Luke 3:7-18

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High.”

So said John’s daddy, Zechariah, when he could finally vocalize again, after ten months of mute silence. The boy who was filled with the Holy Spirit before birth had a clear calling—he would be the Forerunner, the Immerser, the Prophet of the Most High. But he would not fulfill his vocation in halls of power or in the institutions of Jewish religion. Instead, John adopted the life of a hermit, a man of the wilderness, living off the land and kindling his mind and heart to be set on fire by the word of God.

Hebrew prophets, street preachers, and revivalists in every age have some things in common. They are possessed by the truth they must declare, and they don’t care who they offend. Their message swings like a wrecking ball through the sanctimony, the pretenses, the hierarchies, the traditions, the power games, and the hypocrisies of religion. They are not called to be pastoral or comforting, but to let the truth of God do its work. “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

Imagine the scene down by the Jordan. John is conducting serious business. The Kingdom of God has come near, and John is calling people to prepare, to repent, and to demonstrate their metanoia by a radical change in behavior. But he is aware that he is a bit of a spectacle and knows that some in the crowd are there out of curiosity, amused by the sun-burned, scraggily bearded prophet, wrapped in camel’s hair, and picking locust wings out of his teeth.

Any authentic prophet or preacher is not seeking to draw attention to themselves. Their motive is to lure people into a life-changing encounter with the living God. John, in spite of his eccentricities, has no desire to be the focus of attention. He only wants to awaken people to the urgency of the moment: “It’s time to get your house in order. The light of the kingdom is dawning, and all hearts will be exposed.”

Lacking in the social graces of tact and politeness, John calls some in the crowd a “brood of vipers”. Who were these snakes? Were they representatives of the religious establishment? Were they Herodians, disgusted by John’s disrespect for the Court of Herod? Or was John calling out those who rejected his message, treating God’s call to repentance with contempt? Whoever the offenders might be, it’s clear that John’s holy anger is directed at those who presume that favor with God is a birthright. They wear their identity as “children of Abraham” like a t-shirt or a bumper sticker that says #blessed! John’s call to repentance and righteous behavior is received as an insult. As Eugene Peterson paraphrases verses 8-9: “Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and flourishing? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.”

But among John’s riverbank audience, there were many whose hearts were gripped by the sermon. They understood that John’s baptism was a testimony to their desire to be kingdom people. But that testimony must be followed by action—the “fruits worthy of repentance.” When they ask, “What, then, should we do?” John’s answers are practical, doable, but fiercely demanding. The focus is on justice and compassion in human relationships. Those who are blessed with extra food and clothing must be willing to share with those in need. Tax collectors should demand no more than the law requires. Soldiers should not use their position or power to squeeze money out of people; they should learn to be content with their pay.

By such words, John indicates the nature of the kingdom that is arriving in the person of the Messiah. It is a kingdom of Shalom, in which all relationships are ordered according to the love and justice that reside in the heart of the King. The mark of kingdom people will not be ethnicity, genealogy, prosperity, or religiousness; the mark will be holy love. And we are not left to speculate about what this looks like. We have the incarnation of holy love in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As Pastor Daniel Sadlier has written,

Christianity can be confusing, but

the way of Jesus was pretty clear.

Move toward the poor

Empower the woman

Create space at the table

Throw parties

Widen the family boundaries

Poke holes in oppressive systems

Don’t retaliate with violence

Forgive your enemy

Don’t store up wealth

Be present with people

Heal

Announce

Push back darkness

The kingdom of God is near

The anointing upon John the Baptist and the power of his preaching were breathtaking. When the people wondered if John might be the Messiah, he emphatically denied it. Jesus would often say, “I am he” (the ego eimi sayings), but John was quick to say, “I am not he.” He knew that his ministry would pale into insignificance compared to the One to come. “One who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.” John baptized with water (external testimony), but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (internal transformation).

Returning to the often-overlooked words of John’s father, Zechariah:

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,to give his people knowledge of salvation    by the forgiveness of their sins.Because of the tender mercy of our God,    the dawn from on high will break upon us,to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

    (Luke 1:76-79)

If we ever needed the dawn from on high to shine upon us, it’s right now. If we ever needed our feet to be guided into the way of peace, it’s in these days of unending conflict. In this season of Advent, may our souls reach out in the spirit of John the Baptist to welcome the kingdom that is breaking in upon us.