As of this writing, we are just a few days from the Third Sunday of Advent, and we are continuing our series that focuses on coming home for Christmas. Our first Sunday, the apocalyptic text helped us to examine the challenges of returning home. Our second Sunday brought a chance to further this examination by understanding that going home can bring anxiety and fear.
This week we hold these things in our hearts alongside the reminder that returning home can be exciting and joy-filled! For many of us—hopefully most of us—this is indeed the most wonderful time of the year! There is laughter, reunion, and joy; there are happy memories and celebrations of deep love. It’s Christmas!
It is my further hope that these are not simply fleeting expressions, short-lived celebrations, but that these are deeply held experiences that remind us of the incredible connection of family and friends. I think these moments can sustain us in the more difficult times when we face challenges and anxieties and fears. May this celebration of the third Sunday of Advent help us to experience the deepest of joys in anticipation of the greatest joy of our Savior and Christ.
Zephaniah 3:14-20 (NRSV)
14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
15 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.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.
17 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 18 as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19 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.
20 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.
Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV)
7 Then John said to the crowds who came to be baptized by him, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? 8 Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire.”
10 The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
11 He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.”
14 Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?”
He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.”
15 The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16 John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.” 18 With many other words John appealed to them, proclaiming good news to the people.
Consider these questions:
- The hearers of Zephaniah’s message are invited to sing and rejoice. What is the cause of their singing and rejoicing?
- Who is responding to John’s message? Which group(s) would people be surprised to see responding to John’s message? How is John the Baptist’s message preparing the way for the Messiah? How might we be called to respond similarly?
- In light of John’s message, how do you think he would answer the question, “How should we live?” How is this similar or dissimilar to how Jesus would answer the question?
- How is what we do related to what God has done and/or is doing?
- According to John the Baptist, how do we appropriately live out our baptism? How does your baptism (and living a life of repentance) impact how you live life?
- What is God doing around us this Advent that would cause us to experience joy? What is God calling us to this Advent season that would bring others joy?