Luke 3: 7 – 8

December 13, 2009

The Third Sunday in Advent

A Season and a Reason to Rejoice!

              My first thoughts this week as I was reading the three lessons and then the Gospel for this Sunday, the third Sunday in the Advent Season was this:  I could not grasp the reason why the Old Testament lessons where joy filled and the New Testament Gospel seemed to be the opposite.  Zephaniah, Isaiah and Paul all call us to a joy and a time of rejoicing while John begins today’s Gospel with the words “You brood of vipers!”  At first read or first hear one might by confused as a listener during a Sunday morning service. Aren’t we people of the New Testament, longing to hear the Good News about Jesus?  What is this “brood of vipers” language during the season of carols and gift giving have to do with us?

              Before we go any further into a state of confusion let us agree on one aspect of what the third Sunday in Advent means to the Christian.  Today is the Sunday of Joy.  When we use purple and pink candles on the Advent wreath the pink candle would be lit today.  This season we are using blue candles in keeping with the color of the season which is blue.  This is still the Sunday of joy and rejoicing.  Joy is a noun.  In scripture it is a state of being beyond happiness.  Rejoicing is a verb describing how we act out and live out our joy.  We are in a season of joy with a reason to rejoice!  I now ask you to reflect on two personal questions for this morning, the third Sunday in Advent, the Sunday of joy:  How do you define joy in your life and how do you rejoice in that joy?

Before we get to your reflections, let us look at what we heard today from Scripture.

• Zephaniah, the prophet to Israel concludes his book prophesizing joy for Jerusalem in the midst of her sin and turmoil as the Holy City housing the chosen people of God.  In the midst of terror, loss and destruction, Zephaniah offers a message which instructs the Israelites to be joyful, “…the LORD is in your midst.”  verse 15b.  Translated this means that God, the great Jehovah, God of the Cosmos is not off playing bingo somewhere in a corner of heaven.  God is right there in their presence, in their face, up close and personal, as part of one’s being to be very specific.

• Isaiah, another great prophet to Israel calls the people to a physical reaction to joy – the verb action of rejoicing to the noun of joy.  Why?  “For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” verse 6

• Paul, while in prison writes a remarkable upbeat letter urging the church in Philippi to rejoice.  Why?  Because God is a God that you can trust with your worries and concerns.  God has brought them a reason to rejoice and be joy filled – Jesus Christ, the Lord, the bringer of salvation.

              Now we get to the Good News and from John the Baptist and we are called a “…brood of vipers” verse 7.    Turns the joy and rejoice switch to off, doesn’t it when you first hear his words.  But, we have to remember why THIS prophet was sent.  He was sent to be the voice crying out in the wilderness that one would come to make our joy, and joy is a noun in this comment, complete.  Joy, something was actually on its way to a people in darkness.  John’s ministry is a critical part of the Advent joy because he reminds us why we are to be truly joy filled; why we are called to sincere acts of praise and rejoicing.  John is calling us to the birth of the one who brings us salvation – the solution to our sinful, woe filled joyless states.  John in all his brutal honesty reminds us that our real joy comes in the one born to die so that our joy might be complete in him, Jesus Christ our Lord. The crowds in today’s gospel message are hungry for the solution to their joyless states.  John instructs them that one is coming that will be their reason for joy.

              Back to your reflection questions this morning, how do you define joy in your life and how do you rejoice because of that joy?  My guess is that you thought of things that make you happy.  My hope is that you will continue to pray about what it means to be truly joy filled and thus rejoice in Christ Jesus your Lord and Savior in this season of his birth.  When you come to the altar today, as you reach out to take the bread and the cup remember that this is a time of true joy because, we believer that in this sacrament of Holy Communion we experience the joy of our Lord  being in our midst in a very tangible and real way.  That knowledge then calls us to rejoice and again I say, rejoice in the season of joy.

Let us pray a prayer today of ….Joy:

   God, you have has stayed the hand of judgment and granted us mercy. We who, have sinned greatly and lived timidly receive unexpected pardon.

You have routed all the enemies that seek us harm
defeated their plans to devour us.

You lift us out of the midst of our weariness, strengthen us when we are weak, bring us out of the depths of despair, fill our souls with joy.

You blow away the clouds of distress; usher in the bright rays of sunshine. You shelter us from the storms; give safe harbor from the rising tides.

So we lift our prayers of joy, raise the roof with the sounds of our joy for the salvation of our God.

You protect us from the evils around us that would feast on the bounty you have set before us.

You guard against institutions that corrupt our souls rip, away the fabric of our well being robbing us of our mirth. You replace our fears with joy, turn shadows into light. Sorrow fades from our memories gladness breaks like morning.

You wash away our sorrows now replaced with dances for joy; the agony we have carried is lifted off our shoulders.

Faces streaked with tears break out in smiles, hearts filled with regret now spring with relief.

Our exile in death's oppression left behind
as we march into the brilliance of the resurrection morning.

O God of Advent night, Savior of Easter morning we sing our songs of thanksgiving and pray the prayers of joy.

Amen.