Seeing Salvation: Luke 3:1-6 - Second Sunday of Advent

¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
 “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
 ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
  make his paths straight.
 ⁵Every valley shall be filled,
  and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
 and the crooked shall be made straight,
  and the rough ways made smooth;
 ⁶and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”  (NRSV)

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Joe Biden. Donald Trump. Anthony Fauci.
 
Vladimir Putin. Xi Jingping. Angela Merkel.
 
Elon Musk. Mark Zuckerberg. Jack Dorsey. Jeff Bezos. Tim Cook.
 
What feelings came over you as I spoke those names? Pride? Optimism? Fear? Disgust? Indifference?
 
These are some of the most powerful human beings on the planet. Their words and actions shape the world we live in, for better or worse. And in many cases, their influence reaches into your daily life—in terms of how much you pay for goods, what news and information appears on your social media feed, or even your outlook on the future.
 
This may be why Luke chose to begin the story of John the Baptist by dropping the names of the world’s biggest movers and shakers. And it is likely, based on what we know from the Bible, that mention of these names would have brought fear and dread into people’s hearts.
 
And yet, the real story is happening far beyond the halls of power, way out in the wilderness in the region around the Jordan, a man by the name of John was “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” He was the one whom the prophets of old had promised that would prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. 
 
The powers-that-be are doing what they do, but so is God—and nothing will stand in the way of all flesh seeing God’s salvation.
 
Living as we are in a time when great power and wealth are concentrated in the hands of a few men and even fewer women, amid hyperinflation and intensifying political divisions, with a two-year-long pandemic raging on with no end in sight, God is still moving and shaking the world we live in today.
God’s power is exercised in the lives of the baptized; in ordinary people, whom God draws into all that God is up to. And God is not to be underestimated.
 
One of the things I love about our clothing closet is that you get to see firsthand the difference God is making through the ministry of our congregation. Did you know that we had a donor drive all the way from Clarion because she wanted to support our clothing closet? Did you know that a family of seven drove all the way from Ambridge, over an hour away, to partake of this ministry? Did you see what our Sunday school children did the following day, making the prayer jars. Do you know what a difference you’ve been making as people in our congregation go through serious illnesses and hardships?
 
And none of you would be here if God had not exercised power in your life. We’re not here chasing fantasies or to fight a war against a society that does not hold to our values. We are here because God is love. We’re here because God’s power will not be outdone. God is not to be underestimated.
 
But it takes faith to believe this truth. It takes faith to see God’s power. You can’t force yourself to believe. You can’t create your own faith. You can only receive it.
 
That’s where repentance comes in.
 
When we speak of repentance, we are speaking of the radical change God brings about in you as God immerses you in divine power and divine love. Think of it like a heart transplant: God puts the heart of Christ within you. But if you are not coming before God every day to receive repentance; if you are not focusing on what matters to God; if you do not love others as you yourself are loved, what’s the point? The Gospel will be but a fantasy.
 
Each and every one of you has a unique role to play in building up the kingdom of God on earth. God is moving and shaking the world through you—one prayer at a time, one good deed at a time, one act of faith at a time. And whatever you do, in faith, hope, and love, your actions will bear fruit that will last. Eternity will be that much better for everyone because you act on God’s love right now.
 
Bear in mind that there is no Roman Empire anymore; the Herodian dynasty disintegrated, and nobody knows who Lysanias of Abilene is.  They had their time, and their time was up. That’s true about Covid-19, and all the problems in our world today. They have their time, and their time will be up. “This, too, shall pass,” as we say. Time will tell if the “giants” of our world ultimately make this world a better place, or if they will go down in history with disgrace. But their power is no match for God’s. It’s not even close.
 
And though we live in an era where fewer and fewer people are identifying as Christians, with congregations closing left and right, God is not on the decline. If anything, today’s troubles are setting the stage for God’s glory to be revealed. As we proclaim at Christmas, the light shines in the darkness—and the darkness will not overcome it.
 
So how will you remember Advent 2021? Will you remember it for the Omicron variant? For all the supply chain issues and shortages? For when the dollar store stopped selling everything for a dollar? Or will God make history in you, giving you a new heart, a new mind, and a new eagerness to get out there in the world and see for yourself what God’s love will accomplish?