Tuesday 10 December 2013

Advent 2 John v Jesus in Matthew 3

Matthew 3:1-12


John & Jesus: Similar but Different.


Same Family 
Spiritual Conception 
Set Apart
Nutter “ locusts & honey /“Nutter” glutton & drunkard
Blunt Northerner
Water Baptism/  Spirit Baptism
Repent!


In 1830, a man by the name of George Wilson was sentenced to hanging for killing a government employee during a train robbery. For some reason, President Andrew Jackson gave the man a full pardon. But the man refused to accept it.

That had never happened before and nobody knew how to handle it. The case went all the way up to the Supreme Court to establish a precedent. Chief Justice Marshall declared that a pardon is an offer to hold somebody not accountable for any crimes they may have committed. But if that person refuses to receive the pardon so, in effect, no pardon was given. So, Mr. Wilson was quickly hanged.

Jesus is offering you a full pardon for every thing you have ever done that is against God. He is telling you that if you will but trust Him as your Saviour, all those crimes will be erased and you will suffer no punishment.

Sadly, too many people make the same choice Mr. Wilson did, and they end up suffering the judgement of their crimes. What are you going to do with your pardon? Are you going to accept it or are you going to reject it? Have you weighed the consequences of each choice?

John was Preaching “Repent or Die”/ Jesus said “Repent and Live – here's how”
With John it was all about response./  Jesus lay down his life first – for us.
Judgement/     Pardon

With John – if you feel you are unworthy you can't receive what God wants to give
With Jesus you can accept God's pardon just because you know there is no other way to life.

That's a bit “theological” isn't it? What about real life, now? What difference does it make?

There are two ways to punctuate John's message (Interestingly it is often presented differently in the Gospel from how it is in Isaiah whom John is quoting).
The voice of one crying in the desert: Make straight the way of the Lord”
Do you think that we, as Christians, are outside of our society – keeping ourselves pure and aloof from the sins that pervade it so that we can call people out in repentance before the Lord comes in judgement?
The voice of one crying: In the desert make straight the way of the Lord”
Or do you think that we are completely engaged with our society, in the dry and dusty places of sin and strife like everyone else, and seeking to change it so that the Lord can return?
In a way John the Baptist operated in the first way – calling people out into the desert communities like the Essenes. He was sceptical of those who just popped out for a Baptism.
But Jesus is more like the latter. He is the incarnate God. He comes down to earth from heaven. He ate with sinners. He liked sinners. He changed sinners. He recruited sinners. He trusted sinners.

Both of these are true.
It's not either or. Its both and.
Which bit of the desert are you in?

How are you going to cry out this week?
Can you make a straight path for the Lord into your bit of the desert?

Advent 3 John & Jesus Matthew 11

Matthew 11:1-11


John – Jesus – see – go – disciples are today's Big Five words.


John is about “making a straight path for the Lord”.
When you start moving earth you find that there is a awful of of earth to move.
Many of our canals and railways take a scenic route – not from a concern for natural beauty but because the Lord of the Manor didn't want riff-raff looking over his house or garden. We sometimes do this for SSI sites – but if the need is urgent enough.... HS2 anyone?


Do we want a straight path for the Lord to come into our Church? Or do we want him to take the scenic route? What do we want this Advent: challenge or comfort?
Challenge? Really? Don't I have enough challenges going on in my life, work, relationship, family, finances, health, housing, cell, church......?


“Comfort Food” - what is it for you? Bread and Butter pudding? Lamb stew and dumplings? Spag Bol? Chocolate? It’s good and solid and undemanding. It takes you back to Granny’s fireside, to a time when life was simpler and you had no responsibilities. Those were the days. These are not those days!


Christmas can be spiritual “comfort food” too. The right menu, the family tradition, the familiar stories – these can happen at Christmas Dinner – but also in Church. Memories of Nativities past, Carols sung, Descants leaned. The right 9 lessons. The sweets and poppers on the pews. You know where you are with Christmas. Start, Manger, Animals, Angels, Shepherds, Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. A young woman peacefully holding a baby. Peace on Earth. Goodwill to all. It's the scenic route. But Christmas starts with Christ. The anointed one. Set apart for battle, for confrontation, for death and resurrection. That's the straight road.


John the Baptist. What are you looking for?
A Reed? Are you looking for someone who will adapt what they say to what you want to hear? John refused. So did Jesus. He will not bend to accommodate you. Society may want a gentle Jesus who comes in humility and lives a life of love and peace until cruelly snuffed out by the powerful. But that's not Jesus.
A Dandy? Are you looking for someone who is primarily interested in appearance, comfort and reputation? John lived in the desert and dressed in camel hair. Jesus was an itinerant preacher with no place to lay his head. Your appearance , comfort and reputation are of little concern to Him. Your eternal life is.


A Prophet? Are you looking for someone who will be uncomfortable, disagreeable, provocative, challenging? Who will bring God into places where you were not looking for him – your workplace, family, relationship, finances, internet browser, future? John upset people in authority – and died because of it. Jesus upset people in authority and dies because of it. What are you going to do if he upsets you?


What is there in Advent to bring God into places where you were not looking for him?John – Jesus – see – disciples – go are today's Big Five
Look at John. Look again at Jesus. Really see who they are, what they wopuld ay or do and, if you are a disciple.
Go!
In our world, in our nations, in our church, eschew the scenic route.

Make a straight path for the Lord.