"HOPE: All Will See"

                                                                       

                                           "HOPE: All Will See"

                        (Second in an Advent Series: “Prepare the Way”)
                                    (Luke 3:1-6, Philippians 1:3-11)

 
While we were still living in California, Jeannie and I spent almost two weeks preparing for the arrival of my sister and brother-in-law, with whom we had a wonderful five days. We wanted the house clean, the garden as beautiful as possible including re-finishing our front door. If we did this for family members imagine what we would have done if we knew Jesus was going to stay with us?

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus, both his birth in Bethlehem, of which we read about last week and also the promise of his return. Today we look at the Hope: of salvation and the completion of His work ...
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see...All these people were still living by faith when they died.
They did not receive the things promised. (Hebrews 11:1,13)

The Prophet Malachi wrote: 3:1-3

1 "Look! I'm sending my messenger on ahead to clear the way for me. Suddenly, out of the blue, the Leader you've been looking for will enter his Temple—yes, the Messenger of the Covenant, the one you've been waiting for. Look! He's on his way!" A Message from the mouth of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
2-3 But who will be able to stand up to that coming? Who can survive his appearance?
He'll be like white-hot fire from the smelter's furnace. He'll be like the strongest lye soap at the laundry. He'll take his place as a refiner of silver, as a cleanser of dirty clothes. He'll scrub the Levite priests clean, refine them like gold and silver, until they're fit for God, fit to present offerings of righteousness. 

4, Then, and only then, will Judah and Jerusalem be fit and pleasing to God, as they used to be in the years long ago."

It had been centuries since these words had been spoken. Malachi was the last of the Prophets to appear among Israel. Now John, the Baptist is summoned by God to give up his secluded life in the desert and act as God’s mouthpiece. He proclaimed the hope that the Messiah/Christ was coming soon.

Luke 3:1-6
1-6 In the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius—it was while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod, ruler of Galilee; his brother Philip, ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, ruler of Abilene; during the Chief-Priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—John, Zachariah's son, out in the desert at the time, received a message from God. He went all through the country around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of life-change leading to forgiveness of sins, as described in the words of Isaiah the prophet: 

"Thunder in the desert!
Prepare God's arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!
Every ditch will be filled in,
Every bump smoothed out,
The detours straightened out,
All the ruts paved over.
Everyone will be there to see
The parade of God's salvation." (Isaiah 40:3-5) *

The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. (Luke 3:5)
You may have read or heard of the famous words uttered by the Welsh Journalist Henry Stanley who searched throughout Africa for a Scottish Missionary. Upon finally finding the Missionary, Stanley uttered his now famous words, “Doctor Livingstone I Presume?”
When Dr. David Livingstone was working in Africa as a medical missionary, a group of friends wrote to him saying, "We would like to send other men to you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?"
Dr. Livingstone wrote back and said, "If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all." Livingstone wanted men who were willing to pay the price of following Jesus.

In John’s Day, before a king took a trip, messengers would tell those he was planning to visit to prepare the roads for him. Similarly, John told his listeners make their lives ready for the Messiah to come to them.
He was concerned for the state of their hearts not the state of roads. “Mend not your roads, but your lives.”

During the Coronation Service in Westminster Abbey of Queen Elizabeth II, (1952), after all the guests had been seated, a squad of cleaners unexpectedly emerged with brushes and vacuum cleaners and proceeded to sweep the carpets so that they would be spotless for the coming of the Queen. “The King is Coming!” Hope ... Ready?

“All Will See God’s Salvation ...” (Luke 3:6) 

Luke, the Historian, places John clearly in Time and Space. With historical aptitude, Luke gives a full chronology for John’s public appearance. Approximately, six months later Jesus approaches John for baptism. Luke is concerned that full light fall on Christ. John’s divine charge was to  as a to serve as the opening act and for-runner of Christ.

The emergence of John was one of the hinges on which history turned.
No fewer than six different ways are given.
1. Tiberius Caesar, successor to Augustus, 2nd Emperor.
(14 A.D. - 37 A.D. --15th year 29 A.D.) Rome.

2. Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea, 26-36 AD Palestine
In one sentence Luke gives a panoramic view of the division of the Kingdom which had once belonged to Herod the Great until he died in 4 B.C.

3. Religious situation: Annas and Caiaphas.
Only one High Priest served at a time. Romans appointed Priests.
Annas was High Priest (7-14 AD but succeeded by
four sons and Caiaphas, Son-in-law. Annas was the power behind the
Priesthood. That was why Jesus was brought before to Annas when he was arrested. (John 18:13)

During this time conditions in the world and Palestine were dark and desperate. In the reign of Tiberius Caesar moral degeneration and political chaos characterized the Roman Empire, which in the course of time brought about its downfall. Chaos was also was present in the religious life of the God’s people. (Priests arbitrarily deposed and replaced by Romans - Political Peace.) During this dark and desperate period John Came ...

“Prepare the Way by Repenting, receiving forgiveness of sin and being baptized.” Repentance has two sides: Turning away from sin and turning toward God. Do both.

As we prepare for Christ’s coming, let us continue asking God to point the areas that need forgiveness and trust in God alone to guide us.
Focus on Jesus, listen afresh to his words and respond obediently to his direction. You are not an outsider. No one wanting to follow Jesus will be left out.

All mankind will see God’s salvation.
This does not mean that all who see will respond. John 1:6-18
(He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Yet to all those who received him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God. - v. 12)

Revelation 1:7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him.
Even those who pierced him,
and all the peoples of the earth will
mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.

Unlike preparing for the visit of my sister and brother-in law, who we knew were arriving on Thanksgiving morning' we neither know the time or the day of Jesus’ Coming. Hope is the assurance he will come. It could be any time.                              Imagine that you knew for certain Jesus would come on this December 25.                    How would you prepare? When He comes all will see him. Will you be ready for him? Will you be scouring around?

Read Philippians 1:1-11, Imagine it is written to you.

1-2 Paul and Timothy, both of us committed servants of Christ Jesus, write this letter to all the followers of Jesus in Philippi, pastors and ministers included. We greet you with the grace and peace that comes from God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ.
3-6 Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
7-8 It's not at all fanciful for me to think this way about you. My prayers and hopes have deep roots in reality. You have, after all, stuck with me all the way from the time I was thrown in jail, put on trial, and came out of it in one piece. All along you have experienced with me the most generous help from God. He knows how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as strongly about you as Christ does!
9-11 So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

*Scriptures are quoted from The Bible: "The Message" , Eugene H, Peterson, 2002.