Sidney UMC - Third Sunday of Advent - 12/12/21 - Sermon - “The Messiah We Expect?" ("A Real Advent and A Real Christmas" Series: Part 3 of 5)

Sunday 12/12/21 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:                 “The Messiah We Expect?”                                      (“A Real Advent and A Real Christmas!” Series: Part 3 of 5)          

Old Testament Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-20                                       

New Testament Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7

Gospel Lesson: Luke 3:7-18

          This morning is the Third Sunday of Advent, and the third week in our sermon series called “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas.” So far in this sermon series, we have talked about how Advent and Christmas this year are and will be real. We are here, we are present, even if everything is not completely back to normal around our COVID-19 Pandemic.

          Whether we were in this pandemic or not however, the memory and the celebration of Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day, will happen. Whether we were in this pandemic or not, we are invited to bring Jesus into our hearts anew daily. Whether we were in this pandemic or not, we also await the glorious return of Jesus Christ.

          After two long years of a global pandemic, and after seeing so many people worship and connect with the church in person and online, we should be excited that we have so many more people connected to us and to Christ through our church. Some people are online only because of the pandemic, some live far away, but some might not want to be physically part of a church. As a result, in this season of Advent, and soon to be Christmas, it is important, as I said last Sunday, to distinguish Jesus from the church. When we live and love like Jesus, the church grows and is strengthened. When the church fails to live and love like Jesus, then many people will not want to be part of the church, at least physically. Let us continue to show people the love of Christ in this season of Advent, and the soon to be season of Christmas. People will come to visit, whether up until Christmas, or on Christmas Eve itself. We get the opportunity then to show people the love of Christ, and we get the opportunity to show people why the Sidney UMC is such a great church to be a part of.

          With all of this being said, what I am talking about this morning, is who is this Jesus that we love so much? Further, is the baby being born soon, and the messiah that will grow up and die on a cross for us, is this who we would expect the messiah to be?

          For example, if you were to look at a broken world like ours, full of suffering, pain, disease, war, poverty, and cruelty, how would you fix it? Do not get me wrong there is great love and hope in this world too, but we cannot deny all the brokenness that is all around us. So, if we were tasked with fixing this world, what would we do about it? More specifically if were going to send a savior, a messiah, Jesus Christ, and if we could determine what this Jesus would be like, how would we create this Jesus who will save the world. What I mean by this, is before we ever knew about Jesus, if we were to be asked what this savior should be, or could be, what would we say?

          I think that some of us would imagine Jesus as a superhero. Jesus would be like one of the many recent movies that depict Spider Man, Superman, and etc. Surely Jesus would be powerful, would fight, and would physically win the day over evil. Or maybe this Jesus, this Messiah, this savior, who we will celebrate the birth of on December 25^th will be a great warrior and general. Maybe when this Jesus is old enough, he will militarily conquer the evil of this world and create peace and harmony. For some maybe this would be “The Messiah We Expect?”

          Yet the scripture says that Jesus is “The Prince of Peace.” The scripture calls Jesus “The Man of Sorrows.” The scripture says that this baby coming to us soon will grow up, live, preach, heal, love, and forgive, but in the end will be abandoned and rejected. The scripture says that he will be tortured, suffer, and die for us on a cross. Jesus does not militarily conquer Rome on Good Friday, nor does he physically fight off the people that harm and kill him. I cannot imagine that most people if they were asked what the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus Christ would be like, that would say that this is “The Messiah We Expect?”

          While we might not have predicted what Jesus would be like, many of us know now who Jesus the messiah actually was and is. Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in a chariot with an army. Jesus came in humble on a donkey. Jesus once he began his ministry did not live in castles or have the best of everything. Jesus came to offer spiritual transformation to the world. Jesus did not come to try to kill and overthrow Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, King Herod, or Caesar. Jesus did not come as a movie superhero, or as conquering warrior. Jesus came in strength, grace, truth, righteousness, mercy, and love.

          I remember hearing John Kerry speak some years ago when he ran for president. At one point he said, “You cannot legislate morality.” What was meant by this, is that we can pass laws, we can use force, we can intimidate, but what truly changes things? While for some, the savior, the messiah that is coming among us soon might not be a movie superhero or a conquering warrior, but I would argue that he is far more powerful than both of them.

          For centuries we have had one conquering empire after another invading and taking over. The way these empires stayed in power was fear, strength, money, and control. If Jesus “The Messiah We Expect” was like this, then many would only follow him because they had they no choice. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world, and we get to say yes or no to this gospel.

          What was and is Jesus’ power then? Well on earth Jesus was the fullness of man and God, he had the power and the authority to perform miracles and taught with the fullness of grace and truth. Beyond all of this, Jesus’ biggest weapon was love. If you can conquer a person’s heart, then why would ever need to conquer the person’s body? You can control a person with power, fear, intimidation, and force, but what if you could change someone spiritually from the inside out.

          Jesus Christ, while not “The Messiah” that many expected has transformed the world, and he did not need to swing one sword or shoot one arrow to do it. If you can change hearts, if you can restore souls, if you can renew minds, then you can truly change the world. The Roman Empire that held Judea as a colony under Pontius Pilate when Jesus was alive, no longer controls Israel. In fact, the Roman Empire collapses centuries ago, and head of the largest Christian denomination in world, Pope Francis, sits in the Vatican in Rome. Where Roman Caesars, Roman Emperors sat and ruled, now the largest Christian denomination, the Roman Catholic Church is based where the Empire that once colonized Jesus’s homeland was. The Roman Governor Pontius Pilate that condemned Jesus to death, likely has descendants that have been Christian for centuries, as Rome is no longer an empire. Rome is now the headquarters of over 1-billion Christians.

          A Superhero like the movies, a conquering warrior, well that would be fun and interesting, but what if you can transform for the world without all of that. If you can win souls, hearts, and minds, that is the real change that the messiah, Jesus came for. Did he come to die for our sins and rise again? Of course, but also came to change our hearts, our minds, and our souls here on earth. There is nothing stronger and more powerful than soul that has been stored by Christ, a heart that has been changed by Christ, or a mind that has been renewed by Christ.

          In fact, as our reading from the Prophet or Book of Zephaniah for morning says in 3:17-18 once again:

¹⁷ The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing ¹⁸ as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it (Zeph. 3:17-18, NRSV).

          Now if you were a Jew in the time of Jesus’ birth and life, death, and resurrection, I could see why Jesus would not be “The Messiah” you would expect. Jesus is a warrior that gives us victory, but a spiritual warrior that gives us spiritual victory. Jesus was not a military warrior of general. Jesus came to change our hearts, our minds, and restore our souls.

          In looking once again at our reading from the Book of Philippians, we hear once again the Apostle Paul saying:

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus       (Phil. 4:4-7, NRSV). 

          In this scripture the Apostle Paul encourages us to rejoice, to be gentle, to trust God, to pray, to be thankful, and to have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. The Apostle Paul then tells us to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus might not have been “The Messiah” that some hoped for or predicted, but this spiritual warrior came to conquer hearts, minds, and restore souls.

          How are we changed then, and how do we change the world then? We do this with the love of Jesus Christ. Since we cannot legislate morality, we must change our hearts, our minds, and restore our souls.

          In looking at our gospel of Luke reading for this morning once again, we once again hear again about Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist. More specifically we here from John the Baptist himself. Starting once again in Luke 3:7 it says of John the Baptist:

⁷ John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” ¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” ¹¹ In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise” (Lk. 3:7-10, NRSV).  

          John the Baptist is telling the crowds that when Jesus begins his public ministry and starts teaching, loving, healing, and forgiving here on earth, that we must be changed. The change that Jesus desires is a change of mind, heart, and the restoration of our soul.

How then will translate into building a better world? It will translate into a better world, because as disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to live like Jesus. John tells us some of what Jesus will teach us. John says once again, if you have two coats, share. John said if you have extra food share. We can pass laws, and we can create all sort of other things. Some laws, some regulations, and some restrictions are good, but only a changed mind, heart, and restored soul can truly change this world.

After talking to the crowds, the tax collectors then ask John the Baptist what they should do. The scripture picks up once again in Luke 3:12 saying:

¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³ He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” ¹⁵ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, (Lk. 3:12-15, NRSV).

          John the Baptist tells the tax collectors only to collect from people what is owed, and to not cheat anyone. John the Baptists then tells soldiers to do their duty, take their wages, and do not cheat or extort money. As a result of the way John the Baptist was talking, some thought that John the Baptist himself was the messiah. Further, John is telling the tax collectors and the soldiers, that they know what the laws are, so do not cheat people. You cannot legislate morality. Live right, honestly, upright, and justly. How do we do that? Well, I believe that the best and the only answer that the world has is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ offers us a new heart, a renewed mind, and a restored soul.

          Balking at the idea that he is the messiah, John the Baptist then once again says of this of the messiah, our savior, his cousin Jesus Christ:

 ¹⁶ John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people                              (Lk. 3:16-18, NRSV).

          I can imagine all the crowds around John the Baptist then discussing and thinking, so what will this messiah be like? Will he be “The Messiah We Expect?” You see the baby Jesus, who is coming amongst us soon is not just our savior who will die for our sins and rise again, he has come to change us all. Jesus did not just come to fulfill a contractual agreement to get us into heaven one day, he came to bring his kingdom here to earth. We cannot legislate morality, but Jesus can change hearts, minds, and restore souls.

          Do you want God to use you to change the world? Well, how can we change anything, until we are changed? When Christmas arrives in about two weeks, may we realize that “The Messiah We Expect?” might actually be much more powerful, more significant, and more life changing than we could ever imagine. Amen.