In the historic pericope (that is the series of scripture lessons that are assigned to each Sunday in the church year) the third Sunday in Advent has always been “John the Baptist Sunday”. In our modern pericope the second Sunday in Advent now has that emphasis. Which means this Sunday is “John the Baptist Sunday”. When I was a child, I was excited when the preacher started talking about John the Baptist because it meant we were getting closer to Christmas, but at the same time I was also always a little frightened. I mean John the Baptist is a scarry dude. If the Holy Spirit Himself had not vouched for John, you might think him to be slightly unhinged. As a child I imagined John as a wild man wearing dead animals and spitting bugs from his teeth as he shouted to the people passing by, “Repent you filthy animals!”.
As I have grown older (and ever so slightly matured) I have come to have a better understanding of John the Baptist and have gained an appreciation for the message he proclaimed. Beneath the bug eating and camel hair wearing exterior is a man who simply sought to prepare God’s people for the coming Messiah.
To the priests and Levites John once described himself as “the voice of one calling in the desert”[1]. It is a reference to a prophecy made by the prophet Isaiah about 700 years before John was born. By calling himself the voice of one calling in the desert, John is connecting himself to Isaiah’s prophecy. Which might at first surprise us because in that prophecy it is not a frightening voice of an unhinged wild man that we hear. Rather it is a tender voice that speaks a message of comfort to God’s people. Today we are taking a closer look at Isaiah 40:1-11 so that we might hear that voice.
In Isaiah’s prophecy the voice cries out three times. The first time the voice cries out is in verses 3-5. There Isaiah writes, “3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” In these verses the voice cries out to us about repentance. The voice speaks of raised valleys, lowered mountains, and smoothed plains. The voice sounds very much like the voice of John the Baptist who cried out, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”[2] Do you hear the voice crying out to you? In your life are there not depths of depravity that need to be filled in, are there not peaks of pride that need to be brought low, are there not rocky relationships that need to be mended?
For those who refuse to listen to this voice there is no comfort in these verses. For, whether or not we make straight paths for Him, the LORD comes. His glory will be revealed. We will, each and every one of us, see it and if our valleys and mountains and rocky places remain, if we refuse to repent, the glory of the LORD will be to us a consuming fire.
But for you who hear the voice, for you who repent of your sins there is a great deal of comfort in these verses. For you the glory of the LORD is not a consuming fire, rather, it is a newborn baby. I cannot help but think about the Lesson of Light we read on Christmas Eve, specifically the verse that proclaims to us “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”[3] In the baby Jesus the glory of the LORD is revealed to you; revealed to you as grace that forgives the valleys of depravity, peaks of pride, and rocky relationships in your life. The first time the voice cries out it speaks a tender message of comfort to God’s people. Do you hear the voice?
The voice cries out a second time in verses 6-8. There the prophet Isaiah writes, “6 A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” In these verses the voice cries out to us about assurance. The voice speaks of withered grass and falling flowers. The voice sounds very much like John the Baptist who once warned a group of self-righteous and self-satisfied people not to place their confidence of salvation in themselves. They said, “We have Abraham as our father.” John said, “you brood of vipers!” “I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”[4] The voice warns that assurance of salvation cannot be found in self. Do you hear the voice crying out to you? This voice cries out to us when we are tempted to think there is something about us that makes us attractive to God; something about us that makes us more desirable for salvation than others, some quality of our character or some thing we have done or refrained from doing.
To the self-assured and the self-righteous who ignore this voice and seek assurance of salvation in their character or their accomplishments, this voice offers no comfort. For what comfort can be given to those whose salvation depends on withered grass and fallen flowers?
But for you who hear this voice, for you who resist the temptation to find assurance for salvation in yourself, there is comfort in these verses. The voice speaks to you about the eternal word of our God. The voice assures you of your salvation not by pointing you to withered grass or fallen flowers, but by pointing you to a newborn baby, a baby of whom John the Baptist once said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”[5] The baby Jesus is the embodiment of God’s eternal Word. In the baby Jesus, all of God’s proclamations come true, all of God’s promises are kept, and all of God’s prophecies are fulfilled. The second time the voice cries out it speaks a tender message of comfort to God’s people. Do you hear the voice?
Finally, for today, in verses 9-11the voice cries out for a third time. There the prophet Isaiah writes, “9 You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” In these verses the voice cries out to us about blessings. At first the voice in these verses doesn’t sound anything like the guy who called the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers and threatened them with unquenchable fire. But when we listen closer to this voice, we realize it does sound very much like the voice of John the Baptist who once pointed to Jesus as he cried out, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”[6] Though this voice is lifted up on a mountaintop and shouted out in the wilderness, there are many who cannot hear it. All they hear is the sound of sleigh bells jingling, ring tingle tingling or the thumpity thump thump of a snowman or a Ho Ho Ho echoing in their chimneys. Ironically this time of year there is so much noise… even for us. There are decorations to be put up, presents to be bought, parties to attend, travel plans to be made, and a thousand other tasks to be performed in preparation for the holiday … so much noise. So much noise that it is easy to ignore the voice that has been lifted up and shouted out. Which is sad because there is no comfort in theses verses for those who cannot hear the voice.
Thankfully, this voice that was is lifted up on a mountaintop and shouted in the wilderness, has also been shared with you. It directs your attention to the baby Jesus and says, “Here is your God!” He is a Sovereign ruler who controls time, space, and all the elements of the universe for you. By His perfect life and innocent death, He has earned both reward and recompense and He mercifully has chosen to give both to you in the form of forgiveness and salvation. Like a shepherd tending his flock He provides for all your needs: He seeks after you when you go astray, He carries you when you are weak, and He leads you when you are lost. “Here is your God!” The third time the voice cries out it speaks a tender message of comfort to God’s people. Do you hear the voice?
Today is “John the Baptist Sunday”. I am excited that we are talking about John the Baptist today. It means we are getting closer to Christmas. But, If I am being transparent, John the Baptist still kind of wigs me out. But with the help of the prophet Isaiah, John isn’t as frightening to me as he used to be. Instead of focusing on John’s clothing or diet, Isaiah helps us focus on John’s voice, a voice that cries out to us today about revealed glory, assured salvation, and abundant blessing. The voice of John the Baptist seeks to prepare people for the coming Messiah by speaking a tender message of comfort to God’s people. Today that voice speaks to you. Do you hear it? I hope and pray that you do. Amen.
[1] John 1:23
[2] Matthew 3:2
[3] John 1:14
[4] Matthew 3:7&9
[5] John 1:15
[6] John 1:29