It' Not About Us

One of the fun parts of the Christmas season is getting letters from old friends and learning how their kids are turning out. Erik, whom I confirmed years ago, is in the Air Force now. Annie is a commercial artist. Allen, who used to get bullied, is a police officer now. Tim is married, with children, a paramedic and he teaches classes at the local junior college.

We began the month of December by looking at the announcement to a wonderful old man, Zechariah, that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a very special son. That was in Luke chapter 1. And we don’t have to wait 20 years to learn how the kid turned out. Today we meet him as an adult in chapter 3. Now he’s known as John the Baptist.

Does he look more like his mother or his father? We don’t know. But his parents both took their faith very seriously and we know that John did, too. Only he took a very different path. His father was a priest, who worked in the temple, right in the middle of the establishment, carefully following all the traditions that priests had done for centuries.

And we never hear about John even setting foot in any cities, let alone the temple. He lives out in the wilderness. He wears strange clothes, camel’s hair. That’s cheap, but scratchy. He eats strange food, locusts and wild honey. In every way he is outside of the establishment, but calling people to God, to renew their faith, deepen their obedience, and prepare for something new to happen.

For years Zechariah had patiently, mercifully helped people with the sacrifices to cover their sins. John shouted for them to repent.

Zechariah was part of an ongoing, never changing system of supporting the people’s faith needs. John announced that big changes were ahead and called for people to change, and change right now.

And, as we study what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, John makes an amazing demonstration of an important principle for discipleship. We’ll read the first 17 verses of Luke, chapter 3, but mostly look at verses 15-17. You can find it on page 60 of the New Testament section of your pew Bible.

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 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; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" 11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" 13 He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." 14 Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."

15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."