beyond our understanding. It is our mission to prepare and listen to God’s voice. The Bible says: .” 7 Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets”. (Amos 3:7)

If God has a great plan for the universe, He also has a plan for your life, your children’s life and His congregation. You and I are being asked to prepare to seek and listen to His will. To prepare for what God wants to do.

Let this serve as encouragement, not only for the reason that we often live with haste and our own speedy expectations. God gives us many kinds of goodness, but He often wants to prepare us for it. And that is why we sometimes have to give up something, so that we can get in turn what God wants to give us.

This is often the hard part, because we want things to happen fast and the way we see best. We are often ready to receive, but not to prepare for what God wants to give us.

But God does give and answer prayers, when He sees fit. And when He answers, what He gives is not just for me but for His plans and for others. Like the Bible says: 28”And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,^[a] who^[b] have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

The message of Advent encourages to repent, prepare and turn to God in the spirit of John the Baptist. To seek and to do those things in our everyday lives that are according to God’s will and good for others, too. To be prepared.

John the Baptist asks us to clear away those things and attitudes in our lives that can hinder following Jesus. He encourages to clear away, so that we can get something much better in turn from God Himself.

”A voice of one calling in the desert” reminds us of that one voice, that calls us to be with His son, to receive the Christmas child and the Lord. The atonement, salvation and eternal life prepared by Jesus.

Saarnat Suomeksi	Previous Sermons in English

Marrask. 23, 2008	Nov. 23, 2008
Marrask. 9, 2008	Nov. 9, 2008
Lokak.12, 2008	Oct. 12, 2008
Syysk.28, 2008	Sep. 28, 2008
Syysk. 14, 2008	*Sep. 14, 2008*
Elok. 31, 2008	Aug. 31, 2008
*Elok. 24, 2008*	*Aug. 24, 2008*
Toukok. 25, 2008	May 25, 2008
Toukok. 11, 2008	May 11, 2008
Huhtik.27, 2008	April 27, 2008
*Maalisk. 30, 2008*	Mar. 30, 2008
Maalisk. 23, 2008	Mar. 23, 2008
Maalisk. 09, 2008	Mar.09, 2008