Third Sunday Of Advent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII Cycle C
Seasonal Theme
The joyful anticipation and preparation for the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and into our hearts as well.
Theme For The Day
John the Baptist calls for repentance and thus prepares the way for the Messiah who brings a new baptism of Spirit and water.
Old Testament Lesson
Zephaniah 3:14-20
A Celebration Hymn
This is Zephaniah's hymn of celebration for a worship of deliverance. Yahweh has removed the enemy. He is the true king who has heard the prayer of the humble. Verses 16-18 are Yahweh rejoicing in his victory. God has removed disaster from the people. Verses 19-20 tell the people God will gather the dispersed. "At that time" is reflecting the work of a disciple.
New Testament Lesson
Philippians 4:4-7
Joy, Gentleness, And Peace
Here is the joy, gentleness, and peace of the Christian life. This reading will also be used in the readings for Thanksgiving, extending on through verse 9. Consistent with this "Epistle of Joy" we have more urging to know the quality of Christian joy and of gentleness. These are two great elements of the Christian life: joy and gentleness.
The Greek word for gentleness is epieikes. It has been translated many ways: forbearance, softness, the patient mind, modesty, forbearing spirit. The Greeks said it was "justice and something better than justice." Others have claimed it meant "to meet a person half way." I like Barclay's comment concerning epieikeia, "A man has the quality of epieikeia if he knows when not to apply the strict letter of the law, if he knows when to relax justice and to introduce mercy." He will deal with people in love as we hope God will deal with us. Again Barclay, "Justice is human, but epieikeia is divine."
In verses 6 and 7 we see that Paul advises the Philippians to take everything to God in prayer as an antidote for worry. The result of faithful prayer is that it will bring peace to our hearts. This is because we are praying to a powerful, all wise, and loving God.
The Gospel
Luke 3:7-18
The Baptist's Message
The crowds which John was preaching to seemed to think of themselves as chosen by God for special status. John confronts them and they ask what they should do. Typical of Luke's Gospel is repentance and then the stress on social justice. So he advised:
1. Give one of your coats to those who have none.
2. Give some of your food to those who are hungry.
3. Tax collectors collect no more than you are supposed to.
4. Be satisfied with your wages and don't extort money.
Then in verses 16-17 John's baptism is contrasted with the Messiah's baptism of Holy Spirit and fire. See Malachi, chapter 4 for an Old Testament example of the judgment. In Luke's tradition, the fire will soon be associated with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).
The figure of the slave who is not worthy to untie his master's sandals is from Mark 1:7. The fire and spirit connection has special significance for Luke -- it anticipates the events of Pentecost (Acts 2:3-4) and the tongues of fire.
As a homilitician it is clear to me that John preached for specific results and he got them. His message was not in theological niceties but in life itself.
The "good news" in verse 18 is hard for me to see. One commentator says that by Luke's time this word translated "good news" meant preaching on the mission of the church.
Preaching Possibilities
A. The hymn of celebration from the Old Testament, the joy and gentleness of the New Testament, and the promise of one coming by John will all go together this week. If it were not Advent and that time of year our congregation considers Christmas season no matter what the liturgical calendar reads, I would focus on that word of gentleness in Paul's Philippians passage. Notice there is plenty of gentleness in the comments on the scripture readings.
One could begin with John's character and message and then talk of his promise of who is to come, and then back into Philippians as examples of Christian joy and gentleness this promised Messiah will bring. A finish could be to use Zephaniah's hymn of joy as is and without further comment. Why not try chanting it in plainsong fashion?
B. Still another possibility would be to explain the background of the Zephaniah passage, read it as a hymn of joy, and then move to Paul's advice for the Christian life and a way to prepare for Christmas this year:
1. Rejoice in the Lord (v. 4).
2. Let your gentleness be known (v. 5).
3. Don't worry (v. 6). (Bobby McFerrin reggae metaphor?)
4. Pray prayers of thanksgiving and supplication (v. 6).
5. Know the peace of God (v. 7).
6. Be in Christ Jesus (v. 7b).
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Today is the day I preach a biographical sermon about that fascinating character of the Bible, John the Baptist.
A. Introduction: tell of John's birth as a cousin of Jesus.*
B. Review some history and present him as a desert man and the first prophet to speak in many years.
C. Present his message: repent, be baptized, live the life of social concern for others.
D. Now tell how his message is for us as we prepare for Jesus' coming also.
E. Contrast his baptism for repentance and our baptism with the sealing of the Holy Spirit, his good news with our good news.
F. Continue telling of his life: the arrest, the decapitation, and the sending of his disciples to question Jesus about Messiahship. Use as a closing Paul's blessing from the New Testament reading: Philippians 3:7.
Prayer For The Day
We thank you, O God, for giants of the faith down through the ages like John the Baptist. Help us to hear his warning and invitation to repent and thus be better prepared for the Messiah to come into our lives again this year. We pray thankfully knowing your peace will guard our hearts. And please, teach us to be gentle people. In the name of Jesus, John's cousin. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
Signs on three exactly same-looking doors at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Men-Women-Mechanical. Perhaps mechanical is close to being a third form of the human race. We must never lose our God-given humanness.
A little sign on my desk says, "Joy is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God." The great preacher George A. Buttrick used to say, "Joy is what we are chosen for and joy is what we have to offer to all who will come. It is a deep sense of joy not dependent on the number of things we get done in a day -- for this is not the opposite of unhappiness but the opposite of unbelief."
After riding a public bus for four hours, then walking about three miles back into the Sumatran jungle, we arrived at the Bona ni Pinesa (village of origin) of one of my Batak Christian Seminary students. After catechizing approximately 150 on Saturday evening, we drank coffee they had picked and roasted, and then we sang. A beautiful Kebaya-clad girl named Omega stood and lined out hymn after hymn to familiar tunes. The next morning I preached a naked, simple gospel: of Jesus born in Bethlehem with a ministry in Galilee, died on the cross for our forgiveness but Easter resurrection that we too might come out of the grave, and returned in spirit to be with us here and now. And then while the old women chewed napuran, we sang and sang and celebrated the presence of that same spirit with us still. A pig was killed and a hula hula (celebration) was held. We ate sac sang and they presented me an ulas (cloth of deep friendship). That simple, without-frills Christianity touched me deeply as we sang hymns of joy in God's presence. It was "the basics" at Tapiannauli bush village and it was full of joy.
At a church meal after a funeral, a man told me they were expecting a baby any time now, so each night in cold, cold Iowa, he removed the battery from his car and kept it in the house where it would be warm and ready to start the car. Might we anticipate the coming of the Christ-child with such eager and careful anticipation.
____________
*A Bible dictionary like Harpers will prove helpful in learning more about the life of John the Baptist.
The joyful anticipation and preparation for the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and into our hearts as well.
Theme For The Day
John the Baptist calls for repentance and thus prepares the way for the Messiah who brings a new baptism of Spirit and water.
Old Testament Lesson
Zephaniah 3:14-20
A Celebration Hymn
This is Zephaniah's hymn of celebration for a worship of deliverance. Yahweh has removed the enemy. He is the true king who has heard the prayer of the humble. Verses 16-18 are Yahweh rejoicing in his victory. God has removed disaster from the people. Verses 19-20 tell the people God will gather the dispersed. "At that time" is reflecting the work of a disciple.
New Testament Lesson
Philippians 4:4-7
Joy, Gentleness, And Peace
Here is the joy, gentleness, and peace of the Christian life. This reading will also be used in the readings for Thanksgiving, extending on through verse 9. Consistent with this "Epistle of Joy" we have more urging to know the quality of Christian joy and of gentleness. These are two great elements of the Christian life: joy and gentleness.
The Greek word for gentleness is epieikes. It has been translated many ways: forbearance, softness, the patient mind, modesty, forbearing spirit. The Greeks said it was "justice and something better than justice." Others have claimed it meant "to meet a person half way." I like Barclay's comment concerning epieikeia, "A man has the quality of epieikeia if he knows when not to apply the strict letter of the law, if he knows when to relax justice and to introduce mercy." He will deal with people in love as we hope God will deal with us. Again Barclay, "Justice is human, but epieikeia is divine."
In verses 6 and 7 we see that Paul advises the Philippians to take everything to God in prayer as an antidote for worry. The result of faithful prayer is that it will bring peace to our hearts. This is because we are praying to a powerful, all wise, and loving God.
The Gospel
Luke 3:7-18
The Baptist's Message
The crowds which John was preaching to seemed to think of themselves as chosen by God for special status. John confronts them and they ask what they should do. Typical of Luke's Gospel is repentance and then the stress on social justice. So he advised:
1. Give one of your coats to those who have none.
2. Give some of your food to those who are hungry.
3. Tax collectors collect no more than you are supposed to.
4. Be satisfied with your wages and don't extort money.
Then in verses 16-17 John's baptism is contrasted with the Messiah's baptism of Holy Spirit and fire. See Malachi, chapter 4 for an Old Testament example of the judgment. In Luke's tradition, the fire will soon be associated with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).
The figure of the slave who is not worthy to untie his master's sandals is from Mark 1:7. The fire and spirit connection has special significance for Luke -- it anticipates the events of Pentecost (Acts 2:3-4) and the tongues of fire.
As a homilitician it is clear to me that John preached for specific results and he got them. His message was not in theological niceties but in life itself.
The "good news" in verse 18 is hard for me to see. One commentator says that by Luke's time this word translated "good news" meant preaching on the mission of the church.
Preaching Possibilities
A. The hymn of celebration from the Old Testament, the joy and gentleness of the New Testament, and the promise of one coming by John will all go together this week. If it were not Advent and that time of year our congregation considers Christmas season no matter what the liturgical calendar reads, I would focus on that word of gentleness in Paul's Philippians passage. Notice there is plenty of gentleness in the comments on the scripture readings.
One could begin with John's character and message and then talk of his promise of who is to come, and then back into Philippians as examples of Christian joy and gentleness this promised Messiah will bring. A finish could be to use Zephaniah's hymn of joy as is and without further comment. Why not try chanting it in plainsong fashion?
B. Still another possibility would be to explain the background of the Zephaniah passage, read it as a hymn of joy, and then move to Paul's advice for the Christian life and a way to prepare for Christmas this year:
1. Rejoice in the Lord (v. 4).
2. Let your gentleness be known (v. 5).
3. Don't worry (v. 6). (Bobby McFerrin reggae metaphor?)
4. Pray prayers of thanksgiving and supplication (v. 6).
5. Know the peace of God (v. 7).
6. Be in Christ Jesus (v. 7b).
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Today is the day I preach a biographical sermon about that fascinating character of the Bible, John the Baptist.
A. Introduction: tell of John's birth as a cousin of Jesus.*
B. Review some history and present him as a desert man and the first prophet to speak in many years.
C. Present his message: repent, be baptized, live the life of social concern for others.
D. Now tell how his message is for us as we prepare for Jesus' coming also.
E. Contrast his baptism for repentance and our baptism with the sealing of the Holy Spirit, his good news with our good news.
F. Continue telling of his life: the arrest, the decapitation, and the sending of his disciples to question Jesus about Messiahship. Use as a closing Paul's blessing from the New Testament reading: Philippians 3:7.
Prayer For The Day
We thank you, O God, for giants of the faith down through the ages like John the Baptist. Help us to hear his warning and invitation to repent and thus be better prepared for the Messiah to come into our lives again this year. We pray thankfully knowing your peace will guard our hearts. And please, teach us to be gentle people. In the name of Jesus, John's cousin. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
Signs on three exactly same-looking doors at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Men-Women-Mechanical. Perhaps mechanical is close to being a third form of the human race. We must never lose our God-given humanness.
A little sign on my desk says, "Joy is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God." The great preacher George A. Buttrick used to say, "Joy is what we are chosen for and joy is what we have to offer to all who will come. It is a deep sense of joy not dependent on the number of things we get done in a day -- for this is not the opposite of unhappiness but the opposite of unbelief."
After riding a public bus for four hours, then walking about three miles back into the Sumatran jungle, we arrived at the Bona ni Pinesa (village of origin) of one of my Batak Christian Seminary students. After catechizing approximately 150 on Saturday evening, we drank coffee they had picked and roasted, and then we sang. A beautiful Kebaya-clad girl named Omega stood and lined out hymn after hymn to familiar tunes. The next morning I preached a naked, simple gospel: of Jesus born in Bethlehem with a ministry in Galilee, died on the cross for our forgiveness but Easter resurrection that we too might come out of the grave, and returned in spirit to be with us here and now. And then while the old women chewed napuran, we sang and sang and celebrated the presence of that same spirit with us still. A pig was killed and a hula hula (celebration) was held. We ate sac sang and they presented me an ulas (cloth of deep friendship). That simple, without-frills Christianity touched me deeply as we sang hymns of joy in God's presence. It was "the basics" at Tapiannauli bush village and it was full of joy.
At a church meal after a funeral, a man told me they were expecting a baby any time now, so each night in cold, cold Iowa, he removed the battery from his car and kept it in the house where it would be warm and ready to start the car. Might we anticipate the coming of the Christ-child with such eager and careful anticipation.
____________
*A Bible dictionary like Harpers will prove helpful in learning more about the life of John the Baptist.
