SermonStudio

BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Isaiah 11:1--10 (C, RC, E); Isaiah 11:1--9 (L)
This text is related to Isaiah 9:1--6. ''The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light'' (Isaiah 9:3a). In their original context, both passages are believed to be coronation Psalms for God's Anointed One, the king. It is possible that Isaiah composed today's lesson for the coronation of King Hezekiah. Though a king was held to be a direct link between the people and their God, the prophet realized that the righteous rule envisioned in this passage was beyond the range of human possibility and would be accomplished only through the gift of God's Spirit. ''The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him ...'' (v. 11:2a). Though Isaiah spoke to a particular situation, the prophetic messages he uttered transcend that time and place. From the beginning of the Christian church, believers have viewed such messianic passages in the light of Christ's Lordship.

Lesson 2: Romans 15:4--13 (C, E, L); Romans 15:4--9 (RC)
In these verses Paul is bringing the ethical section of his epistle to a close. He begins this section by making an appeal to an expansive interpretation of scripture, which he viewed as a living book, speaking to each succeeding generation. He appears to go even further by stating: ''For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction ...'' (v. 4a). In so doing, Paul makes clear that the sacred writings are not just for the Jews but for all believers. He is also suggesting here that scripture leads us to Jesus Christ and that he is the interpretive key. However, this is not a theoretical discussion of hermeneutical principles. Paul's purpose is to provide hope and encouragement for present and future challenges. The story of God's salvation in former times provides the needed sense of continuity, hope, and endurance which the church sorely needs. In keeping with this communal image, Paul appeals for unity in witness and worship.

Gospel: Matthew 3:1--12 (C, RC, E, L)
In the wilderness John the Baptist heralds the approach of the kingdom of heaven and the necessary attitude of repentance required to receive it. The word kerusso, translated ''proclaiming'' in the NRSV, means to herald, as would a public crier shouting out some momentous news on the public thoroughfares. Contrary to the method of our Lord, John did not go to the people; they flocked to him to receive instruction for spiritual renewal and be baptized as a sign of their repentance. The crowds indicate that there was a spiritual uneasiness and a readiness to change. The gospel writer viewed John as the Elijah figure who was expected to precede the Messiah and as the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3. John views his role as preparatory and points beyond himself to the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 72 (C, E, L) - A prayer for the king that he might rule in justice and compassion, assuring peace and prosperity for the people.

Prayer Of The Day
Compassionate Christ, by following crooked paths we have become lost in a maze of our own making. We confess our lostness and implore the help of your Holy Spirit in following the way that is straight and narrow and which leads to your kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.


THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Isaiah 11:1--10
Roots and shoots. The nation of Israel confronted perilous times. The foe threatened to hack down their whole way of life. The problems seemed overwhelming for the leaders. In this predicament the prophet held up the promise of new life for the nation. God would send a leader after the likeness of King David, full of the wisdom and knowledge of the Lord. ''A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse and a branch will grow out of his roots'' (v. 1). God is Lord of the living and he will cause new life to spring from the stump of the old. The life is in the roots and so life may linger even though the branches wither. Roots and new shoots are needed in every age. Roots speaks of who we are and where we have come from, but new shoots point to what we can become. Roots give stability but shoots provide freshness and hope. At a time of grave uncertainty, the prophet reminded the people of their roots that would eventually produce new shoots, by the power of God.
The Christian tradition proclaims that Christ is the shoot from the stump of Jesse that reconciles us with God and will one day bring harmony to all creation.

Lesson 2: Romans 15:4--13
Harmony and hospitality. The Apostle Paul makes an appeal for harmony in the church (vv. 5--6). Why? Because harmony is the outward sign that God's peaceable kingdom is reality. Divisiveness in the church mocks the gospel of peace. Paul appeals to the Romans to glorify God as with one voice. The plea here is not for uniformity (that would be monotony) but rather harmony, the intentional blending of our voices. For a quartet to sing harmony there must be four unique voices with different pitch and timbre uniting in melodious song.
Not only does the apostle appeal for harmony but also for hospitality (v. 7). Harmony speaks of our relationships with those outside the fold, with those who are strangers. Of late, we have heard a great deal about how our worship services need to provide hospitality to the stranger. In the apostolic era, most Christians were acutely aware of the needs of the stranger, having recently been strangers themselves. In many congregations today, the members have belonged for generations and have lost touch with the needs of those outside the walls of the church. Harmony and hospitality are attitudes found in any living church.

Gospel: Matthew 3:1--12
The desert experience. The gospel writer pegs John's ministry in the Judean wilderness; the significance is more than geographical. In semitic thought, the wilderness is a hostile and ominous place. It is the haunt of hunger, thirst, death, outlaws, and demons. It is home for dangerous creatures - scorpions and snakes. The wilderness was considered an area of primal chaos or as cursed by God. John the Baptist went into this dark region to do battle with the force of evil, on his own turf. Jesus did the same thing after his baptism by John. Where is the wilderness today? Where is the primary arena where we have it out with Satan? I doubt whether many of us would choose the wilderness, even a desert place. No, we would probably not identify

an uninhabited place as wilderness, spiritually speaking, but rather places teeming with people. Most of our cities have areas of primal chaos and lawlessness. Cities are not evil any more than rural areas are necessarily righteous. It's people who can turn any environment into a wilderness - people who rebel against their Maker and have no regard for others. In the last analysis, wilderness is a spiritual state - not a geographical area.
If wilderness is a state of chaos - without sign, pathway, or marker - the spiritual challenge is to find a way out of the wilderness. John offered a baptism signifying repentance as the highway whereby God can enter our lives, as the way out of the wilderness. Unfortunately, repentance alone won't get us out of the wilderness. We need the healing power of the gospel of Christ.


PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

Lesson 1: Isaiah 11:1--10
Sermon Title: Roots and Shoots (verse 1)
Sermon Angle: Isaiah promised a shoot from the root of Jesse. Roots and shoots are necessary and interdependent. We need roots, to know who we are by understanding where we come from. We also need shoots. In faithfulness to our heritage, we must branch out in new directions and express our being in creative ways that address today's needs and issues. This is true both personally and corporately as the Body of Christ. Here is one possible approach.
1. The importance of our individual roots
2. The importance of our spiritual roots
3. The necessity of new shoots - personal and corporate
4. Examples of roots and shoots we need to nourish

Ten years ago we owned a cottage on Saddle Lake in southwest Michigan. Nearby was low land, thickly inhabited by trees. On occasion we would have terrific storms that would blow in off Lake Michigan and topple some of these trees. It seemed strange that such tall and stately trees could not weather the storms more effectively. Looking more closely, I noticed that the root system was wide but not deep. A foot or two beneath the surface was water, which the roots could not penetrate. Until the day of destruction, the trees looked perfectly healthy. They had plenty of limbs and branches, but the roots were too shallow to anchor them for life. How deeply are we rooted in God's love and holy Word? Are they deep enough to provide an eternal anchor?

Lesson 2: Romans 15:4--13
Sermon Title: Harmony and Hospitality
Sermon Angle: Paul was very cognizant that our Christian faith is not merely judged on the merits of our beliefs but on the manner of our relationships to others. We are known by the fruit of our lives. Two of those fruits are harmony and hospitality. A sermon on this subject could be developed as follows:
1. Begin by citing an example of how a group of people have worked together harmoniously.
2. Admit that harmony is often destroyed by the discord of sin.
3. Show how harmony stems from our relationship with Christ.
4. Demonstrate how harmony is a powerful witness to the world.
5. Make an appeal to go beyond harmony to hospitality so that the stranger might know the love and peace of God.

Gospel: Matthew 3:1--12
Sermon Title: The Attitude of Repentance
Sermon Angle: Though Advent is a joyous season of preparation, there is also a distinct penitential aspect. John the Baptist, who is a prominent figure in this season, identified his

ministry as that of preparing his people through repentance for the coming of the Messiah. Admittedly, John's vision of the role of messiah was different than that of Jesus; his emphasis had more to do with judgment than grace. Nevertheless, his proclamation of repentance is the necessary prerequisite for life in the kingdom of God. The repentance that John the Baptist proclaims is not merely a formal act, it is an attitude, a way of living that bears fruit (v. 8).
Outline:
Introduction: Start with the story that follows this outline from Dr. Karl Menninger's book: Whatever Became of Sin. Make the point that nobody seems to take sin or repentance seriously anymore. So why do we need to repent?
1. Because the kingdom of God is near (v. 2). Point out that we are not only speaking about the kingdom beyond history but the kingdom of God within history.
2. To enable God to enter our lives - God cannot enter if sin is in control (v. 2)
3. So that our lives might be fruitful [Fruitfulness follows repentance (vv. 7--10)]
4. So that we might escape God's judgment (vv. 11--12) (God does not desire any to be lost)
Conclusion: End with an affirmation of the positive effects of an attitude of repentance.

In the book, Whatever Became of Sin, Dr. Karl Menninger tells of a man who would position himself on a busy street corner in the Chicago Loop and, as workers would scurry to their jobs or to lunch or speed to get in a bit of shopping, the man would solemnly lift his right hand and pointing to the person nearest to him intone loudly but distinctly the solitary word, ''Guilty!''
Maintaining the same expression he would resume his former pose for a few moments. Then, as if he were responding to some inward voice, there would once again be the mechanical raising of the arms, the pointing, and the pronouncement of the single word, ''Guilty!''
The effect of this odd pantomime on those who passed by was interesting. They would pause, stare, and glance at other people around them with a look that spoke, ''When did this guy get into the fermented berries?'' Then they would skitter off, sometimes glancing back over their shoulders at this peculiar man.
It is not likely that many of those who encountered this street prophet took him seriously, any more seriously than we would take the likes of a John the Baptist living an unconventional lifestyle and pointing the finger of accusation at each of us with the solemn warning, ''Repent!''

In his book, Den of Lions, Terry Anderson, the longest held captive of the Islamic fanatics in Beirut, tells of his spiritual turning in the narrow confines of the prison cell. Living intimately with several other men, there was no hiding from himself. Anderson describes this existence as ''living in a hall of mirrors.'' The theme of guilt runs through the narrative and one of the most touching moments is when Anderson, a fallen--away Catholic, confesses his sins to Father Jenco, a fellow prisoner. Anderson confesses that he has wandered away from the church and that he is not a good man. In fact, he concedes that his drinking and pursuing other women are largely to blame for the failure of his marriage. As the confession proceeded, both penitent and priest found spiritual and emotional release through plentiful tears. The room became littered with tear--stained tissues. That marked Anderson's first confession in 25 years and his turning back to the church and a life of faith. Finally Father Jenco laid his hand on Anderson's head and pronounced absolution: ''In the name of a gentle, loving God, you are forgiven.'' In the crucible of captivity the Holy Spirit had gifted Terry Anderson with an attitude toward life that leads to freedom - the attitude of repentance.

There is a theme that has been appearing with some regularity the past few years on the editorial pages of our newspaper and in periodicals: the theme is that we've become a nation of victims. Many people try to push off their problems on to others; it's not their fault because

they are simply victims. This is not to deny that there are legitimate victims but to make the point that this rationalization has been gravely abused. People are loathe to accept responsibility for their own actions. This is a problem because there is no growth, no change, without honest self--awareness.
Dr. John Brokhoff, who for years was professor of Homiletics at Chandler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia, tells how a man responded to an evangelistic sermon by getting up and confessing: ''I've been a sinner, a contemptible sinner. And I've been one for years but I never knew it before tonight.'' A deacon who was standing next to him in the aisle leaned over and whispered to him, ''Sit down, brother, the rest of us have known it all the time.''