Emmanue:l Prophecy Fulfilled: God is with us.

December 7, 2014
The Second Sunday in Advent


Mark 1:1-8
ePrepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.fh
4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camelfs hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: gAfter me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.h
Isaiah 40:1-5
Comfort, comfort my people,  says your God.  
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,  
and proclaim to her  that her hard service has been completed,  
that her sin has been paid for, 
that she has received from the LORDfs hand 
double for all her sins.  

3 A voice of one calling: 
gIn the desert prepare 
the way for the LORD; 
make straight in the wilderness 
a highway for our God. 
4 Every valley shall be raised up, 
every mountain and hill made low; 
the rough ground shall become level, 
the rugged places a plain. 
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, 
and all mankind together will see it.  
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.h

At Christmas God speaks to us. His message of salvation is delivered by angels and prophets. Today we read the words of two prophets, Isaiah and John the Baptist.

Isaiah said to make a highway for God in the desert. It was the historical situation that the Exile of the Jews in Babylon was over and that they would soon be returning to the Promised Land. It would be a long trip for them, they had to travel through the desert, and so, Isaiah told them that God would be with them on their journey home and would protect them and would make their journey easy. And so it would be like walking through a beautiful garden, it was beautiful because they were going home!

John the Baptist took the words of Isaiah and applied them to his own work. John was in the wilderness, and there he was preparing a highway for the Messiah to come to the Jews. Isaiah told of the forgiveness of God and John told the people to repent of their sin and be baptized to receive forgiveness. In the Book of Isaiah, because God had forgiven the Jews, they could return home to the Promised Land from exile in Babylon. For John the Baptist, if the Jews again repented of their sins and turned to God, then the Messiah would lead them to salvation. And Jesus did come. He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He was the straight path to salvation.

And today, we hear the words of Isaiah and John speaking to us. It is time for us to repent and believe in the Gospel. It is time for us to travel the road prepared for us. It is prepared by those who preach and teach the Gospel. We are led by the Holy Spirit. We take up our crosses and follow Jesus to the cross, to the grave, to the resurrection.

Both Isaiah and John were prophets. They speak to us. When we hear these words, God is telling us also to prepare the road for the Messiah. Soon Christmas will be here, and so we need to prepare for his coming. Maybe we too should build a highway for the Lord in the wilderness. Taken literally, we might build a chapel in the desert or in the jungle or on a deserted island. But when you think about it, sometimes the place where we are right now seems like a wilderness. I am not talking about the economic situation of our homes. I am talking about the desert-like conditions of our society as a whole. People wander around in spiritual darkness and fear. Hearts and eyes are dry from crying and pain and worry. And so the place to build a chapel is right here. This is where it is needed. Not just this church building, but the chapel of our hearts. We prepare for the Lord to come to our own hearts and then we show the path of salvation to others. This is where the Messiah comes. That is the Christmas Story. Christ was born in this sinful wilderness of a world. He came to where we are. Here he suffered like we do and then, even more; he suffered and was crucified for our sin. Then he arose on the third day. Then he promised our resurrection and eternal life in the Promised Land. That prophecy of Jesus is the prophecy that gives meaning to Christmas. Christmas is the first step on the road to the Promised Land.

Jesus Christ is called gImmanuelh which means gGod with us.h Christmas tells us that God is with us. We do not travel the road alone. The road of life goes through a wilderness sometimes: grief and sorrow and pain and sin. But it need not be a lonely wilderness. I know in my life that the road has been easier when I have traveled with God in the midst of problems. That is when I pray and ask God to guide me and to be with me. The mountains of problems are lowered; the valleys of disappointment and failure are not so deep.

At Christmas the words of the prophets are fulfilled. That is what we celebrate at Christmas. God is with us.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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