Sometimes prophets looked into the future telling us what is to come. Their main calling and role was speaking truth to power revealing where the rulers and powers of this world had gone astray and led people away from the will of God. John the Baptist was a prophet who spoke into a highly complex political situation. There had been no prophet in Israel for over 400 years. Suddenly John appeared in the wilderness, just as Elijah had done many hundreds of years before, wearing clothing of camel’s hair and eating locusts and wild honey. Luke linked the arrival of John with the end of the Hebrew writings of the Old Testament and Malachi’s prophecy of the messenger who would prepare the way of the Lord. Zechariah, John’s father echoed this prophecy in his song, the Benedictus. “You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.” Malachi’s terrifying vision spoke of purification and judgment, themes we don’t want to think about in the run up to Christmas. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, hung during the Second World War for plotting to assassinate Hitler said, “It is remarkable that we face the thought that God is coming, so calmly. Previously peoples trembled at the day of God. We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God's coming should arouse in us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to us. The coming of God is truly not only glad tidings, but first of all frightening news for everyone who has a conscience. Only when we have felt the terror of the matter, can we recognize the incomparable kindness. God comes into the very midst of evil and death, and judges the evil in us and the world. And by judging us, God cleanses and sanctifies us, coming to us with grace and love.” Malachi warns his hearers: "Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears for he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap." Like one who burns away the dross in order to refine gold, God will burn away all the evil within us. Like one who uses harsh soap to clean a garment, God will bleach out the stains that sin leaves behind. Refining gold and cleaning clothes are positive activities, but the process is painful. The Jewish people in Malachi’s time needed cleansing. They had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. They wanted to be free from Persian rule and have a great kingdom as in the days of David and Solomon. When this didn’t happen many of the people believed God no longer cared about them. They fell into the sin of not honouring God. They were intermarrying with foreign women, robbing God of his tithes and not faithfully teaching the law. Four hundred year later after Jerusalem had passed from Persian to Greek and then Roman power John the Baptist was preparing the Jewish people for the coming of their Messiah. Jesus, John’s cousin was soon to begin his ministry. Luke was specific about the timing wanting us to see the complexity of the political situation and the evil which caused the suffering of the Jewish people and in which they were complicit. It was the fifteenth year of the second Roman Emperor, Tiberias, who had been a brilliant soldier and general. As Emperor, however, he was unhappy both as a result of a disastrous second marriage which came about as a result of his adultery and the intrigues to defeat him. Consequently he left the task of government to those he appointed. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Though, the territory cruel Herod the Great had ruled had been divided between three of his surviving sons (he had murdered three others), Archelaus, who had been put in charge of this region was such an awful ruler that he had been deposed by the Romans. Archelaus had killed 3000 in the temple precincts and cancelled Passover because of demonstrations that had taken place against the unjust murder of people by his father. The Romans therefore exiled him to Gaul and put Pilate in his place. Philo wrote in the 1st century that Pilate had "vindictiveness and furious temper," and was "naturally inflexible.” He describes his corruption, acts of insolence, habit of insulting people, his cruelty continual murders of people untried and his never ending, gratuitous, and grievous inhumanity. Herod Antipas, who committed adultery with his brother’s wife was ruler of Galilee and Herod Philip ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis. Antipas was directly responsible for the death of John the Baptist and implicated in the crucifixion of Jesus. They belonged to a cruel family, where incest and adultery was normal. The rulers of the regions needed straightening out. So did the religious leaders. Caiphas was the high priest and Annas, his father in law was the power behind the throne. Theirs was a religious dynasty. Four of Annas’ sons became high priest. They felt any challenge to their teaching was a threat that needed to be crushed; Both were implicated in the death of Christ. Those leaders lived sinful lives in great fear and darkness. They used money, sex and power while John, lived in the wilderness, far removed from temptation, living a life of poverty, chastity and obedience, waiting for God to speak, and the opportunity to fulfil his calling. There must have been times when he was bored, cold, over hot and times when he longed for food which was more substantial than what he caught in the wild. He must have longed for a job which was which was not going to get him into trouble and for encouragement from family and friends. John, like us, needed a place where there were no distractions, where he could pray and think. In the wilderness God became his companion, his confidant, his teacher. In a phrase reminiscent of the calling of Old Testament prophets, "the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert" When God fully owned his heart and allegiance, John was ready to start proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John lived what he preached. He couldn’t be accused of hypocrisy. Unlike Jesus, who came as one of us, eating and drinking, John always seemed strange. Jesus gave him the greatest compliment, saying there were no greater men born than John. John didn't structure his life in relation to societal norms and expectations, so when he burst upon the scene as a desert preacher, his words was unrefined, blunt, and uncompromising. He wouldn’t bend to the political and religious pressures of the day. Though we know from Mark that he drew a huge crowd who repented and were baptised, he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness Whilst many changed their lives and followed Jesus as a result of his preaching, his ministry failed to bring about political and religious change. Antipas, Pilate, Philip, Annas and Caiphas were as compromised and corrupt when John was executed as they were when he appeared. None of them, as far as we know, became followers of Jesus. We need to pray for our politicians. Their roles make it difficult for them to admit their wrongdoing. They are desperate to hang on to power, not just for their own sakes but also for their party members. We need to pray for our church leaders. Called, as they are, to live lives of exemplary holiness, it is difficult for them to admit their weaknesses. As we lament the sexual abuses that have taken place within churches it is easy to see why crimes were covered up. The uncompromising message John preached into the complex times in which he lived still needs preaching. Gods of power and wealth still compromise our lives. John, using a quotation from Isaiah, calls us to prepare the way of the Lord by making straight paths. God, wants us to live straight, truthful lives and speak truth to power. We need to expose corruption, disparities of wealth and poverty, tax evasion and the threat of climate change. How can we blame the Saudis for the deaths of so many Yemeni people when we are complicit because we benefit from the selling of Arms to the Saudi government? It’s difficult to disentangle ourselves from the structural sins in which we are complicit, many of which we fail to recognise. John calls us to be sorry, change and turn from sin so we can be forgiven and released. He called people to be humble, to be baptised in a muddy river demonstrating publicly they were going to be different. If we don’t change, destruction is coming. Climate change makes that clear. John wasn’t talking about road repairs when he talked about the valleys being filled and mountains and hills being made low. He was talking about an end to the inequalities which separate us, an end to oppression, poverty, arrogant leaders and slavery, an end to sin and corruption. Sin separates us from God and we are helpless to clean ourselves. There is pain involved in refining and cleansing. There is pain involved in dying and rising. But it is a process designed for our well-being, to prepare us for the second coming of the Lord when all flesh shall see the salvation of God. God comes among us in Jesus Christ to destroy the evil in us and the world and draw us out of death into life. Though this is an alarming prospect, it is also one that should fill us with great joy.
Jesus is coming again, not as he came the first time as a tiny, vulnerable baby but on a cloud with power and great glory. I believe he is coming soon. He asks us to look at the signs of the times. “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.” We have a climate crisis and one of the signs of this is the melting of our ice caps. Islands are disappearing and many nations, including Britain are seeing an increase in flooding. We can expect to see signs in the sun, moon and stars. There is much human debris which has been sent into space. This week’s rocket sent into space was to see if we would be able to combat and alter the trajectory of an asteroid heading for earth. There is much distress at the state of our planet. Humans have polluted what God has given us to enjoy but we are unable to reach a consensus as to what we can do about it. COP 26 showed us that the world’s biggest nations, China, India and Australia are not going to reduce their use of fossil fuels. Unless there is change we cannot stop the earth from getting hotter. Jesus says that when these things begin to take place, we are to stand up and raise our heads, because our redemption is drawing near. Jesus is coming to bring the justice and mercy which we cannot bring about through our own efforts. He is coming to save us. However awful our situation gets he doesn’t want us to be alarmed but to stand alert, looking and longing for him. For the last two thousand years the prayer of the church has been “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.” Muslims also look for the coming of Jesus at the end of the age. He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. He will bring with him his saints, the people of God throughout the ages. Jesus, in Luke 21, spoke about different disasters and times. The chapter began with Jesus talking about the total destruction of the temple and Jerusalem which came to pass less than forty years later in 70 CE and ushered in the times of the Gentiles. Jesus said Jerusalem would be trampled on by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles was fulfilled. Almost two thousand years after the destruction of Jerusalem in 1948, Israel became a nation again. Could it be that the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled and drawing to a close? Is Israel the fig tree that is sprouting leaves? Does this mean that summer is coming and the Kingdom of God is near? Will we soon have a time of peace when the lion will lie down with the lamb and all men and women see themselves as brothers and sisters? Even though most Jewish people do not recognise Jesus as their King, he is coming to redeem them. Jerusalem will never be destroyed by Gentiles again. Jesus is also coming to rescue those persecuted for following him. In 2020 a massive 260 million Christians faced high or extreme levels of persecution in the fifty countries where Christians are persecuted the most. In 2019, 2,983 Christians were killed for their faith. Persecution of Christians today is the worst it has ever been. Lord come and save your suffering church! We may not remain on earth when Jesus comes but we still need him to come for us. Jesus promises to take home every person who has died trusting in him. In John 14 he promises he will come and take us to himself. Because God usually calls us out of catastrophes through death Christ’s return may not seem relevant. Jesus’ disciples believed he would return in their lifetime, and they would see him come as they had seen him go because Jesus told them their generation would not pass away until these things have taken place. It was the reason they sold their possessions and many didn’t get married. They didn’t see the need to procreate. It was more important to preach Jesus so as many as possible would be ready. We have always been distressed by many natural calamities. They are unpredictable but they are written into the economy of God. Paul in Romans 8 calls them creation’s labour pains bringing about the time when Jesus will come and the children of God will be revealed. In any earthly disaster that causes us to fear, we are to, “Stand up and raise your heads, because our redemption is drawing near.” The response to fear and lack of control in our lives is often to give up, hide and become apathetic and depressed, to avoid being noticed so we are not in the firing line. Instead we are to stand up for Jesus and what we believe in. Thessalonians suggests we are to counteract fear and evil in three ways. a) By increasing and abounding in love for one another and for all, even our enemies, so our hearts and wills are focused on showing God loving compassion rather than on self preservation. Perfect love according to 1 John casts out fear. b) By seeking and allowing God to strengthen us in holiness. We are set apart for Jesus. Holiness is more than being on our guard so our hearts are not weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the worries of this life, as Jesus commands us in Luke. It is about being the temple of the Lord, being full of him and recognizing we are set apart to worship him. c) Through prayer. Jesus said, “Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Jesus will redeem us. In one sense Christians have already been redeemed. The imagery is of being bought from the slave market. When Jesus died on the cross for us he paid the price for our sin. He bought us back from the control of evil and rescued us from the penalty of sin and death. When we invited Jesus into our lives and repented, we accepted that redemption. We were made clean and became children of God and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven. But we are still living in a sinful world. Dark Satanic forces are at work. People willingly do evil things. We suffer because we are living here and part of this system. It is not always going to be like this. The Kingdom of this world will become the Kingdom of our God. Everyone will accept Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Whether Jesus comes and takes us home through our deaths or whether we meet him when he comes to reign, the whole of our beings will be redeemed from the affects of sin and death. We look forward to that day with joy and longing.
Are you a king then? Jesus replied "My Kingdom is not of this world." Pilate recognised one king, that being Caesar. This emperor was the unquestionable ruler of order for this part of the world. It was his chain of command which gave Pilate the responsibility to maintain peace in the country. The Jewish authorities handed Jesus over to Pilate, the Roman governor to approve his execution, as they were not allowed to put anyone to death without permission. Pilate, though part of the Roman system, tried to place his own stamp of justice on this injustice."I find no fault with this man.” Mob him if you wish, but he should not be put to death. Clearly, mob rule was not going to comply. Was Pilate going to continue to stand against them and risk riots and anarchy. Caesar would have been very unimpressed with this, to put it mildly. There was also the case of many innocent lives which would lost as additional Roman forces were to march in during the coming weeks to regain control. In our remembrance services we sang "God save the Queen". What is a Queen or ruler? Traditionally, they are a chosen person to fulfil a holy order, being anointed to carry out a duty of service to the nation. We have been blessed with Elizabeth, due to her current age. She comes from a culture of 'old school'. She has been the defender of our faith, defender of justice and safety, for those who live here. We sang, “May she defend our laws, and ever give us cause, to sing with heart and voice, God save the Queen.” Looking through the early Old Testament kings, you may not be blamed for thinking that having an anointed king was not God's ideal way. It looks more like His permissive will for the people of Israel. Had you heard of King Nadab, who followed the devices and desires of his own heart? (1 Kings 15 v 26). Nadab walked in the sinful ways of his father and did evil in the sight of the Lord. Later you may read of another King, Ahab who disobeyed God and continued in his evil. King Saul was anointed and blessed by God, only to fall right away and please himself. Saul's life became darker as time progressed, until his death. He manipulated his son Jonathan who was also best friend of King David. Maybe, a more perfect will, would have been to crown God as king. In April 2016, the Polish people had a ceremony to crown Jesus as King. God bless the Poles, we can learn so much from them. Would it have been better to discern the will of God, instead of appointing an earthly king? This describes a theocracy where the knowledge, presence and love of God are the motivators for fulfilling His Kingdom. It is a historic fact that when certain struggling companies asked their staff to focus on the love and mercy of God, he supernaturally came to their rescue. “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” In the accounts written about King David and Solomon, you read of their temptations. Solomon had fame and fortune, he was one of the wisest and wealthiest kings, yet he threw it away for the love of money, pleasures and power. Don't you feel sorry for God, "Look at all I have given you? Was it not enough? Could you not just love me back?” Today, in parts of the world, those who love God and have committed themselves to His service, suffer great persecution. The president of one of the Eastern Lands is regarded to be the most corrupt and dangerous of tyrants. This president's great grandparents were Christian missionaries. Their son, his grandfather, was brought up in a Christian home, attending church. In his twenties he decided that he was too big and clever to have faith in Christ. He rebelled. For decades afterwards, many have suffered; it would seem as a consequence of the decision of that one man. There is another choice. It is where we say, God, you know best. I know that you love me and will always do the best and right for me. I want to let go of my way, and trust in yours instead. I know that without faith, it is impossible to fulfil your will. As we surrender to God, the Holy Spirit fills our lives bringing an excitement about crowning Him, the real king. How, throughout ages, many have longed for the day when every knee shall bow to Him, and His rule of righteousness begins. Jesus said, my Kingdom is not of this world. He was speaking about a very different world.
