The readings of Third Advent focus of God’s approaching deliverance. The word “hope” is applied to this Sunday along with “light.” There is a sense of fulfillment of Old Testament promises toward salvation and sanctification.

There is the sense of a New Israel in the Old Testament and the coming Messiah in the New

Our reading from Zephaniah sets the tone: "Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!" (3:14). The prophet piles on the exhortations to joy: exult, rejoice, sing, shout!

This is echoed in the First Song of Isaiah. The reading heralds the prospect of a reunited people, a “new Jerusalem,” and new world order. It points to the future Church and Kingdom redeemed and ruled by the righteous Messiah who will judge and save. It speaks of a personal deliverance expressed in collective salvation. The content of the song is, therefore, spiritual and political.

For John, in the Gospel of Luke, baptism is an outward manifestation of repentance - the symbolic expression of a genuine cry for mercy. Genuine repentance exhibits an attitude of neighborly-love and serves as the mark of the new Israel.

In Philippians, although Paul is writing in jail he is still able to speak of joy. If the Christian life is to be characterized by joy it is also distinguished by a gentleness that is known to all. It is akin to being merciful. The Lord is near to him - whether in the second coming or a guide to his life despite his circumstances

John the Baptist, 12th century Mosaic, Capella Paltina di Palermo

Luke 3:7-18

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? 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. 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."

And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." 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."

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 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. 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."

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

---

Introduction

In our passage for study Luke records the testimony of John the Baptist, as regard the messianic credentials of Christ. He sets the stage in v1-2, records the nature of John's mission in v3-6, the substance of John's message in v7-14, John's relationship with the coming messiah in v15-18, and finally his imprisonment in v19-20.

The passage

v1. Luke, in the style of a Greek historian, dates the preaching ministry of John and the baptism of Jesus, by cross referencing significant personages of the time. His dating is around 27-29AD.

v2. Although the Romans removed Annas in 14AD, he continued to exercise power while his son-in-law, Caiaphas, was High Priest. The wilderness is where we meet God and so it is where John receives his call from God.

v3. Only a Gentile convert to Judaism would be baptized (a sign of regeneration), but John demands that Abraham's children must also be baptized. It was as if Israel had reached the river Jordan and must again cross the river to enter the promised land. So, John preached a message of repentance, a repentance which had but one aim, the forgiveness of sins. Baptism, water immersion, serves as the outward expression of this repentance, while at the same time illustrating the cleansing of forgiveness soon to be realized in the coming messiah.

v4-6. Luke now quotes Isaiah 40:3ff. John's task is to prepare the way for the coming messiah. The Exodus journey of the messiah and his people to the promised land is made clear and straight by John's call to repentance. Those who heed the call will gain the long-hoped-for messianic deliverance.

v7. John sees the "multitude" coming toward him and questions their commitment. Although the description, "snakes" (children of the Devil), particularly applies to the Pharisees and Sadducees, John suspects that this crowd, which seeks to escape the day of judgment through baptism, is responding to his preaching at a superficial level.

v8-9. For John, baptism is an outward manifestation of repentance - the symbolic expression of a genuine cry for mercy. Genuine repentance exhibits an attitude of neighborly-love and serves as the mark of the new Israel.

v10-11. Heartfelt repentance accesses the mercy of God, which mercy prompts mercy. Here, radical generosity.

v12-13. The profession of tax collector is not sinful in itself, but in the Roman provinces it was often corrupt - a form of legalized extortion.

v14. Neither is serving in the police force a sinful profession, but again, it is open to corruption. The solders referred to here are most likely Jews, members of Herod's local police.

v15. Messianic expectation is high and so many in the crowd wonder whether John is the messiah.

v16. John indicates that his role is preparatory; he performs water baptism as a sign of repentance in preparation for the coming messiah. The messiah, who is about to inaugurate the long-expected kingdom, will baptize (in the sense of immerse or overwhelm) with, or in, the Holy Spirit and fire. Those who follow the coming messiah will be washed clean with his regenerating Spirit, but will also face the fire of persecution, of tribulation.

v17. Luke reminds us that the coming judgment is central to John's gospel message. The good news of a coming messiah has its bad-news side.

v18. Luke explains that the above is a summary of John's gospel preaching.

v19-20. Luke then summarizes John's run-in with Herod and so reminds us that John prepares the way for Jesus in his suffering, as well as in his preaching.

True repentance

John the Baptist's ministry has a threefold purpose:

i] He prepares the way for the coming of the messiah by calling on the people of Israel to repent in preparation for the messiah's arrival;

ii] He explains the nature of the messiah's mission. The messiah will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire;

iii] He witnesses to the messiah as one "more powerful than I."

It is interesting how Luke tells us that John was "preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." Baptism is not so much done, as preached or proclaimed. Luke also tells us that the substance of this proclamation is the gospel, he "gospelled them." The gospel proclaims that in the face of the coming day of judgment, forgiveness, and thus, acceptance by God of the sinner, is available to all those who repent.

On the surface, it seems that repentance is an act of turning away from self toward a life of neighborly care. Yet, the substance of repentance is certainly not good works. Repentance is a turning to God for mercy and acceptance. It is something the sinner does in search of salvation. Repentance is the cry: "Lord have mercy on me a sinner." Only then, having received God's mercy, can we respond by showing mercy.

So then, we see before us the one more powerful than John, the one who is the source of the promised blessings of God. As we face him, we are confronted by our sin and are reminded that our only hope lies in repentance - brokenness before him. And so yes, we cry "Lord have mercy", and in that cry we find mercy.

The Prophet Isaiah, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1726-1729)

Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *

I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *

and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *

from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *

see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *

and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *

for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

---

This brief chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah is a song of praise. Reminiscent of a Davidic psalm, this composition heralds the prospect of a reunited people, a “new Jerusalem,” and new world order. It points to the future Church and Kingdom redeemed and ruled by the righteous Messiah who will judge and save. It speaks of a personal deliverance expressed in collective salvation. The content of the song is, therefore, spiritual and political. The song begins with acknowledgement of the exile experience as evidence of judgment. A post-exilic remnant seeks redemption in spite of spiritual and physical separation. They also seek a political-economic restoration that attends a restored kingdom.

Consequently, the preeminent grace of God’s salvation wins out and is worthy of thanksgiving praise.

As with many psalms set for worship, this song of praise evokes physical expressions that demonstrate the meaning of the sentiment “to give thanks.” The Hebrew word for praise signifies the stretching out of one’s hands in thanks while singing. It is a confession of utter dependence upon God for the inferred gift, namely God’s deliverance. A people who were once scattered and symbolically disconnected from their God are now reunited, and thus reconnected to the One who has created them. There is an eschatological hope that has been fulfilled “in that day.” Their profound longings for “home” are now met in a glorious family reunion made possible by a God who promised not to forsake them. More importantly, they can bow before their true King without inhibition or recrimination. They can now wave their hands in joyous gratitude, for three essential reasons: God remembers, God redeems and God restores.

First of all, God remembers. Verse one states: “You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me.” One of the most egregious offenses that any Hebrew could commit was to forget who God was and what God has done. Likewise, the worst tragedy that any Hebrew could experience was for God to forget them. God’s wrath and judgment on a people resulted in a lack of memory of them, i.e. their abandonment and alienation from God and one another. One is “forgotten” when their name and legacy are no longer mentioned. The fact that the remnant, once displaced and disconnected, has been re-collected is reason to give thanks.

Second, God redeems. Verses 2-3 state: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Every Hebrew embodied a sacred identity derived from their relationship to God. Separation from God resulted in a fractured identity. Before one could be restored, one had to be redeemed, and only God could redeem an alienated people. Sin, personal and social, separated individuals and communities from God. In the ancient worldview, to be disconnected from God is to not be a person. A people who have been redeemed have a reason to give thanks: God has redeemed their privilege as a child of God and as a member of the redeemed community. I can sing, “I am redeemed, bought with a price. Jesus has changed my whole life. If anybody asks you, just who I am, tell them, I am redeemed.” (Jesse Dixon and the Chicago Community Choir)

Finally, God restores. Verses 4-6 state: “Among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” This second “stanza” of the hymn signals a crescendo of appreciation for being redeemed and restored to privileged status as “royal Zion.” The people of God are reminded to consider their present favor in light of their former plight. They have been restored, in the way that the book of I Peter asserts: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (I Peter 2:9-10). This is what the saints had in mind when they sang, “When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he has done for me. My soul sings ‘hallelujah.’ I thank God for saving me!”

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;

shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

O daughter Jerusalem!

The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,

he has turned away your enemies.

The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;

you shall fear disaster no more.

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands grow weak.

The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

a warrior who gives victory;

he will rejoice over you with gladness,

he will renew you in his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing

as on a day of festival.

I will remove disaster from you,

so that you will not bear reproach for it.

I will deal with all your oppressors

at that time.

And I will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change their shame into praise

and renown in all the earth.

At that time I will bring you home,

at the time when I gather you;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the LORD.

---

Our reading from Zephaniah sets the tone for the joy present in 3rd Advent ?: "Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!" (3:14). The prophet piles on the exhortations to joy: exult, rejoice, sing, shout!

Why this invitation to sing the Hallelujah Chorus? Because the LORD has issued a pardon and commuted Israel's sentence. The judgments against Judah and Jerusalem are turned aside, and the nation (or at least a remnant thereof) is set free (see Zephaniah 3:12-13).

According to the superscription of the book (Zephaniah 1:1), Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 BCE), before the Babylonian exile. The passage chosen as the reading for today, however, may have been added after the exile. It differs markedly in tone from the earlier parts of the book (which are largely about judgment) and it speaks of "gathering" the outcasts (3:19-20).

The book predicts doom for Judah for failing to follow God's ways, and adverse judgment on other nations, too; however, the final chapter promises comfort and consolation for those inhabitants of Jerusalem who wait patiently for the Lord and serve God as a community. They will rejoice when God comes into their midst. Earlier in the chapter, the author has spoken of Jerusalem (her inhabitants) and their crimes: they have failed to listen to God, accept his advice, trust in him and draw near (v. 2) to him. He has destroyed other nations as a warning to Jerusalem, but she has ignored it (vv. 6-7). In spite of this, he will cause Gentiles to turn to his ways (v. 9); they will serve him by permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem (v. 10). When God does rise (“on that day”, v. 11, in an ideal future time), he will bring about Jerusalem’s moral recovery by removing the arrogant from their midst (v. 12), leaving as “the remnant” (v. 13), the “humble and lowly” (v. 12), who will be godly; they will live in tranquillity.

Now the author (or perhaps a later editor) invites Jerusalem to rejoice because her salvation is about to happen. God has intervened (v. 15); he dwells with his people; he protects them. In a military image, God will lead Israel’s army. He will encourage her people (v. 16); he will give them victory, rejoice in their return to his ways, make his love for them apparent again, and celebrate in song. As people expected to happen at the end of time, God will destroy Jerusalem’s (and Judah’s) enemies, look after those who suffer, bring the exiles home, and make the city to be honoured by all (v. 19). They will see Judah’s fortunes restored

As the writer looks past the judgment, a time of joy and rejoicing is portrayed. Far from being a ‘soiled, defiled, oppressing city’ Jerusalem will once again be a city in which God delights, and which delights in God’s presence. Verses 18-20 present an address from God reminiscent of the restoration envisaged in Isa 61:1-2 and proclaimed by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19. Here God promises to save the lame, gather the outcast, change shame into praise and renown, and restore the fortunes of the people.

This time of rejoicing in God’s presence, however, is clearly not what we would see as a utopian vision of peace and harmony. God is present in Jerusalem as a warrior, and the rejoicing and the restoration that take place are not untouched by violence; it is the victory of God the warrior king. The restoration is the endpoint of the judgment of God. Having brought the enemies to cleanse Jerusalem, God brings victory to the remnant, ‘a people humble and lowly’ (v. 12). The images of joy and hope sit very closely together with the images of destruction. The image of God as warrior king, even at a time of restoration, retains its overtones of violence, warfare and death. To focus on this image of God as warrior king, and on the close proximity of judgment and rejoicing can be very difficult for us.

This passage captures the tension between the hope and conviction we hold in God’s future, and the radical change and re-shaping of our world that is required for this foreseen future to become a present reality. There is great hope in a vision of a future restoration, but all of the difficulty and pain associated with this sort of change remains in view. The image of God as warrior reminds us of the struggle inherent in working to overcome the oppression that keeps many ‘lame’ and ‘outcasts’. The difficulties inherent in reading this passage are also echoed in the remaining readings for the week, especially in the call of John the Baptist to repent in Luke 3:7-18, and in the exuberance of the call to ‘rejoice in the Lord always,’ in Phil 4:4-7

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

---

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, a prosperous Roman colony in northern Greece, from prison. We do not know whether this imprisonment was in Ephesus or in Rome. It appears that he was held under house arrest. It is possible that the epistle is actually made up of three letters. It contains many personal references, exhorts members of the Philippian church to live the Christian life and to good ethical conduct, introduces Timothy and Epaphroditus as his representatives, and warns against legalists and libertines. Lastly, he thanks the Philippian community for their material support.

As portrayed in Acts, Paul and Silas, although beaten and in prison, sang hymns and prayed (Acts 16:25). Thus, the apostle has already demonstrated to his congregation what it means to rejoice in adversity. (At 2 Corinthians 6:10 Paul speaks of himself as "sorrowful yet always rejoicing.")

V. 4 is the conventional Greek salutation (like our goodbye) but here Paul means “rejoice” literally. The key to understanding Paul's exhortation to rejoice is that it is "in the Lord." This signifies that the Lord is either the object of our rejoicing or its grounding, the one in whom our joy thrives. This continuous rejoicing in the Lord is a very important concept for Paul. It is a distinguishing mark for Christians (see Romans 12:12) and a characteristic of life in the kingdom of God (14:17). It is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). I

May you behave towards others as you should (“gentleness”, v. 5). If the Christian life is to be characterized by joy it is also distinguished by a gentleness that is known to all. It is akin to being merciful. The idea of living in two communities -- the church and the civic community -- is intoned with this exhortation to gentleness. It reminds us that the church should not be too preoccupied with its own interests.

“The Lord is near.” This phrase can be tricky. The word can means"near" or "close at hand." If this is true, then "near" here signifies that the Lord is close to or present with the Philippians. Thus, the Lord is aware of their conduct as well as a ready source for their aid. Temporally, it means the Jesus' second coming is imminent. The truth may be that both understandings are correct. Paul may have intended to include both ideas of time and space - the Lord whose return is imminent is also continually near his people to guide them.

We are not only urged to stop worrying about anything, but also exhorted in every situation to make our requests known to God. In 4:6 three synonyms for prayer are heaped together. The Philippians are urged, as a corrective to their anxiety, to let their specific requests be made known to God. They should ask God to help them, through prayer, both in prayers of “supplication” (petition) and of “thanksgiving”.

The expression, however, is unusual. It suggests that God is unaware of their petitions. Yet, if Paul is echoing Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount, he should be familiar with Jesus' words in Matthew 6:32, "your heavenly Father knows that you need them." Paul may be urging Christians to cast all of our cares upon God (cf. 1 Peter 5:7). In doing so, we acknowledge our total dependence upon God.

God’s “peace” (v. 7) will protect them against their own failings and external threats. It “surpasses all understanding” either by being beyond the grasp of the human mind or by achieving more than we can conceive.