Bible Passage: Matthew 3:1-12
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: December 7, 2025

Bulletin – December 7, 2025

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

The people were waiting for a new king and a new kingdom.  This hope and expectation had been borne in them by the sacred text of the Old Testament.  Already in Genesis, aged Jacob had prophesied about the One who would come from Judah to whom the scepter belonged. (Genesis 49:10)  Their hope of a future king and kingdom was further shaped by prophecies like Isaiah who spoke about the Child, the Son, who would have the government on his shoulders, whose government and reign would never end. (Isaiah 9:6-7)  At the time of Daniel, the people were given the description of the one “like a son of man” who approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all peoples, nations, and men of every language worshiped him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)  Jewish hopes and expectations hung on a king and a new kingdom.

If we can appreciate that, then we will begin to appreciate what is happening in our text this morning.  John the Baptist begins his ministry by preaching to people eager for the new kingdom of God, The kingdom of heaven is near! (v. 2)  His message is clear and pointed!  No longer is the message about a far-off kingdom; John’s message is about the kingdom that has NOW come near.  The Scepter-Holder of Jacob, the Ruling-Son of Isaiah, the Sovereign Son of Man from Daniel was now walking among them!  There is just one thing to do with the advent of so great a King and so great a Kingdom!  Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is Near!

The Old Testament Scriptures that formed and shaped Jewish expectations of the Messianic King end with the Lord speaking these words:  See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day. (Malachi 4:5)  So the Lord says before the Messiah-King comes, he will send “Elijah.”  That is why the detailed description of John is important.  Matthew tells us John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist.  This is exactly what the great prophet Elijah in the Old Testament wore!  John was the promised Elijah!

But they were not to get all caught up in John’s clothes and diet.  Another prophecy, this one from Isaiah, told us it is his VOICE that is important.  John was the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord.  Make his paths straight. (v. 3)   These words describe what you might do for a king in his kingdom.  In ancient times if a king was to come, a road crew might be sent out to fix the roads coming into town.  If they are rough and uneven, the crew would even them out and make them nice and smooth for the coming king.

Now, the reign of Jesus that has come near is not a physical, local one.  We don’t need to go out to the interstate to fill in potholes so Jesus’ motorcade has a smooth ride.  The kingdom of heaven is spiritual.  So the roadwork to be done must be spiritual roadwork.  Indeed!  And there is John’s word:  Repent!  I think, I hope, the word “repent” is part of our vocabulary as Christians.  But Advent is a great time to review and solidify this important word!

The word “repent” literally means “to change the mind.”  We all need a drastic “change of mind.”  We come into this world as grotesquely self-centered, self-absorbed creatures.  We want to do what we want when we want.  And our “wants” by nature are not in line with what God wants.  So we live our lives in violation of God’s will.  And we get mad at the thought of a God who wants to limit us.  We want to be sovereign in our lives.  We are our own “little gods.”  We will save ourselves, thank you very much!

“Repentance” is a change of mind about all of that.  It is sorrow for doing what God doesn’t want us to do.  It is sorrow for “being” what God does not want me to be.  Repentance is turning from sin in disgust and turning to the God you formerly resented and hated for mercy and forgiveness.  It is ceasing to try to save ourselves and admitting if we are to be saved, God must save us!  That is repentance!

And repentance cannot be by-passed!  In our text John calls out some Sadducees and Pharisees.  They were not coming  to John as penitents, confessing their sins. They didn’t need to repent to be part of God’s Kingdom!  They were automatically “in,” they thought!   John says, “You bunch of snakes!  Who warned you to slither away from the coming judgment?  You think you’re ‘in’ because of great-great-grandpa Abraham?  Think again!”  Entrance into God’s kingdom isn’t a genetic thing.  Grandma’s faith can’t get you into the Kingdom.  It’s an individual, personal repentance thing. And it’s not all talk.  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance, John preaches.  You can’t say you repent of violating God’s holy will and then continue to be comfortable violating God’s holy will.   Where there is a change of mind and heart, there is change in behavior!

To those who came confessing, repenting, John gave a bath.  He baptized them.  He baptized them for the forgiveness of sins.  We don’t know what John said as he baptized the people.  Did he baptize “in the name of the Coming One more powerful than I”?  Did he baptize “in the name of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”?  Whatever words he spoke, he undoubtedly pointed the penitents to Jesus!

And that is the lasting Advent legacy of John the Baptist!  Repent!  Confess your sin…all of it!  Turn from it!  Turn to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…yours, too!  Remember the “bath” you received.  The bath of forgiveness, the bath of your baptism where Christ’s death for sin became your death for in, where Christ’s resurrection life became your resurrection life.  Live in this repentance, and the coming One who holds the ax at the root of the tree, the one who will burn up the chaff in fire, will not terrify you!  But his coming and his reign are your eager hope and expectation!

Amen.