Sermon for Advent II - 9 December 2012

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius... the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

• Luke seems to take great pains to declare who was in charge when John began his ministry. He mentions the name of the Roman emperor, the Roman governor of the area, the puppet rulers of the surrounding places (all of whom were propped up by Roman power), and finally the names of the high priests of the Temple, powerful functionaries put in office yearly by the Roman government. But in reality, do we really care? Is it really that important who held the reins of power?
• Let me ask you this:
• Who is the mayor of Aylmer?
• Who is the chief executive of Malahide Township?
• Who is the premier of Ontario?
• Who is the prime minister of Canada?
• Do these people matter to us? Probably so. Besides electing them or their party at various times, they have various things to do with how we live.
• Who do we talk to to have that pothole fixed?
• Who do we complain to (or about) when various things don't work in the place we live?
• Besides that, another reason to know who's who in government is to situate event is time.
• If I were to mention “Rae Days”, I'm sure most of you here could tell me what you were doing and what you were involved in then, even if you could not tell me the exact dates.
• Luke mentions that list of rulers to situate John and his message and ministry in real history. There were a number of calendars in use at the time, and to mention in what year of what emperor's reign something happened, allows anyone to find the time when John appeared.
• John's preaching was at a certain real time in history. He preached to real people in real places and talked about real things. What he had to say was not said in a misty time of myth and legend, in the 'fabled halcyon days of yore', if you will; it was said at this place, at this time, to these people.
• John's message was important to the times because he proclaimed the fulfilment of the promise of the Messiah. He was setting the stage in a way and preparing the people in calling as he did for a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin.
• This coming of the Messiah took place in a very real situation. That is why Luke mentioned all those rulers. To put the coming of the Messiah in a certain place and frame it in a certain time helps to make it real for those who would read or hear the Gospel.
• Admittedly, we are not as familiar with the politicians mentioned in the passage as people of Luke's time would have been. Still, it helps us to place the ministry of John and of Jesus in real life.
• And that is a very, very important thing.
• If we separate God from our daily lives, we might as well forget the whole thing.
• We do not follow or worship a God who is unconcerned with our lives. We do not follow a Saviour who is unfamiliar with the troubles all of us face. Jesus came into our world to be with us.
• I had a professor in seminary who said something in class that has always stuck with me. While discussing God's salvation and God's concern for the people, he said in a very powerful voice for such a small man:“God doesn't save souls; God saves people!”
• Because God saves people, there is no aspect of our lives that God does not reach out to. That reach may bring blessing or healing for all aspects of our lives are not equally healthy. God wishes us to be whole and that is where holiness will be found. If we are redeemed and saved as whole people, then all flesh shall see the salvation of God – all creation will be redeemed; all that exists, within us as well as beyond us.
• This may take some work, as people say. The refining (to use Malachi 's words) and making straight (as Isaiah puts it) happens to us every day in the lives we live at home, in the workplace, in school, with friends, with family, and even by ourselves.
• We meet God where we meet everything else – in the struggles, the defeats and the victories of our daily lives. It is there our redemption takes place. It is there that God molds us into what we are to be and what we are to become. If that sounds like an extensive construction and renovation project, you are absolutely right. I may be a bigger job than the raising of valleys and the lowering of mountains that John filled his preaching with.
• Never fear; our God is up to it.
• Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.