Luke 3 verses 7 to 18

So we find ourselves once again in the season of Advent when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus – God made flesh – as a tiny baby 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.

But Advent is also about preparing ourselves to be ready for Jesus’ second coming – and today’s passage from Luke’s gospel can help us to do this.

In it we meet John the Baptist the prophet sent by God to prepare the way for the Jewish people to receive Jesus as their Messiah.

And this morning I’d like to look at what John was saying and why it’s still relevant to us today.

I’m sure many of you – like me – feel that the times we’re living in can seem quite dark with the rise of ISIL and the threat of terrorism – and millions of refugees fleeing conflict around the world.

And closer to home as we read the papers we seem to be surrounded by bad news – economic problems, child abuse, corruption and scandals – the list goes on.

Although as humans we have advanced technologically – we don’t seem to have advanced much morally.  

So what is mankind’s problem? Why don’t we seem to be able to just live in peace with each other and treat others respectfully and kindly.

Well John puts his finger on our problem in verse 7 when he calls the crowds that come to him “a brood of vipers”.

Let me explain. Satan is portrayed in the bible as a snake - for instance in Genesis when he tempts Adam and Eve. So John is effectively calling the Jewish people children of the devil.

It’s not the most endearing term of greeting - but it summarises an essential truth about mankind. Many people assume that we are all children of God, but actually this is not our default position.

Unfortunately – like the Devil – we all rebel against God and seek to please ourselves. And we all have within us – however nice we may be – the ability to hate and hurt people.

We all – despite our best intentions – can be greedy and unkind and selfish. And even if we don’t act upon them - we can have really unpleasant thoughts and feelings towards others.

So, the root of mankind’s problem is that all of us – however well we manage to control it - have within us what the bible calls our sinful human nature.

I don’t know if perhaps some of you do bowling – not ten pin bowling – but bowling on a green.

Well bowls are perfectly round on one side and slightly oval on the other - so that when you roll them, they will always curve slightly as they come to a halt. 

However hard you try, you won’t be able to get them to roll perfectly straight.

And we - because of our sinful human natures - however hard we try can’t live perfectly straightly. We all fall short of the two great commandments to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

And it’s our sinful human natures that create a barrier between us and God.

Unlike us - God is perfectly holy and without sin – and Heaven where he rules and reigns is a perfect place.

Although He loves us – and yearns for us to be reconciled to Him – it is our sin which comes between us and Him and blocks us from knowing Him.

This is why the prophet Isaiah says for instance; “It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”

But being cut off from God isn’t our only problem. Because God is perfectly just and fair he can’t turn a blind eye to the consequences of our sin and say ‘there there, never mind it doesn’t matter.’

When children are abused and innocent civilians are murdered it matters very much. When lives are damaged by hatred and selfishness it grieves God immensely – and there is a price to pay.

And this is what John the Baptist is talking about in verses 9 and 17 when he talks about the judgment that is to come.

When Jesus returns one day to judge the earth – a separation will occur between those who bear good fruit and those who don’t – between those who chose in their lives to side with God and work to extend his kingdom - and those who didn’t.

And for those of us who are Christians – this is something that we really need to take on board. Seeking to share the gospel with our friends and neighbours isn’t an optional extra for the keenies.

It’s essential – because one day judgement will come – and we need to do all we can to encourage and help those around us to make their peace with God.

And this is why John urges the Jewish people to repent.

In some ways the word repent has negative connotations but it’s a very positive thing.

Its realising that we’ve been going in the wrong direction and then making the decision that with God’s help - we want to live differently in the future - to go in the right direction – and to do our best to live life God’s way under His direction 

and guidance.

Let me try and illustrate what I mean.

Imagine a situation where someone’s child – a child they love very much, goes off the rails. Perhaps they get involved with drugs – or perhaps they fall into some other pattern of behaviour that starts to wreck their lives.

The parent does all he or she can to help restore that child to a healthy life style. 

Perhaps if the child has debts, they offer to pay them off – and they offer them accommodation and food; and they offer to pay for the best doctors and therapists to try and help them.

In short the parent does everything they can to provide an escape route from this destructive life style – but ultimately the child must decide whether they choose to accept this escape route or not .

So John is trying to get the Jewish people to realise the condition of their souls – and the judgment that awaits them - and to sincerely change the direction of their lives. To submit their lives to God and seek to live in a way that pleases Him.

And as they do this John baptises them in the river Jordan. This is a symbolic washing away of their sins – to indicate that God has forgiven them and made them spiritually clean.

But of course for their baptism to have true meaning and significance - their desire to change and live in a right way must be genuine - and their lives should then demonstrate that change.

As with my analogy – if the imaginary child I was talking about says OK – I really want to kick the drink or drugs or gambling or whatever – but makes no real effort – and won’t take their medication or turn up for counselling sessions, then one would have to question whether their apparent change of mind was sincere.

So in verses 10 to 14 John gives practical examples of the types of things the people should be doing if they really have repented.

Notice that in all these examples the changed behaviour of an individual has a positive knock on effect to those around them.

So the person with 2 coats helps someone else who has none; and the tax collector improves the lives of those people on his round by not taking too much money from them. And the soldier no longer harasses and bullies others.

Life around the changed individual improves for those they come into contact with, and people can see that they are starting to bear good fruit.

In the last few verses of today’s gospel reading, John the Baptist announces the coming of the one he had come to prepare people’s hearts to receive.

The one whose sandals he says he is not worthy to untie.

Jesus - the Messiah – the one foretold by the Old Testament prophets who would come to save all people – both Jews and Gentiles – and that includes each one of us sitting here today.

Jesus was born 2000 years ago as a tiny baby in Bethlehem - to save you and me from our sins.

He himself lead a perfect life – a life without sin – and then – because he loves us - offered that perfect life on the cross for our sakes.

And the apostle Peter tells us that he bore our sins himself in his body on the cross. All our sin and wrongdoing was put onto Him.

And he was punished and died in our place so that God would no longer have any reason to be angry with us. God’s anger at our sin was poured out on Jesus on the cross.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah explains perfectly why Jesus died on the cross. He writes – “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Like the parent in the story I told - God loves us tremendously – but He knows we will all inevitably go our own imperfect way in life and need rescuing.

And he Himself through the cross – in the body of Jesus - has done everything to rescue us from our sin and its consequences for ever.

And this is the gospel – the good news that Luke refers to in verse 18. But like that errant child we must each decide whether we want to be rescued or not.

We can choose to keep walking towards the judgement that will inevitably occur when Jesus returns – or we can choose to change direction and walk instead into the loving arms of our heavenly father – who longs for us to be reconciled to Him.

Let’s close with a time of prayer.

Perhaps there are some of you here today who would like to make your peace with God – who would like to be reconciled to Him.

If that’s you, just repeat the prayer I’m going to say now silently in your heart. I’ll say one line at the time and then pause for you to repeat it.

Father God I want to be reconciled to you.

Please forgive me for all that I’ve done wrong in my life and the people I’ve hurt.

Lord Jesus thank you for dying on the cross for me so I can be forgiven.

I want you to be my saviour and my God.

Lord Jesus I invite you into my life.

Please come by your spirit to be with me for ever.

Thank you Lord. Amen.