Bible Text: Isai\u00adah 40:1\u20136,9\u201311 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Erich Hun\u00adzi\u00adker | Series: Advent 2019 | John the Bap\u00adtist makes it clear that bes\u00adi\u00addes the usu\u00adal Christ\u00admas pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons, the\u00adre are a few other things that are important in view of the coming Lord:<\/p>\n
\tAs a forerun\u00adner of Jesus, he calls for rep\u00aden\u00adtance and conversion.
\n\tHe pro\u00adclaims the Saviour and shows that the way to the glo\u00adry of God leads through him, Christ crucified.
\n\tAs an evan\u00adge\u00adlist, he does not cudd\u00adle, but speaks plain\u00adly and radi\u00adcal\u00adly resists any form of pious hypocrisy.<\/p>\n
Advent, this time befo\u00adre Christ\u00admas, is a par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly hec\u00adtic time for many peo\u00adp\u00adle. The\u00adre is so much to do. Bes\u00adi\u00addes the dai\u00adly cho\u00adres, the\u00adre are all kinds of things to prepa\u00adre. Well, as long as we are still in the \u00abjuice of life\u00bb and have enough strength, the\u00adse addi\u00adtio\u00adnal tasks are not too big a pro\u00adblem. Some even real\u00adly come ali\u00adve during this time and belie\u00adve that they are on the \u00abbibli\u00adcal cour\u00adse\u00bb with their ela\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adte Christ\u00admas pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons. In the weekly ver\u00adse for the third week of Advent, we are cal\u00adled upon to do just that: \u00abPrepa\u00adre the way of the Lord\u00bb, it says. It says in black and white that we should not sit and twidd\u00adle our thumbs in this time befo\u00adre Christ\u00admas, but work. We are to prepa\u00adre our\u00adsel\u00adves for the gre\u00adat feast when Jesus comes. \u00abPrepa\u00adre ye the way of the Lord: for, behold, the Lord come\u00adth with power.\u00bb So says the pro\u00adphet in Isai\u00adah 40:3 and 10. Yes, Advent is pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon time! The only ques\u00adti\u00adon is whe\u00adther the pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adto\u00adry work we are deal\u00ading with in the\u00adse days coin\u00adci\u00addes with what the pro\u00adphet is tal\u00adking about. Isai\u00adah 40:1\u20136,9\u201311, today\u2019s Bible text, is a gre\u00adat pas\u00adsa\u00adge in this prophet\u2019s book, a pas\u00adsa\u00adge meant to com\u00adfort God\u2019s peo\u00adp\u00adle shaken by suf\u00adfe\u00adring, by judgment and punish\u00adment. \u00abCom\u00adfort, com\u00adfort my peo\u00adp\u00adle, says your God.\u00bb So beg\u00adins the pas\u00adsa\u00adge. This is gos\u00adpel at its best. The\u00adre are three things that are pro\u00admi\u00adsed to the peo\u00adp\u00adle here: 1. Your bon\u00adda\u00adge is ended, past slavery. 2. your debt is for\u00adgi\u00adven 3. you have taken enough, you have recei\u00adved enough punish\u00adment for what you have done wrong.
\nAnd then the pro\u00adphet speaks of this voice cal\u00adling to prepa\u00adre the way for the Lord who is coming: \u00abA voice is cal\u00adling: In the wil\u00adder\u00adness prepa\u00adre the way for the Lord, in the step\u00adpe make a level path for our God! All the val\u00adleys shall be exal\u00adted, and all the moun\u00adta\u00adins and hills shall be made low; and that which is uneven shall be made straight, and that which is hil\u00adly shall be made level.\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 40:3\u20134) That sounds to me almost a bit like the pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon of a landing site: a run\u00adway is to be built, an airst\u00adrip on which the space gli\u00adder with the high guest, with the Lord of lords, the King of kings can land safe\u00adly: Away from vil\u00adla\u00adges and towns, away from roads and indus\u00adtri\u00adal plants, in the desert, in the step\u00adpe, the landing site is to be. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing the\u00adre has to be level\u00adled, leve\u00adled, so that not\u00adhing goes wrong, so that the\u00adre is no crash landing.
\nThe living God wants to land with you with all his majes\u00adty and power. So says the pro\u00adphet. Sure, he puts it a litt\u00adle dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly, \u00abThe glo\u00adry of the Lord shall be reve\u00ada\u00adled\u2026\u00bb So he says \u00abThe glo\u00adry of the Lord shall be reve\u00ada\u00adled, and all fle\u00adsh tog\u00ade\u00adther shall see it\u2026\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 40:5) And then in the 10th ver\u00adse of this chap\u00adter it says: \u00abBehold, the Lord God! He comes might\u00adi\u00adly, and his arm shall rule.\u00bb It is a gre\u00adat event that is announ\u00adced here, a uni\u00adque event for which the peo\u00adp\u00adle of God are to be pre\u00adpared. And per\u00adhaps we sen\u00adse from the\u00adse descrip\u00adti\u00adons of the pro\u00adphet alo\u00adne that the Christ\u00admas pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons as we make them in the\u00adse days pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly do not quite coin\u00adci\u00adde with what the pro\u00adphet means. \u00abThe\u00adre is a voice cal\u00adling: In the wil\u00adder\u00adness prepa\u00adre the way for the Lord, in the step\u00adpe make a level path for our God!\u00bb This is what Isai\u00adah, the pro\u00adphet, pre\u00ada\u00adches seve\u00adral hundred years befo\u00adre Christ\u00admas happens.
\nAnd now we want to switch to the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment \u2013 to John the Bap\u00adtist. He is con\u00adside\u00adred the forerun\u00adner of Jesus. That is how he sees hims\u00adelf. And as the forerun\u00adner of Jesus, John iden\u00adti\u00adfies hims\u00adelf com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly with this voice of which Isai\u00adah speaks. \u00abI am that voice,\u00bb he tells tho\u00adse who come and ask about his iden\u00adti\u00adty. \u00abI am a voice of a pre\u00ada\u00adcher in the wil\u00adder\u00adness: make straight the way of the Lord! as the pro\u00adphet Isai\u00adah said.\u00bb (John 1:23) John the Bap\u00adtist is the one who is to pave the way for this Lord whom Isai\u00adah announ\u00adced. And how does he do that? Does he build a huge run\u00adway some\u00adwhe\u00adre in the desert whe\u00adre the space gli\u00adder with the hea\u00adven\u00adly guest can land safe\u00adly? We find the ans\u00adwer in Luke 3:1\u20138a.
\n1. he does not build an airst\u00adrip, but pre\u00ada\u00adches buses
\n\u00abHe came into all the regi\u00adon around the Jor\u00addan,\u00bb it says here, \u00abprea\u00adching the bap\u00adtism of rep\u00aden\u00adtance for the for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness of sins.\u00bb (Luke 3:3) And the\u00adre are other pas\u00adsa\u00adges in the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment texts that con\u00adfirm this. Matthew 3:1\u20132, for exam\u00adp\u00adle. It says, \u00abAt that time John the Bap\u00adtist came prea\u00adching in the wil\u00adder\u00adness of Judah, say\u00ading, \u00abRep\u00adent, for the king\u00addom of hea\u00adven is at hand.\u00bb \u00bb No, John is not buil\u00adding a run\u00adway for the visi\u00adtor from hea\u00adven. He is prea\u00adching rep\u00aden\u00adtance. He is cal\u00adling peo\u00adp\u00adle to rep\u00aden\u00adtance. Why? Quite sim\u00adply, John is not sim\u00adply pre\u00adpa\u00adring the way for the Lord into this world. He pre\u00adpa\u00adres the way for him into the hearts of the peo\u00adp\u00adle. This Lord, of whom Isai\u00adah and other pro\u00adphe\u00adts of the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment have spo\u00adken for cen\u00adtu\u00adries, does not only want to come to us peo\u00adp\u00adle. He wants to enter our hearts and make his home there.
\nWhe\u00adre this does not hap\u00adpen, whe\u00adre Jesus only comes to us, but does not find a home in our hearts, Christ\u00admas remains wit\u00adhout effect, Christ\u00admas dege\u00adne\u00adra\u00adtes into a very ordi\u00adna\u00adry bir\u00adth\u00adday par\u00adty, which may well bring a few hap\u00adpy hours, crea\u00adte an atmo\u00adsphe\u00adric mood, pro\u00advi\u00adde gre\u00adat encoun\u00adters and allow sump\u00adtuous food, but remains wit\u00adhout las\u00adting effect. And that\u2019s how many peo\u00adp\u00adle expe\u00adri\u00adence Christ\u00admas year after year. After\u00adwards, they return to their ever\u00ady\u00adday lives and con\u00adti\u00adnue to live their lives as they always have: wit\u00adhout this Lord who\u00adse coming they cele\u00adbra\u00adted, wit\u00adhout Jesus, wit\u00adhout his glo\u00adry, wit\u00adhout his power, wit\u00adhout the gift of his grace, wit\u00adhout the know\u00adledge of for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. Christ\u00admas remains wit\u00adhout effect becau\u00adse Jesus may well have come to them, but finds no place in their lives. Ange\u00adlus Sile\u00adsi\u00adus, a Ger\u00adman theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan and doc\u00adtor, is said to have said: \u00abIf Christ were born a thousand times in Beth\u00adle\u00adhem and not in you, you would still be lost for all eter\u00adni\u00adty. By this he means: you can cele\u00adbra\u00adte Christ\u00admas ten or twen\u00adty, for\u00adty, six\u00adty, eigh\u00adty or even a hundred times, and still miss out on the bles\u00adsing of his coming. The Lord Jesus does not just want to land on this earth. He could have done that wit\u00adhout John, the forerun\u00adner. He wants to come into your life. That is why John pre\u00ada\u00adches rep\u00aden\u00adtance. That is why he calls for rep\u00aden\u00adtance. Becau\u00adse rep\u00aden\u00adtance is the way we humans open our hearts to the Lord Jesus. Have you heard this call to rep\u00aden\u00adtance? Have you fol\u00adlo\u00adwed it? Have you ope\u00adned your heart to the Lord Jesus? Or do you still keep it clo\u00adsed? \u00abPrepa\u00adre the way for the Lord!\u00bb is the appeal that stands over the third week of Advent. Advent peo\u00adp\u00adle are peo\u00adp\u00adle who do this. They pave the way for the Lord Jesus into their own hearts and then \u2013 like John \u2013 also the way into the hearts of their fel\u00adlow human beings. As a path\u00adfin\u00adder, John does not build a run\u00adway, but pre\u00ada\u00adches buses!
\n2. he does not speak of glo\u00adry, but pro\u00adclaims the Saviour
\nIf we compa\u00adre the quo\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon from Isai\u00adah in Luke 3 with the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal text in Isai\u00adah 40:4\u20135, we find that in Luke the Isai\u00adah pas\u00adsa\u00adge is actual\u00adly quo\u00adted \u00abwron\u00adgly\u00bb. Isai\u00adah speaks of glo\u00adry to be reve\u00ada\u00adled. Luke, howe\u00adver, speaks of the Saviour whom all peo\u00adp\u00adle will see. Is this a mista\u00adke? Did the evan\u00adge\u00adlist copy incor\u00adrect\u00adly? No! With this chan\u00adge of text he only makes clear what glo\u00adry of God means, as it is reve\u00ada\u00adled to us humans. Now, I don\u2019t know what you asso\u00adcia\u00adte with the term glo\u00adry of God. When we goog\u00adle this term, we come across images of inde\u00adscri\u00adba\u00adble beau\u00adty, of lumi\u00adnous sple\u00adndour, of mar\u00advell\u00adous light, of pene\u00adt\u00adra\u00adting cla\u00adri\u00adty, of incom\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adble riches, etc. This is glo\u00adry for us: light, light, light. That is glo\u00adry for us: light, radi\u00adance, beau\u00adty, full\u00adness\u2026 And we all long for this glo\u00adry, don\u2019t we? Who among us would not like to see it once, this inde\u00adscri\u00adba\u00adble beau\u00adty of God\u2019s glo\u00adry? Who would\u00adn\u2019t like to expe\u00adri\u00adence it, this shi\u00adning radi\u00adance that emana\u00adtes from God? Well, if we scroll down in the image gal\u00adlery on Glo\u00adry of God, we sud\u00adden\u00adly come across this image: a crown of thorns that reminds us of the ter\u00adri\u00adble suf\u00adfe\u00adring of Jesus. And now you may ask: isn\u2019t it exact\u00adly the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte of glo\u00adry: a pic\u00adtu\u00adre of suf\u00adfe\u00adring, of pain, of con\u00adtempt and death. In this the glo\u00adry of God was shown among us human beings, that he sent his Son as Saviour of the world, that he gave him to the cross to save us from our los\u00adt\u00adness and to win us for his eter\u00adnal world. In sen\u00adding his Son as Saviour of the world, God reve\u00ada\u00adled his won\u00adderful glo\u00adry to us. The glo\u00adry of God is not mere\u00adly a term used to descri\u00adbe the qua\u00adli\u00adty of God\u2019s great\u00adness, power, beau\u00adty and full\u00adness. The glo\u00adry of God is a per\u00adson. It is cal\u00adled Jesus Christ. The evan\u00adge\u00adlist John testi\u00adfies in his Gos\u00adpel: \u00abThe Word beca\u00adme fle\u00adsh\u00bb \u2013 he means that God beca\u00adme man through his Son Jesus \u2013 \u00abthe Word beca\u00adme fle\u00adsh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glo\u00adry, the glo\u00adry of the only begot\u00adten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) In making his Son the Saviour of the world, God has reve\u00ada\u00adled his glo\u00adry to us. John the Bap\u00adtist does his job as a forerun\u00adner by making it clear to us peo\u00adp\u00adle that the way to the glo\u00adry of God leads through Jesus, through Christ cru\u00adci\u00adfied. That is what he wants to burn into our hearts this mor\u00adning: Whoe\u00adver wants to see the glo\u00adry of God can\u00adnot avo\u00adid Christ cru\u00adci\u00adfied. Or to put it the other way round: Whoe\u00adver goes past Christ cru\u00adci\u00adfied will never see the glo\u00adry of God. As a forerun\u00adner of the Lord, John does not build a run\u00adway, but pre\u00ada\u00adches buses. He does not speak of glo\u00adry, but pro\u00adclaims the Saviour. And the\u00adre is some\u00adthing else he does:
\n3. he does not cudd\u00adle, but speaks plainly
\nJohn obvious\u00adly has a lot of suc\u00adcess with his ser\u00admon on rep\u00aden\u00adtance. Peo\u00adp\u00adle come to him in dro\u00adves and want to be bap\u00adti\u00adsed. Our pas\u00adsa\u00adge in Luke 3 speaks of a crowd that went out to be bap\u00adti\u00adsed by him (ver\u00adse 7). And the accounts in the other Gos\u00adpels con\u00adfirm this: \u00abThen went out unto him the city of Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, and all Judea, and all the count\u00adries of Jor\u00addan, and were bap\u00adti\u00adsed of him.\u00bb (Matthew 3:5; cf. Mark 1:5). Peo\u00adp\u00adle hear his mes\u00adsa\u00adge. They fol\u00adlow his call. They come in dro\u00adves and are bap\u00adti\u00adsed. If our ser\u00admon had such an effect today, would we speak of revi\u00adval? John should be rejoi\u00adcing at this point. He should be than\u00adking God for giving so much fruit. He should recei\u00adve all the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle with enthu\u00adsi\u00adasm. But John\u2019s reac\u00adtion is quite dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. I read it ear\u00adlier in the 7th ver\u00adse of Luke 3: \u00abThen John said to the crowd that went out to be bap\u00adti\u00adsed by him, \u00abYou brood of vipers\u2026\u00bb \u00bb Others trans\u00adla\u00adte here: \u00abYou brood of vipers\u2026\u00bb (Old Luther Bible), \u00abyou pack of devils\u2026\u00bb (Hope for All). The\u00adse are the very first words we hear from the mouth of the Bap\u00adtist in the Gos\u00adpel of Luke. \u00abYou brood of vipers, who then has made you cer\u00adtain that you will escape the wrath to come?\u00bb (Luke 3:7) John, are you out of your mind? This is no way to deal with peo\u00adp\u00adle who respond to the ser\u00admon and come for\u00adward for bap\u00adtism. You can only be hap\u00adpy about the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle. Why does he do that? Well, it is a very spe\u00adcial group of peo\u00adp\u00adle whom he recei\u00adves or rejects with the\u00adse harsh words. Accor\u00adding to Matthew\u2019s account, it is the Pha\u00adri\u00adsees and Sad\u00addu\u00adcees (Matthew 3:7), the peo\u00adp\u00adle who are so ter\u00adri\u00adbly proud of their pie\u00adty, who are firm\u00adly con\u00advin\u00adced that the\u00adre are no bet\u00adter peo\u00adp\u00adle than them. They look down with the deepest con\u00adtempt on the tax coll\u00adec\u00adtors and sin\u00adners who\u00adse lives are so far remo\u00adved from what God wants. They are the peo\u00adp\u00adle who do ever\u00ady\u00adthing right and real\u00adly do not need rep\u00aden\u00adtance \u2013 inde\u00aded, they do not even know what rep\u00aden\u00adtance is. They are the model peo\u00adp\u00adle that ever\u00adyo\u00adne can take as an exam\u00adp\u00adle. But why do they join tho\u00adse who want to fol\u00adlow the call of the Bap\u00adtist and recei\u00adve his bap\u00adtism? Pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly sim\u00adply becau\u00adse they respect John\u2019s minis\u00adtry. They reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse him as a ful\u00adly empowered mes\u00adsen\u00adger of God and yet they do not want to stand on the side\u00adlines. Of cour\u00adse they want to be the\u00adre when the king\u00addom comes that John pro\u00adclaims. They are the very first ones who are entit\u00adled to par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adte in the coming king\u00addom of God\u2026 That is why they are wil\u00adling to under\u00adgo this ritu\u00adal of bap\u00adtism, alt\u00adhough they do not real\u00adly need it. But John sees through the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle. He reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00ads\u00ades their lack of faith and makes it clear to them: \u00abWhat I am cele\u00adbra\u00adting here is much more than just a pious ritu\u00adal. My bap\u00adtism is an act that marks a pro\u00adfound inner chan\u00adge: The chan\u00adge of heart. Whoe\u00adver does not car\u00adry out this chan\u00adge of heart, whoe\u00adver does not need it, is out of place with me. No, John does not cudd\u00adle. He speaks plain\u00adly \u2013 even if he deep\u00adly upsets peo\u00adp\u00adle with it. We don\u2019t read any\u00adthing about how the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle shag\u00adged off. But they were pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly pret\u00adty upset about this Bap\u00adtist guy who was so cheeky with them. Yes, that too is part of the minis\u00adtry of the pio\u00adneer, that he expo\u00adses fal\u00adse\u00adhood, expo\u00adses hypo\u00adcri\u00adsy and sepa\u00adra\u00adtes the wheat from the chaff.
\nDear brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters, dear fri\u00adends, some of us are busy the\u00adse days with all kinds of Christ\u00admas pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons. In all the fes\u00adti\u00adve pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons, let us not for\u00adget that a few other things are important in view of the coming of our Lord:
\n\u2013 That we open our hearts and give the Lord Jesus space in our lives. Then Christ\u00admas can have a las\u00adting effect!
\n\u2013 That we seek the glo\u00adry of God not some\u00adwhe\u00adre, not in our fan\u00adcy fes\u00adti\u00adve deco\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons, but in Jesus cru\u00adci\u00adfied. In him and in him alo\u00adne will we encoun\u00adter the won\u00adderful radi\u00adance of God\u2019s love.
\n\u2013 And that we no lon\u00adger tole\u00adra\u00adte pious fal\u00adse\u00adhood and hypo\u00adcri\u00adsy in our lives, but final\u00adly beco\u00adme honest \u2013 befo\u00adre God, befo\u00adre our neigh\u00adbours and also befo\u00adre our\u00adsel\u00adves. The Lord of glo\u00adry does not come to hypo\u00adcri\u00adtes. He moves in with sin\u00adners who know that they need him and who open their hearts to him.
\nFrom the bot\u00adtom of my heart, I wish you all hap\u00adpy holi\u00addays that are not sim\u00adply over on 26 Decem\u00adber, but bring per\u00adso\u00adnal gain and rich bles\u00adsings that will con\u00adti\u00adnue to have an effect far into the New Year.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bible Text: Isai\u00adah 40:1\u20136,9\u201311 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Erich Hun\u00adzi\u00adker | Series: Advent 2019 | John the Bap\u00adtist makes it clear that bes\u00adi\u00addes the usu\u00adal Christ\u00admas pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons, the\u00adre are a few other things that are important in view of the coming Lord: As a forerun\u00adner of Jesus, he calls for rep\u00aden\u00adtance and con\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adon. He pro\u00adclaims the Saviour and shows\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[58],"wpfc_sermon_series":[62],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-erich-hunziker","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-advent-2019","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2597","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t