John Points to the Coming of Christ and His Kingdom
Introduction: May you continue to prepare yourself for the Coming
of the Lord Jesus.
So are you ready? Have you finished all of your preparations?
It doesn’t mean for Christmas and the celebration of the First Coming of the Lord
Jesus to earth. We are to be more concerned for His final coming not just to the
world as a whole at the end of time, but also for His coming to take us with Him
into the Final Reign of God. Just as we are spending time preparing to celebrate
Christmas, checking all our lists at least twice, decking our house and getting
all things ready for eighteen days from now, so you should also be readying ourself
by discipline, preparation, and thoughtful anticipation. Now is the time to get
ready, for we know not when He will be coming for us.
Our Advent journey continues. We see two different images of
the Coming Reign of GOD. Both are true; both can speak to us. Isaiah speaks of a
time when the “Chosen One” of GOD will come and issue in a time of peace and mutually
cooperation. The Responsorial Psalm declares a time when peace and justice flourish.
Paul urges the Roman Christians to manifest the unity to which GOD is calling them,
in and through Jesus. The Gospel presents John the Baptist’s ministry of preparing
people for the Coming of the One Who is mightier than he.
First Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10: ‘With righteousness he shall
judge the poor.’
Commentary: From this
reading the seven gifts of the Spirit are, rather artificially, taken. Seven is
the perfect number, so this is intended to signify that the promised ruler will
have all possible gifts of what we more generally call wisdom and understanding.
He will be a ruler before whom one can stand in the secure knowledge that his judgement
will be deeply fair and satisfying. The ‘fear of the Lord’ ensures that they will
be in accordance with the divinely-ordered bases of creation. Such is the Ruler
whom we await at Christmas. It was surely these qualities which made Jesus such
an attractive and charismatic figure, so that he could, as a wholly unknown stranger,
pass those fishermen, and they would drop everything and respond to his call, ‘Follow
me’. Confrontation with his personality was shock enough and inspiring enough to
cure sickness. His simple word gave assurance of forgiveness of sin. His command
reduced the elements of nature to serenity. In the second half of the reading we
see the consequences, a return to the peace of the Garden of Eden. No more hostility,
no more jealousy. Nature, even human nature, will not be red in tooth and claw.
Responsorial Psalm 72:1-2. 7-8. 12-13. 17: In his days shall
justice flourish, and great peace forever.
The psalmist looks forward to GOD’s blessing of the Coming Ruler
of the people Who will establish a reign of true peace and justice. This Coming
Regent will reach out to the poor and the disenfranchised and save them. All peoples
of the world will be blessed by the One Who will come soon.
Second Reading: Romans 15:4-9: Christ saves humanity.
Commentary: Paul is
here summing up his message to the Romans, a fragmented community of several house-churches,
some drawn from Judaism, some from the gentiles. He has described and analysed Christ’s
work of salvation, the generosity of Christ in giving himself up for us, to win
us back to the Father. Then he calls upon his hearers to imitate Christ’s generosity.
He speaks first to the Christians sprung, like himself, from Judaism, reminding
them of the promises of scripture, the heritage of Judaism, which were to inspire
them with hope, for God’s promises are never-failing and sure. Then he reminds them
with a string of quotations (only the first of which is given, at the end of this
reading) that God’s promises were intended for the gentiles too, so that they too
should praise God’s name. Why are we given this reading in Advent? Because the perfect
generosity of Jesus Christ in taking on this work of our salvation must be the model
for our own generosity, both to those who are our natural friends and to those who
are not, and because it must be the basis of our hope. However neglectful and ungrateful
we are, Christ’s work cannot have been in vain.
Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.’
Commentary: ‘Repentance’
is an unattractive idea. It conjures up morose brooding over past sins and failures,
a negative idea. This is not what John the Baptist proclaimed. His message was wholly
positive. In Hebrew and Greek the concept is a change of behaviour, a change of
direction. John is calling on them to change their ways, to change their scale of
values, their whole direction of life. To reinforce his message he wears the clothes
worn by Elijah, the prophet who was to return to announce the final coming of the
LORD. He proclaims his message in the desert, that apocalyptic landscape of the
arid and bare Jordan Valley, below sea-level, where merchants would be crossing
the Jordan on the road to the East. So he makes a deliberate claim to be this final
prophet and to be preparing a way for the LORD. We see Jesus as the Messiah, the
loving Saviour, but John was not yet proclaiming Jesus. He was proclaiming the threatening
and imminent arrival of the sovereignty of God, when rotten trees would be cut down
and evil swept away to be burnt in unquenchable fire. If we are to be open to the
arrival of the Kingship of God, we may need to look to our scale of values. Am I
the only person who matters to me?
Reflection: What kind of Messiah did God promise to send to his
people and how would he bring God's kingdom to them? The prophet Isaiah foresaw
the day when God would raise up a Messianic King long after King David's throne
had been overthrown and vacant for centuries. God promised that he would raise up
a new king from the stump of Jesse, the father of King David (Isaiah 11:1). This
messianic king would rule forever because the Spirit of God would rest upon him
and remain with him (Isaiah 11:2).
Isaiah's prophecy of the Messiah:
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be equipped with the gifts of
the Spirit - with wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear of
the Lord (Isaiah 11:2 - for an explanation of the gifts see this helpful article).
This king would establish the kingdom of God, not by force of human will and military
power, but by offering his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world.
Through his death on the cross, Jesus, the true Messiah King, would defeat Satan,
overcome death, and win pardon and reconciliation for sinners. God's plan of redemption
included not only the Jewish people but all the nations of the earth as well. Through
his death and resurrection Jesus makes us citizens of heaven and friends of God.
The Lord Jesus wants us to live in joyful hope and confident expectation that he
will come again to fully establish his kingdom of righteousness and peace.
John the Baptist's prophecy of
the Messiah: Why did John the Baptist prophesy that the Messiah would
come and "baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11)?
Fire in biblical times was often associated with God's presence and with his action
in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire,
such as the burning bush which was not consumed when God spoke to Moses (Exodus
3:2). The image of fire was also used to symbolize God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13),
his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), his holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), righteous
judgment (Zechariah 13:9), and his wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16). Fire was
also used as a sign of the Holy Spirit's power and presence (Matthew 3:11). When
the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, tongues of fire appeared
over the heads of the apostles and disciples of Jesus (Acts 2:3). The fire of the
Holy Spirit purifies and cleanses us of sin, and it inspires a reverent fear of
God and of his word in us. Do you want to be on fire for God and for the return
of the Lord Jesus when he comes again in his glory?
John pointed others to the coming
of Christ and his kingdom: John the Baptist's life was fueled by one
burning passion - to point others to Jesus Christ and to the coming of his kingdom.
Who is John the Baptist and what is the significance of his message for our lives?
Scripture tells us that John was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's
womb (Luke 1:15, 41) by Christ himself, whom Mary had just conceived by the Holy
Spirit. When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth John lept in her womb as they were
filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41). Like the prophets of the Old Testament,
John devoted his entire life to prayer and the word of God. He was led by the Holy
Spirit into the wilderness where he was tested and grew in the word of God. John's
clothing was reminiscent of the prophet Elijah (see Kings 1:8). The Holy Spirit
prepared John for the mission entrusted to him as forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus
Christ - the Word of God who became man for our salvation (John 1:1,14). John pointed
to Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world by offering
his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sin of the world
(John 1:29).
John broke the prophetic silence of the previous centuries when
he began to speak the word of God to the people of Israel. His message was similar
to the message of the Old Testament prophets who chided the people of God for their
unfaithfulness and who tried to awaken true repentance in them. Among a people unconcerned
with the things of God, it was his work to awaken their interest, unsettle them
from their complacency, and arouse in them enough good will to recognize and receive
Christ when he came. Are you eager to hear God's word and to be changed by it through
the power of the Holy Spirit?
A new era of God's restoration
begins: Jesus tells us that John the Baptist was more than a prophet
(Luke 7:26). John was the voice of the Consoler who is coming (John 1:23; Isaiah
40:1-3). He completed the cycle of prophets begun by Elijah (Matthew 11:13-14).
What the prophets had carefully searched for and angels longed to see, now came
to completion as John made the way ready for the coming of the Messiah, God's Anointed
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. With John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit begins the restoration
to the human race of the "divine likeness", prefiguring what would be
achieved with and in the Lord Jesus.
John's baptism was for repentance - turning away from sin and
taking on a new way of life according to God's word. Our baptism in Jesus Christ
by water and the Spirit results in a new birth and entry into God's kingdom as his
beloved sons and daughters (John 3:5). The Lord Jesus gives us the fire of his Spirit
so that we may radiate the joy and truth of the Gospel to a world in desperate need
of God's light and truth. His word has power to change and transform our lives that
we may be lights pointing others to Christ. Like John the Baptist, we too are called
to give testimony to the light and truth of Jesus Christ. Do you point others to
Christ in the way you live, work, and speak?
"Lord, let your light burn brightly in my heart that I may
know the joy and freedom of your kingdom. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and empower
me to witness the truth of your Gospel and to point others to Jesus Christ. "
politically incorrect words
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” —Matthew 3:2,
RSV-CE. The first word Jesus spoke in His public ministry was “Repent!” (see Mt
4:17, RSV-CE) St. John the Baptizer also spoke the word “Repent” (Mt 3:2, RSV-CE).
Do you place the same priority on repentance as did Jesus and St. John the Baptizer?
In the last thirty days, how often did you speak or write the word “repent”? Between
now and Christmas, which word will you use more: “Shopping” or “Repent”?
Repentance is not a popular subject nowadays. Repentance presumes
sin and wrongdoing, and the secular culture denies these. However, crowds responded
eagerly to the calls of Jesus and John to repentance (see Lk 3:10; 4:14). The Word
of God spread widely and many did repent. Tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners
repented (Mt 21:32). Lives and lifestyles were changed (see Lk 19:8-10). People
were healed. Heaven rejoiced (Lk 15:7, 10).
You can begin today to emphasize repentance this Advent. Invite
your children or neighbors to a Confession Party. Go to Confession with them and
then celebrate with a “fatted calf” by going out to dinner or dessert (Lk 15:23).
If you speak of repentance, some will repent, while others will
persecute you (see Lk 4:28ff). Repent of not speaking of repentance. “The kingdom
of heaven is at hand” (Mk 4:17). Our Savior is coming and His way must be prepared
(Lk 3:4). “Be earnest about it, therefore. Repent!” (Rv 3:19)
Prayer: Father, may I go to Confession before I buy another
Christmas present. “Everything written before our time was written for our instruction,
that we might derive hope from the lessons of patience and the words of encouragement
in the Scriptures.” —Rm 15:4. “I will praise You among the Gentiles and I will sing
to Your name” (Rm 15:9).
The personal question/action for today: When I think about the
Coming of the Lord Jesus, how prepared am I? Am I “always” prepared? Do I keep my
mind on the fact that I must be ready at all times? What discipline(s) must I practice
in order to be “Always Prepared” for the Lord Jesus’ Coming? What practical things
can I do to work for the peace, justice, and unity of the Reign of the One Who has
come and is Coming again?
*Saint Ambrose: One of Saint Ambrose’s biographers observed that at
the Last Judgment, people would still be divided between those who admired Saint
Ambrose and those who heartily disliked him. He emerges as the man of action who
cut a furrow through the lives of his contemporaries. Even royal personages were
numbered among those who were to suffer crushing divine punishments for standing
in Ambrose’s way.
When the Empress Justina attempted to wrest two basilicas from
Ambrose’s Catholics and give them to the Arians, he dared the eunuchs of the court
to execute him. His own people rallied behind him in the face of imperial troops.
In the midst of riots, he both spurred and calmed his people with bewitching new
hymns set to exciting Eastern melodies.
In his disputes with the Emperor Auxentius, he coined the principle:
“The emperor is in the Church, not above the Church.” He publicly admonished Emperor
Theodosius for the massacre of 7,000 innocent people. The emperor did public penance
for his crime. This was Ambrose, the fighter sent to Milan as Roman governor, and
chosen while yet a catechumen to be the people’s bishop.
There is yet another side of Ambrose—one which influenced Augustine
of Hippo, whom Saint Ambrose converted. Ambrose was a passionate little man with
a high forehead, a long melancholy face, and great eyes. We can picture him as a
frail figure clasping the codex of sacred Scripture. This was the Ambrose of aristocratic
heritage and learning.
Augustine found the oratory of Ambrose less soothing and entertaining
but far more learned than that of other contemporaries. Ambrose’s sermons were often
modeled on Cicero, and his ideas betrayed the influence of contemporary thinkers
and philosophers. He had no scruples in borrowing at length from pagan authors.
He gloried in the pulpit in his ability to parade his spoils—“gold of the Egyptians”—taken
over from the pagan philosophers.
His sermons, his writings, and his personal life reveal him as
an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day. Humanity for Ambrose
was, above all, spirit. In order to think rightly of God and the human soul, the
closest thing to God, no material reality at all was to be dwelt upon. He was an
enthusiastic champion of consecrated virginity.
The influence of Saint Ambrose on Augustine will always be open
for discussion. The Confessions reveal some manly, brusque encounters between Ambrose
and Augustine, but there can be no doubt of Augustine’s profound esteem for the
learned bishop.
Neither is there any doubt that Saint Monica loved Ambrose as
an angel of God who uprooted her son from his former ways and led him to his convictions
about Christ. It was Ambrose, after all, who placed his hands on the shoulders of
the naked Augustine as he descended into the baptismal fountain to put on Christ.
Ambrose exemplifies for us the truly Catholic character of Christianity.
He is a man steeped in the learning, law, and culture of the ancients and of his
contemporaries. Yet, in the midst of active involvement in this world, this thought
runs through Ambrose’s life and preaching: The hidden meaning of the Scriptures
calls our spirit to rise to another world.
