Advent Preparation Is Heartfelt Repentance!

2nd Sunday in Advent, 12/4/16
Matthew 3:1-12


Advent Preparation Is Heartfelt Repentance!
I. Preparation for the kingdom at hand
II. Preparation for the kingdom to come


I don’t mean to sound dismal, but, if you’re in the second half of your expected life span, then your Christmas traditions, activities, and preparation are likely on the decrease. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Your children are grown and have moved out. So you no longer feel the need to do some of the Christmas things that you used to years ago. Perhaps you’ve downsized your home and no longer have the space you once did, so some of your Christmas items had to go. You probably don’t bake as many Christmas cookies and other Christmas food favorites. You don’t need them. What’s more, you don’t have the energy you once had. You simply can’t be on your feet all day preparing for Christmas like you once were able to do.

But you also realize that you can celebrate Christmas without all that stuff. Those things at one point in your life helped you celebrate your Savior’s birth, but they were never the heart and center of it, so you can let go of them and still have a very meaningful Christmas. In fact, you could have a meaningful celebration without any Christmas items or activities at all.

You could, if you make sure you take care of one Advent activity. In fact, this Advent activity is absolutely critical to a proper celebration of Christmas. Without it, any Christmas celebration is spiritually empty and void. It’s the preparation John the Baptist called for in this morning’s Gospel from Matthew 3. I’m sure you caught it. He called for one and all to repent. Repent. And not simply to go through the motions. But do so from the depths of your heart. Advent preparation is heartfelt repentance. May God’s Holy Spirit fill us and lead us to make those preparations this morning.

Part I.

Depending on when you celebrate Christmas, you have either 20 or 21 days left to get ready. Retailers will give you daily reminders as to how much time you have left. But Christmas shopping is only part of our preparations. A minute ago we mentioned the decorating and the cooking. If you will have guests, especially overnight, you need to clean and prepare a room for them. Many of you send Christmas cards and well-wishes, even an annual family letter. Is it written yet?

When John the Baptist encouraged his listeners to prepare for Jesus, he didn’t mention any of those items. In fact, what he did mention seems a little peculiar to us. Listen again. “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.”’” In Bible times, the preparations for a dignitary such as a king included highway and street maintenance. You’re aware that roads in those days were nothing like our modern thoroughfares. They were filled with bumps and holes and they twisted back and forth as they made their way forward. With the approach of a king, attempts were made to make them easier to use.

But you’re aware that John’s ministry was not concerned with civil works and local infrastructure. He was concerned about the condition of the human heart. He showed it by the way he lived. “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea. 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.” John didn’t set up his ministry in the most likely place—near the temple in Jerusalem. There were far too many distractions there. There was far too much sham worship there. He conducted his ministry in the desert—symbolic of the condition of the human heart by nature. Our sinful hearts are barren and fruitless.

And that symbolism continued in John’s attire and diet. No fine clothes here. Rough camel hair, just like his predecessor, the prophet Elijah, who was also a preacher of repentance. Locusts and wild honey were not common food choices among the Jews, but, again, they gave testimony that John’s message was different—it was a call to repentance.

By God’s power, his ministry made a huge difference in people’s lives. “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” John used God’s law to point out their sins and God’s gospel in the word and baptism to bring them to faith in the coming Savior and to receive forgiveness.

And the result—which was all God’s doing—was that people were ready for the coming of Jesus. John declared that the kingdom of heaven was near. He meant that God was about to reveal his gracious, saving activity in the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ. Not long after John began his work, Jesus began his work and the people were ready for him because John had called them to repent of their sins and trust Jesus for forgiveness.

Advent preparation is heartfelt repentance. It’s preparation for the kingdom at hand.

Like you, I know far too many people who will gather around a Christmas tree three weeks from now and celebrate Christmas but want nothing to do with Jesus. I’m thankful that won’t happen with you. But there is a subtle form of it that we’re all susceptible to. It’s celebrating Christmas while forgetting how desperately we need this Gift of a Savior from our God. It’s celebrating Christmas thinking that we’re OK with God all on our own. It’s celebrating Christmas under the impression that we deserve a wonderful Christmas because we’re such wonderful people. John hammers to pieces every one of those spiritual delusions. He doesn’t declare, “Hey, wonderful people! God has something wonderful for you!” He says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Only people who know how much they need a Savior have a Savior by faith in him. That faith is in a Savior who lived and died for you. So, make your Advent preparation for the kingdom at hand. Advent preparation is heartfelt repentance.

Part II.

Have you ever been caught unprepared? We all have. Whether it was for a test during our years in school, or for some project we said we’d complete by a given time, or simply some chores we intended to complete before guests arrive, we all know what it’s like to be unprepared. And it’s not pleasant. It’s embarrassing and even painful.

The entire nation of the Jews was looking for the Messiah to arrive. The fact that John proclaimed he was about to appear filled them with the desire to prepare. Matthew says the people came out of Jerusalem and from all over Judea. That’s rather astounding in a day and age of meager communication and transportation.

What’s even more astounding is that the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived. It’s astounding because the self-righteous Pharisees felt no need to confess their sins because they denied that they had sinned. It’s astounding because the Sadducees denied anything supernatural, even the existence of heaven itself. So why prepare for a Savior from sin?

It’s likely they showed up simply because John had created a powerful movement among the people and they, the self-proclaimed leaders of the people, didn’t want to be left behind. So they offered a sham repentance.

And John torched them for it. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 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.” Not very politically correct, but it was the bald truth.

You see, what was at stake was no small matter. A failure to repent wasn’t simply a missed opportunity. It had eternal consequences. Listen again to John, “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 mince words. Repent, or face God’s righteous judgment.

We face that same judgment when Jesus returns. But you have nothing to fear. John tells us, “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.” Jesus has baptized us, just as he baptized Stella at the beginning of our service. He sent us his Holy Spirit who has purified us with his holy fire. By faith in Jesus we stand before the holy God in the robes of Jesus’ righteousness. Jesus won that holiness for you when he came to this earth the first time to suffer and die for you. By faith in him you’re ready for his return.

Advent preparation is heartfelt repentance for the kingdom to come. Get ready! Amen.