Advent Meditations: "In the fifteenth year of the reign of ..."
Luke 3:1-6
3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,
3:2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
3:3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
3:4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;
3:6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
---------------------------------------------------
Here is a particular place and time in history, when certain state rulers and religious leaders were in charge, that the word of God came to John, son of Zecharaiah. Was John the emperor? Or the governor? Or one of the rulers? Did he occupy a high religious office?
No.
When the word of God came to him, was John in the palace? Or in the governor’s mansion? Or in the Bishop's house?
No.
John, who did not hold a worldly title, was in the wilderness when the word of the Lord came to him.
What words and images come to mind when you hear that word, wilderness? For me they are untamed, barren, vast, stark, harsh, ruggedly and wildly beautiful, both frightening and exhilarating in its vastness and its wildness, unconquered, unknown and time-less (can’t really imagine a clock on a mantelpiece in the wilderness, can you?), devoid of modern comfort and safety.
I wouldn’t want to traverse the wilderness alone. But, if God was with me, it would be a different story. (Jeremiah 31:2 speaks of God’s people finding grace in the wilderness.) It is in the wilderness, after all, that John hears God speak.
It's only after John receives the word of God that he goes into all the regions. So, first, it appears he was alone in the wilderness, and then he went out into the crowded, inhabited regions to preach the word he had received in the wilderness: a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Isn’t it interesting that God’s word did not come to Emperor Tiberius, Governor Pontius Pilate, King Herod or King Philip, or High Priests Annas and Caiaphas? Isn’t it striking that the word of the King and Creator of all that is seen and unseen didn’t come to the palace, the stately home, or the sacred Holy of Holies?
And yet for those of us familiar with the Gospel story this is not surprising. In fact, it tends to be God’s way: Jesus was born in a manger, grew up in the unimportant and dismissed Nazareth, chose fishermen and tax collectors to build his kingdom, rode a donkey and not a chariot into Jerusalem, was the crucified Messiah with a crown of thorns and exemplifies the servant king. This irony is God’s way of salvation.
God’s way is distinct and unlike the ways of this world. Let’s not forget that this Advent. Let’s listen for God’s word in unlikely places and unlikely people as far as the standards and expectations of this world are concerned.
Even as we attend church services and go caroling and whatever else we do in communion with fellow believers this season – as important as that is – it’s also essential to get away from the crowd, and to get alone with God to hear His word to us in our own wilderness. For some, as we approach Christmas, life itself might feel like a wilderness experience. You are not alone. God is with you. Listen for His word.
Luke does not tell us how long John spent in the wilderness. I would guess that it was quite a while, given God’s concept of time – or lack thereof! Perhaps, for each one of us that length of time will be different. But, I believe, it is necessary for each one of us to get alone with God in the wilderness of our lives, to be able to listen to His voice alone. Like John, we need to get away far from human voices and the noise and rush of “civilization” as we know it, far from the trappings and dwellings of wealth, privilege and comfort to truly listen to the voice of the Lord.
As the secular and religious powers that be in John’s time went about their exercising their power and making their pronouncements, John took time in the wilderness, to hear the word of the Lord, and then went into inhabited regions and proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. So too, in our time, even as we live and work within the institutions of state and church in the countries where we reside, we need to make some time alone with God, away from our daily routines, far from the crowds.
But, it doesn’t end there. Notice John then went into all the regions.
There are things that only God can do: Like filling valleys, and making mountains and hills low. We’ll leave those up to Him. But, when we know Him and have heard His word, each one of us has a part to play in preparing His way. Only God can make known to us what that might be in our particular time and place. To hear Him, we need to take time alone with Him to listen to what He has to say.
As we take that time alone with the resurrected Lord Jesus, waiting for His second coming and preparing to celebrate His historical birth, let’s not forget to make a way for someone else to know Him. God’s salvation story centered in Jesus Christ is not just about us. It’s about “all flesh” seeing the salvation of God. The Gospel is not meant for us alone. God’s words are not meant for us to keep to ourselves. Followers of Christ are not to be isolated forever.
In this season then, spend time alone with God and then go out to the places around you, to the people whom you encounter…and be witnesses for love, grace and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ, that people might change course and follow Him.
3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,
3:2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
3:3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
3:4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;
3:6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
---------------------------------------------------
Here is a particular place and time in history, when certain state rulers and religious leaders were in charge, that the word of God came to John, son of Zecharaiah. Was John the emperor? Or the governor? Or one of the rulers? Did he occupy a high religious office?
No.
When the word of God came to him, was John in the palace? Or in the governor’s mansion? Or in the Bishop's house?
No.
John, who did not hold a worldly title, was in the wilderness when the word of the Lord came to him.
What words and images come to mind when you hear that word, wilderness? For me they are untamed, barren, vast, stark, harsh, ruggedly and wildly beautiful, both frightening and exhilarating in its vastness and its wildness, unconquered, unknown and time-less (can’t really imagine a clock on a mantelpiece in the wilderness, can you?), devoid of modern comfort and safety.
I wouldn’t want to traverse the wilderness alone. But, if God was with me, it would be a different story. (Jeremiah 31:2 speaks of God’s people finding grace in the wilderness.) It is in the wilderness, after all, that John hears God speak.
It's only after John receives the word of God that he goes into all the regions. So, first, it appears he was alone in the wilderness, and then he went out into the crowded, inhabited regions to preach the word he had received in the wilderness: a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Isn’t it interesting that God’s word did not come to Emperor Tiberius, Governor Pontius Pilate, King Herod or King Philip, or High Priests Annas and Caiaphas? Isn’t it striking that the word of the King and Creator of all that is seen and unseen didn’t come to the palace, the stately home, or the sacred Holy of Holies?
And yet for those of us familiar with the Gospel story this is not surprising. In fact, it tends to be God’s way: Jesus was born in a manger, grew up in the unimportant and dismissed Nazareth, chose fishermen and tax collectors to build his kingdom, rode a donkey and not a chariot into Jerusalem, was the crucified Messiah with a crown of thorns and exemplifies the servant king. This irony is God’s way of salvation.
God’s way is distinct and unlike the ways of this world. Let’s not forget that this Advent. Let’s listen for God’s word in unlikely places and unlikely people as far as the standards and expectations of this world are concerned.
Even as we attend church services and go caroling and whatever else we do in communion with fellow believers this season – as important as that is – it’s also essential to get away from the crowd, and to get alone with God to hear His word to us in our own wilderness. For some, as we approach Christmas, life itself might feel like a wilderness experience. You are not alone. God is with you. Listen for His word.
Luke does not tell us how long John spent in the wilderness. I would guess that it was quite a while, given God’s concept of time – or lack thereof! Perhaps, for each one of us that length of time will be different. But, I believe, it is necessary for each one of us to get alone with God in the wilderness of our lives, to be able to listen to His voice alone. Like John, we need to get away far from human voices and the noise and rush of “civilization” as we know it, far from the trappings and dwellings of wealth, privilege and comfort to truly listen to the voice of the Lord.
As the secular and religious powers that be in John’s time went about their exercising their power and making their pronouncements, John took time in the wilderness, to hear the word of the Lord, and then went into inhabited regions and proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. So too, in our time, even as we live and work within the institutions of state and church in the countries where we reside, we need to make some time alone with God, away from our daily routines, far from the crowds.
But, it doesn’t end there. Notice John then went into all the regions.
There are things that only God can do: Like filling valleys, and making mountains and hills low. We’ll leave those up to Him. But, when we know Him and have heard His word, each one of us has a part to play in preparing His way. Only God can make known to us what that might be in our particular time and place. To hear Him, we need to take time alone with Him to listen to what He has to say.
As we take that time alone with the resurrected Lord Jesus, waiting for His second coming and preparing to celebrate His historical birth, let’s not forget to make a way for someone else to know Him. God’s salvation story centered in Jesus Christ is not just about us. It’s about “all flesh” seeing the salvation of God. The Gospel is not meant for us alone. God’s words are not meant for us to keep to ourselves. Followers of Christ are not to be isolated forever.
In this season then, spend time alone with God and then go out to the places around you, to the people whom you encounter…and be witnesses for love, grace and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ, that people might change course and follow Him.
posted by Ruth at 12:50 AM
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