The Peace of Christ Announced

The Peace of Christ Announced
Rev. Dr. Chris Hensley
December 8th, 2024
Luke 3:1-6

We begin this morning with our Gospel text found in Luke’s account. As a brief aside, Luke’s account is my favorite as it is the most in-your-face when it comes to the reversal of societal norms and as it points to the reality that we are the beloved children of God no matter our circumstances or choices in life as revealed in parables unique to Luke such as the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee. We turn our attention to our reading this morning which holds within the beginning and summation of the purpose of the ministry of John the Baptizer. Luke is doing two things here at the outset, he is placing the events of the following recordings into a specific location and he is making connections to several prophetic books found in the Hebrew Bible.

Now, while Luke’s author provides a specific location in time and geography, it is imperative that we not read the following text as a history textbook. Christian scripture, despite what some people may believe about it, is not a history text recording accurately world events. This stance robs the text of its intended purpose, to inform persons who read it of the intended relationship between humanity and the God revealed within the pages as well as the intended relationship which we ought have with one another and with the world which we inhabit. That to say, Luke is not recording these persons names to necessarily state that Jesus lived at this specific time and these specific historical figures played major roles within the story. Rather, the following account of the life and ministry of this Jesus of Nazareth who Luke believes to be the Christ of God promised within Hebrew Bible texts interacts with persons of all locations within society from the very poor and destitute to the most affluent and influential. From poor paralytics as seen in chapter 5 through to the emperor of Rome himself in the book of Acts as was Paul’s hope and intention. Acts is basically the Gospel of Luke part two. Luke takes great pains, it is the longest and slowest Gospel to develop, often depicted as a plodding ox in Christian iconography, to ensure that the Gospel is presented to persons from all walks of life, from every rung of the socioeconomic ladder, and from a plethora of religious and spiritual backgrounds, though its roots are always within Judaism.

While it is true that the biblical text is not a history textbook, Luke’s author takes great pains to connect Jesus to the history of Israel, specifically within our reading for this morning we see that Luke quotes the prophet Isaiah in reference to both John the Baptist and the coming of Jesus himself. Of note, the text names several political and religious leaders of the day and sets John, and Jesus by association, apart from these leaders marking instead the connection to the Hebrew prophets of old. John is a prophet acting independently of the establishment, as prophets tend to do, and prepares the way for the coming Messiah.

For John the Baptist, this preparation comes in the form of a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John the Baptist is depicted as one who believes all have sinned and all are in need of repentance. We all miss the mark from time to time in how we engage with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us. None of is immune to various shortcomings. We get things wrong and we are expected to rectify those shortcomings, those moments when we missed he mark. Easier said than done, for sure. This is an outward sign for John the Baptizer that those who are about to receive the coming Christ have made the appropriate preparations within their lives. For John another piece of this preparation was to be baptized or ceremonially cleansed. This was not a foreign concept to the Jews of John’s day as archeologists have discovered several ceremonial cleansing pools in numerous known Jewish settlements of that geographic area.

This is part of the preparation of this season. Personal reflection is paramount during the season of Advent. What are our growing edges when it comes to the ways in which we engage with the people and the world around us? How might we continue to prepare for the coming Prince of Peace? Christian testament scholars Burridge, Craddock, and Vinson all point to the intentionality of the author of this Gospel account to ensure that the Prince of Peace comes for people from all backgrounds and walks of life. For we who have accepted this Prince of Peace, who long for the reign of peace in this world, how are we carrying ourselves as agents of this Divine Peace? How might we improve in our journey as agents of Divine Peace? As we believe that the Kin-dom of God is now, how are we enacting this Kin-dom? Bringing this Kin-dom into being in our spheres of influence? As we focus on Divine Peace this week, indeed this season of Advent, let us reflect upon ourselves and commit to serve as agents of this Kin-dom of peace which forges our tools of hatred and exclusion into instruments of love and inclusion.