It’s No Time for Pretenses!

3rd Sunday in Advent, 12/16/12
Luke 3:7-18


It’s No Time for Pretenses!
I. Give the Lord genuine repentance.
II. Live in genuine readiness for his return.


Many of you probably agree with the sentiment declared in the familiar Christmas carol that it’s the most wonderful time of the year. At this time of year, people in general make the effort to be more cheerful, more giving, more concerned about others, especially the less fortunate. And we admire that.

But it’s also the time of year for pretenses. How many countless expensive gifts will be purchased by someone who can’t afford it, but will give it under the pretense that he or she can? Or how many displays of generosity are only that—just displays?

And the pretenses aren’t limited to gift-giving behavior. You can find them at the holiday social gatherings or the company parties. You hate to be judgmental, but the pretenses are all too obvious in what a particular party guest is wearing or how they’re talking or in the gestures that they make. It makes you want to roll your eyes. Who are they trying to fool? You certainly aren’t!

Maybe I’m making more out of the pretenses of the season than I should, but I’ve wondered from time to time as I look at wonderful outdoor displays of light, just how wonderful things are inside that house. Do the bright exterior displays betray the depression, disfunction, loneliness and even hatred that continue unabated inside?

On the other hand, a seasonal pretense may be as simple as someone asking how you’re doing and you give the expected, standard reply, “I’m just fine. How are you?”

It wasn’t the Christmas season, but John the Baptist was confronted with “seasonal” pretenses. The opening words of today’s sermon text inform us that crowds of people were coming out into the wilderness to be baptized by John. But you don’t hear John warmly welcoming them. You don’t hear him thank these countless people for making the difficult trip and having the desire to be baptized. Instead, John greets them like this: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” Now what would make John speak so rudely to such people? Their desire for baptism was all a show. Pretenses. And this was no time for pretenses.

Christmas is almost here. Likewise, the return of Jesus could happen tomorrow or even later today. As people who are gathered to rejoice over those two truths, it’s no time for pretenses. May our Lord fill us instead with the genuineness that only the truth of his word can give.

Part I.

With next weekend being the extended Christmas weekend I’m expecting to see a good number of unfamiliar faces in worship next Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Some will be family members and friends of you people, our members. Other visitors may have no connection with our church. And my prayer is that all of them will be here ready to hear the message of the birth of Jesus as their Savior from sin. In other words, they’re here for the right reason. But that might not be the case with every visitor. Some might be here out of compulsion or simply to avoid a confrontation on what is supposed to be a peaceful and joyful time. But it doesn’t matter to me. Every one of them is an opportunity to share the wonderful, saving Christmas gospel.

Things were a little different for John the Baptist. The people coming out to him weren’t there necessarily to hear him preach. They were coming out to be baptized by him. Now, why was that their intention? It was the “popular” thing to do. For whatever reason, these Jewish people were interested in getting baptized by John just so that they could say they had been baptized by John. It was the trendy thing to do. We know all too well that’s not a valid, God-pleasing reason. John knew it as well. So he blasted them for it.

There was far too much sinful pride among these people as well. John told them. “And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’” John here confronted the same sinful attitude that Jesus would later. These Jews felt that they had a right relationship with God simply because of their bloodline. They wrongly felt that the fact that they were Jews trumped all. John wanted them to see how worthless their bloodline was without faith in a Savior.

So he left them with this sobering announcement of God’s judgment, “The ax 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.” John didn’t coddle these people. He wanted them to know that they faced judgment. They might think they were right with God. They might even say it. But there were no fruits.

So he guided them in bearing fruits. First he addressed the crowd in general. He told them if they were truly sorry for their sins, they should show their gratitude for God’s forgiveness by helping the needy. When the tax collectors asked for his guidance, he told them stop the practice they were known for—stealing money from the people under the pretense of gathering taxes. And when the soldiers approached him for guidance, he replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” Bottom line? John told them to show their repentant hearts not by doing something for themselves, but by doing something for others. That’s how genuine repentance shows itself.

It’s no time for pretenses. Give the Lord genuine repentance.

Repenting is one of the most important aspects of our Christian life.

That’s why our Sunday worship begins with it. Once again we repented of our sins and heard our Savior’s promise of forgiveness. But if we leave here this morning and dive right back into the sinful attitudes, words and actions that we just confessed, then it’s just a pretense. If our repentance isn’t coupled with a corresponding love for others, especially our family members and friends, then it’s just a sham. I’m not here this morning to guide you in what those actions should be as John did. If you’d like to do that, we can schedule something private. But let’s not leave here fooling ourselves. Let’s not be guilty of merely going through the motions. God’s desire is to change us from the inside out. And that’s what he does with his word. He fully forgives us. He fills us with the power of his love so that we can make amends, so that we do bear the fruits of repentance, so that our repentance is genuine. It’s no time for pretenses. Give the Lord genuine repentance.

Part II.

You’ve heard me say this before, but it’s worth repeating. In Advent we are preparing our hearts to celebrate Jesus’ birth but we’re also preparing ourselves for his return to this earth on the Last Day. How often do you think about that? If it’s not daily, you’re not alone. But that doesn’t mean you’re unprepared for it. By faith in Jesus as your Savior, you are completely prepared. And as we gather together as God’s people we remind one another that our Lord will return.

But don’t look for many people to think that way. The truth is, a majority of people living on earth today deny that Jesus will return. Some are unaware that Jesus promised to do so; others know that’s what the Bible says but openly deny it and mock it.

But that doesn’t make it any less certain. The Lord will return. And you’re ready for it. You’re ready for it because our God has already fulfilled in you what John spoke about here in our text. He said, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” John’s baptism was preparatory for the great and saving work of Jesus Christ. Jesus would finish his work by suffering and dying for the sins of the world. And after his resurrection, he would send the Holy Spirit in full measure to purify countless sinners and to join them to one another in the Holy Christian Church. You—each one of you—are the fulfillment of John’s words here in our text. Jesus has baptized you with his Holy Spirit to make you his own. He continues to pour out his Holy Spirit through his word and sacrament to keep you in your faith.

And with that faith, you are ready for the next and last great event in the history of our world—our Lord’s return. John spoke about that day of judgment in terms of threshing wheat. You are that wheat which the Lord will gather to himself for all eternity. So live like it. It’s no time for pretenses. Live in genuine readiness for our Lord’s return.

Many of us have lists of things to do at this busy time of year. We write down the important things that we want to accomplish so that we’re ready to celebrate and enjoy Christmas with our family and friends. And we work hard to accomplish each one of them. But does it ever occur to you, as you’re zipping here and there between tasks and errands, that Christmas might not come this year? Does it ever occur to you that all your Christmas focus and energy might be for nothing? Jesus might return before Christmas comes. John’s words to us this morning remind us that Jesus has already accomplished his great saving activity in us. His words also point us then to the next and last great event, our Lord’s return. As we continue making preparations to celebrate Christmas to the glory of our Savior, make sure you do so in readiness for his return. By God’s grace you are ready because the Lord has worked saving faith in your heart. When our Lord Jesus is the heart and center of your Christmas celebration, when worshipping him for his wondrous birth is one of the highlights of your Christmas experience, then you are ready for his return, genuinely ready. May our Lord ever keep us in that readiness of faith. Then there are no pretenses. Amen.