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Year A Advent 2 : Matthew 3:1-12

3:1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' " 4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

2013
John was fulfilling the words of Isaiah over 600 years before in “preparing the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him”. This involved John confronting people with their failure to live life God's way.

When people are faced with their own imperfections there can be different responses.

Denial or Disbelief. This was true of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Although they came to see John he called them vipers. Vipers were small but very poisonous desert snakes, which would have been quite familiar to John the Baptist. They were made even more dangerous by the fact that, when still, they looked like a dead branch and were often picked up unintentionally.

Calling the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers pointed up the danger of their religious hypocrisy—as well as the fact that their wicked work had been passed on to them by the original serpent (Gen. 3:1-13) through their spiritual forefathers, of whom they were the brood, or offspring. Like the desert viper, they often appeared to be harmless, but their religion was venomous and deadly.

It doesn't appear that any of them were actually baptised. Later in Matthew 21.25 we discover that they never believed or trusted in John. They were too caught up in their self-righteous adherence to the law and their Jewish genealogy to reflect upon their own behaviour. Yet, John challenged them, though they were spiritually blind to their own plight.

Another response to being faced with our imperfections is deflection. Point the finger away from ourselves and to someone else. Criticise or blame them. This type of behaviour was found in the Pharisees and Sadducees, too. They looked down on tax collectors and sinners and were an obstacle to these people coming to God.

A positive way to respond to challenge is determination to change. We see this every New Year when people resolve to change, yet do not have the power to implement what they know is a good thing to do.

This is what was happening with those who came to John the Baptist. They were coming with determination and a desire to change. Yet, like many people in mid-January, they would have been disappointed because they were unable to continue to change.

John made it clear that his job was to prepare the way for one who could radically change people. Jesus. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

The most junior slave had the role of removing sandals from people, that were probably coated with dung, before washing their feet. John didn't even consider himself worthy to do this for Jesus. John knew that his fame would be short lived and that something more was needed than just repentance.

John said ‘repent’, the Greek metanoia means change of mind or heart, but more... returning to God in obedience to his perfect will. Complete U-turn. Radical change in lifestyle. But how can people do this? We are all naturally, flawed.

John tells us. The Holy Spirit, who Jesus gives to his followers. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit shows people their failings, shows them that Jesus has died for their sins, and gives them a trust in him that puts believers right with God, and gives the power to live for God. Not that anyone will be perfect this side of glory, but Jesus delivers his followers from the results of their sin, separation from God, and the power of sin, to rule over them. Having the Holy Spirit living within us means that we should be in a continuous cycle of turning away from sin and back to God.

The people in Judea were encouraged to repent because they were told by John that the kingdom of heaven is near. He was referring to the person and works of Jesus. The kingdom, or rule of God, was and is experienced through Jesus. During Advent we are encouraged to prepare for Jesus next coming. Today's gospel reminds us that we are to make straight paths for Jesus in our own lives. By rejecting denial, disbelief, deflection, even, determination in itself. Instead we are to rely upon the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, to bear fruit that shows that we are ready for Jesus today.

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This Christmas some people will give fitness & other videos/self-help books to change. On 1st January many people will make resolutions they will not keep.

All aware of shortcomings, need to change, but few have the ability to do it, at least for long.

In today's gospel John called people to repent. Metanoia, literally to change one's mind. Changing direction from living life their own way to living life for God.

Completing a U-turn in a car is a difficult manoeuvre you have to undertake very deliberately. It involves care, observation, assessing what is involved, and patience. As we live for God this will involve these and other factors.

Lots of Jews came to John wanting to make a U turn. The idea of being baptised would have been offensive to a Jew. Gentiles, or non-Jews were baptised when they converted to Judaism. It showed that you were not part of God's people if you needed to be baptised. It would, therefore, have involved great humility for a Jew to subject themselves to baptism because they would have been saying ' I am cut off from God by my sin'. Many Jews of the time would have felt separated from God because they were looked down upon as "sinners" and not fit for God by the self-righteous religious leaders.

These religious leaders came to John. They didn't want to change. They thought their ancestry, their studies and, self-perceived adherence to the law made them right with God. John said they needed to make a new start with God and to show the fruit of their repentance.

John warns that those who do not turn to God and produce fruit will be condemned. He illustrates this by a fruitless tree that is chopped down and burned, and of useless chaff that is separated from the wheat before being burned.

We might be alarmed by this, thinking that we can never change in this way. We haven't got it in us. Don't worry. This is a good place to start. As soon as we realise that we aren't good enough we are a long way towards God. The next step is to realise that we need God's help and to ask for it. He will then help us by his Holy Spirit. This is what John was talking about when he said, 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John's water baptism symbolised the desire of those being baptised to make a new start with God. But this was preparatory. Something better was to come. Explain sandals metaphor. John's baptism was not enough. When you have a bath this will not need to be repeated again and again. What Jesus offers is a complete cleansing forever. Being baptised or immersed with the Holy Spirit and fire is referring to the work of the Spirit in cleansing and purifying us. Fire can consume or it can purify. God's Spirit should be continually at work in our lives purifying us, making us more like Jesus, producing fruit. Fruit, not just in keeping with repentance, but fruit growing through the working of God's Holy Spirit within us.

God will give us the power that we need to become more like Jesus. Gradually. Daily.

This advent time let us prepare ourselves every day for Jesus. Let us turn to him in repentance every day, confessing our sins and asking for His Spirit to empower us and lead us in the ways of God. May be this is something we can aks at the start of each day.

John said "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." If you have repented and keep on repenting the Kingdom, or rule of God is in you, by His Spirit who lives in every believer. We know the Spirit of God is at work because he produces fruit in the lives of believers. One of the joys of being a Christian minister is to see the way God has transformed and is transforming people by His Spirit.

If you are every tempted to buy someone a fitness video or self-help book, don't. Give them a Bible!

If you are ever tempted to make a new Year's resolution, don't. Make a daily one to repent and to rely upon God's Holy Spirit living within you.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I wonder, are you looking forward to something?

Parents, family and friends of baby William are looking forward to seeing him grow up. Perhaps be confirmed, the goal of Baptism, something we have seen recently with Katy & Beth Onyett, here.

We had the Banns of Marc and Frances, they are looking forward to being married on 8th February.

We may look forward to Christmas. Now in period before Christmas, Advent, means "coming". We prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world as a baby.

In today's gospel reading we have John the Baptist who was looking forward to the ministry of Jesus. John was a warm up act. A bulldozer flattening the ground for a road.

He came urging people to turn back to God and make a new start. The baptisms symbolized the cleansing this would bring.

Today William has made a new start in his journey with God helped by Andrew, Carrie-Anne, Leile, Aimee, Kelvin & Lee.

The journey of those baptised by John and the journey begun by baby William must lead to Jesus. John said that Jesus was superior. He was right. He was the one John and the Jews were looking forward to.

Jesus was perfect. He would heal the sick, raise the dead, drive out evil spirits, perform many miracles, be a wonderful teacher and example, be persecuted, die and rise again. Death had been conquered.

Even after that, there was something more to look forward to. The baptisms by John the Baptist showed that people wanted to make a new start with God. To turn from all they know to be wrong and to try to follow God's ways. However, no amount of trying or water would give them the power they, and we, need to really live for God.

This is what John mentioned in verse 11, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

After God had raised Jesus from the dead, Jesus appeared on earth for a forty day period before returning to heaven. Ten days later he baptized his disciples with the Holy Spirit who gives life, power, fruit, and gifts to all of God's people.

Every Christian has God the Holy Spirit living within them. When we come to faith God gives us His Spirit. It says this in Ephesians 1: 13 "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory."

This verse also involves a looking forward. Some people may look forward to when Christmas is over! This verse looks forward to when life is over and we can be with God forever. God's Holy Spirit is a deposit, a promise of something bigger and better to look forward to. A perfect life living with God and all other believers forever. This is what Jesus brought in by hid life, death and resurrection. This is something we can really look forward to.

In the meantime we have God's Spirit. The word for baptize refers to an overwhelming or flooding. We are to be flooded with God's Holy Spirit like a sunken ship.

Let us pray and ask for God's Holy Spirit to flood into our hearts that we may truly have something to look forward to this Advent and Christmas time.

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PRAY

Yesterday was the last day for posting letters abroad, outside Europe. So we have just prepared and sent our Christmas cards and letters to three places; Canada; South Africa; and Nigeria. It is part of our annual preparation for Christmas. This also includes sending other letters and cards, buying presents and sending some of them, as well as the many events that lead up to and include Christmas in the church.

This flurrry of activity is prompted by Christmas. The celebrations that arise from the coming of God into the world as a baby.

The whole of this passage flows from the opening statement of John in verse 2 ; 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'

We read of a flurry of activity prompted by the coming of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven verse 2 could be translated the rule of God. This was near. It involves the establishment of God's reign in salvation and judgment in and through Jesus. This motivated John the Baptist to call people to repent, verse 2. There was an urgency about his message. Just as there will be an urgency for some people as they get to Christmas Eve and realise that they have failed to get that last present. They rush to the shop for what they want, queue for ages and then discover... they are sold out. We would consider someone like that to be foolish, unprepared. There are millions of people who will celebrate Christmas oblivious to the demands that it makes upon them. Foolish, unprepared. They may even be celebrating with you or me.

John said 'repent', metanoia = change of mind or heart, but more.. returning to God in obedience to his perfect will. Complete U-turn. Radical change in lifestyle.

In this passage we see several elements of what constitutes true repentance.

It involves a realisation of a life lived that falls short of what God expects of us. Something the Bible calls sin - define re. summary of the law.

In verse 6 those being baptised confessed their sins, presumably just before they were baptised.

The people coming to John were Jews. The idea of being baptised would have been offensive to a Jew. Gentiles, or non-Jews were baptised when they converted to Judaism. It showed that you were not part of God's people before you were baptised. It would, therefore, have involved great humility for a Jew to subject themselves to baptism because they would have been saying ' I am cut off from God by my sin'.

John expects those who have confessed their sins and been baptised to live different lives. The U-turn or metanoia we talked about earlier. We know this because he says to the religious leaders, READ verse 8. 'Produce fruit in keeping with repentance'

As we mentioned earlier this involves following God's ways and not our own. Putting God and others first. Living lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control. Sharing God's love in word and deed. Meeting to worship him, pray to him, learn from him.

Completing a U-turn in a car is a difficult manoeuvre you have to undertake very deliberately. It involves care, observation, assessing what is involved, and patience. As we live for God this will involve these and other factors.

It is this fruit that will show if we have truly turned to God. Not merely words. Verse 6 says that the people confessed their sins. But to enter the kingdom of God requires more than just words. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance, said John.

Today we live in a world where the vast majority of people, about 70%, say that they believe in God. But that is not enough ! It has to make a difference to people's lives. I can say that I believe in Port Vale Football Club. I believe that they exist. But that does not make me a Vale supporter. I cannot enjoy the benefits of being a Vale supporter until care about their results, until I go to Vale Park, buy myself a scarf, and so on.

So words are not enough.

Race is not enough either. John said to the religious leaders who had come to watch him, 'do not think you can say to yourselves, verse 9, `We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.'

The Pharisees and Sadducees thought that because they were Jewish and had the law this meant that they were right with God.

Some people think that because they are English, or British that this makes them right with God. Not so, says John. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

The Baptism that John administered was not, in itself, enough to put people right with God. It was a sign of what they had done. They had realised they had sinned and vowed to make a new start with God. The water represented the forgiveness, the cleansing that resulted from this.

Today some people think that baptism, or confirmation, or confession of sins, or speaking in tongues or whatever shows that they are right with God. Not so, says John. Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

Why should this happen ?

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." said John in verse 2.

The proximity of the rule of God brought about this self-examination and repentance. This is because the coming of the rule of God includes judgment as well as salvation.

We read of this in verse 10

10 : 'The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.'

and 12 : ' His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." '

This judgment and salvation, indeed the start of this chapter of the kingdom of God is focused on Jesus.

It is our response to him and his Holy Spirit that shows if we are true believers. Whether we are wheat, being collected by God, or chaff being disposed of by God.

Some people think that God will let into his kingdom those who are good. But good in whose eyes ? None of us is good enough in God's eyes. We all sin. Only Jesus has been good enough. Only he can take away our sin through his death for us on the cross. We will be judged by our response to Jesus. Our response to the gift of God. Jesus. How we have let his Holy Spirit affect our lives.

Verse 11 : "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

John's water baptism symbolised the desire of those being baptised to make a new start with God. But this was preparatory. Something better was to come. Explain sandals metaphor. John's baptism was not enough. When you have a bath this will not need to be repeated again and again. What Jesus offers is a complete cleansing forever. Being baptised or immersed with the Holy Spirit and fire is referring to the work of the Spirit in cleansing us. Fire can consume or it can purify. God's Spirit should be continually at work in our lives purifying us, making us more like Jesus, producing fruit. Fruit not just in keeping with repentance, but fruit growing through the working of God's Holy Spirit within us.

How can we apply this to our lives today ?

We should be reminded that the kingdom of God is here. In our hearts by God's Spirit, through Jesus. Not by words, race, or ceremony.

We should also be reminded that God's kingdom in all it's fullness has still to come. We are still waiting for this. But we are nearer to it than ever before. This is encouraging, and also challenging. It challenges us to live expecting Jesus to return soon. Our lives should be bearing fruit. We should be living God's way through the power of his Holy Spirit who he gives to all who believe in him.

At the start we touched upon some of the preparations we might make for Christmas. To be prepared. Let us think how this Christmas we can be prepared to live lives that show that we expect Jesus to return, and that he has already come into our lives.

PRAY