Advent Week 3

Psalm: Psalm 126 or Luke 1:47-55 

Old Testament: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28 

Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

The third week of Advent is here and we are getting closer to Christmas. This week, our church did the annual tradition in some churches of the Christmas Cantata. It is one of those things where I can’t say it is bad theologically to do or even impractically, yet it seems like a service out of a different decade. Choral arrangements just don’t seem like an effective way to reach people. But, it is a holiday tradition that some can’t let go. No doubt we all have little traditions in our families, churches, workplaces, wherever that we would like to see die, but others in the group hold fast to it. It is moments like this where we just have to recognize that not every element of a church or group pleases everyone and just move on. If some people enjoy that style of service, then there is no harm in doing it once a year. There is not really any point to bringing this up, but you might be in the same situation at your church and the Christmas musical is just one of many traditions we do during December.

Last week, we discussed the idea of preparation, specifically John the Baptist and others preparing the way for Jesus to come. This week, in the Gospel of John, we have the same account from John’s perspective. I was thinking today, why do the Gospels tell the story of Jesus’ birth? The easy answer is they don’t—at least not all of them. Only Matthew and Luke tell of Jesus’ birth and their accounts are independent of each other, each with distinct elements. For example, only Matthew has the Magi and only Luke tells of the Shepherds. Mark and John however ignore the birth all together and skip right to John the Baptist, basically the event which immediately precedes Jesus’ ministry. But what all 4 Gospels have in common is this account of John the Baptist. Perhaps the best way to explain this is to discuss what an ancient biography was. Biographies were meant to explain the highlights and great things people did or the reasons why, in other words, they should be remembered and celebrated. Being born isn’t too spectacular unless it was through supernatural means. (Which is what Matthew and Luke highlight in their narratives.) We do the same thing as well in our modern biographies. Not every moment and detail of person’s life can be recorded in a biography, so writers pick and choose crucial and impactful moments to relate.

So the question is then, why do all 4 Gospels tell the account of John the Baptist and Jesus’ interaction with him? Part of the answer is that John must have been an important and well-known person and it would have seemed strange to leave him out. In Jesus’ day and in the decades after his resurrection, perhaps John still had a following and was still a well-known and revered person, so it was an important moment in Jesus’ life. Since our Gospel reading is technically from John this week, I will point out that only John fails to mention that John the Baptist actually baptized Jesus. Perhaps this would not fit John’s context in chapter 1 declaring Jesus to be the eternal, divine and creative Logos and then being baptized by John. But even his Gospel can’t leave John out.

Since our Advent readings have revolved around preparation the last 3 weeks, which is appropriate, but the best way to end this week is by quoting the words in our passage from 1 Thessalonians. These are the types of things we can do to prepare our own hearts and lives for Jesus, but are also things that prepare others to accept Jesus as well. Finally, we discussed last week the passage from 2 Peter 3:12 and that we can actually “hasten the coming of the day of the Lord.” These are the type of things which encourage the Kingdom of God to come on earth as in heaven. So, without further commentary:

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

Grace and Peace this week as you follow Jesus.