Time for Gardening!

Rev. Steven D. Spencer, Pastor

Luke 3:7-18

7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." 10 So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" 11 He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." 12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13 And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." 14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." 15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." 18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

The season of Christmas, for Christians and non-Christians alike seems to carry with it a certain expectation of joy. There are Christmas parties and dinners to attend, trees to trim, houses to decorate, and chestnuts to roast over open fires - a tradition which seems a bit hazardous, especially when practiced indoors! Corporate America has capitalized on this phenomenon with the promise of increased joy by making a purchase of one of their fine products. If you happen to be one of those who don’t feel like being joyful, then you run the risk of being labeled a Scrooge or the Grinch.

There’s another thing about this time of year - people tend to be a little bit friendlier towards one another - at least less apt to jump down another’s throat. The season of Christmas can make people more receptive to the idea of opening their homes and hearts to others. But sadly, for many, the joys of this season are oftentimes overshadowed by sorrow, loss, grief, or depression. It’s especially hard on the single. Those widowed or divorced, those who live alone, who are separated from their families and loved ones.

Holiday cheer often lasts about as long as that Christmas tree you picked up at the tree lot last week.  A symbol of life in the midst of death, which has been dying from the moment the axe, was laid to its roots. By the time Epiphany rolls around it’s usually fit only for burning - unless, of course, it’s an artificial tree.  Which can make you wonder how much of your joy is real and how much is artificial. Is there enough joy to survive after the shopping sprees have turned into thick stacks of credit card bills, when those extra pounds, picked up in celebrating, will have to be dealt with, and the decorations are put out of sight until next year.

I'm not trying to make light of the anxieties and fear that lurks behind all the holiday cheer. The reality is that we have true concerns. Will our kids be OK in the coming year?  Will our marriages endure?  Will there be any work?  Will our health hold out? Worries can easily overwhelm one’s rejoicing! The fact is we see death all around us - and not just in the drying-up Christmas tree, but also in others, and in ourselves. These observations raise our anxiety and threaten to take away our expectation of joy. And that’s precisely why we need God’s Word to point us to the joy, which goes far beyond normal holiday cheer - that joy, which is anchored in the love of God and grounded in the Incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Love manifested in the flesh by the Holy Spirit. “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; the Prophet says, “'For YAHWEH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.”” “For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!"” That’s what we celebrate at Christmas - Christ’s conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, His becoming flesh, and His dwelling among us.

But what about the people of John's day, what was their expectation? The days when he preached were filled with anything but joy. They were full of anxiety over the growing Roman military. Yes there was the Pax Romani. That Pax Romani--Roman Peace--which was the euphemism for the enforced peace where whole towns were wiped out when they resisted Roman armies.  And with that occupation came taxes, increased taxes. True the Jews were now being allowed to worship and live in peace. But the fear was that occupying armies would eventually wipe out Jerusalem and carry off her people into exile? Would there be a war? A Roman retaliation could happen anywhere at anytime, an ever-present threat of inhalation.

The people in John's day were concerned about their security, both eternal and physical. They didn't know how much longer they had on this earth. Their hope was in a Messiah. A savior that would deliver them from the bondage of slavery called Roman occupation. The Jews were nothing more than dogs in the eyes of the Roman soldiers. They were a beaten, conquered people. So they looked for a savior that would deliver them from this earthly foe.  Here's where John the Baptizer enters.

John's was the voice one crying in the wilderness, prepares the way of the Lord. He came to prepare the hearts of his hearers for the message of the King to come. If there's a king then there must likewise be a kingdom. Many of the Israelites were Zionist. They believed once the Temple was complete God would come to take His place in the Temple. Once again the Throne of David would be filled.  Once again they would rule the earth, like the grand old days of David and Solomon.

But John's message wasn't about a physical kingdom it was about spiritual kingdom, an eternal kingdom. Last week we heard how many came to John to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. But this week in Luke chapter 3 verse 7 John says: "You Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (NAS.)"  According to St. Luke it appears that John is speaking to the multitude but according to St. Matthew's Gospel the Pharisees and Sadducees have arrived while John is baptizing the multitude. John is directing his words at them. You brood of vipers, you Pharisees and Sadducees! The term brood of vipers denotes an impenitent, hypocritical, self-satisfied people. John is speaking to the corrupted men who have become a generation of vipers; not only poisoned, but poisonous; hateful to God, hating one another. This magnifies the patience of God, in allowing the continuance of such people upon this earth, by not destroying the nest of vipers. He did it once by water, and will do so again by fire.

This generation of vipers is being warned to flee from the wrath to come, which is certainly before them if they continue on their path; and being in a group won't save them. We too are warned of this wrath,  and of having such an attitude, but we are given the way to escape it.

There is only one way of escaping the wrath to come, repentance. Those that submitted to the baptism of repentance submitted to God. They confessed what they were, sinners! By submitting to baptism showed that they had no way to save themselves.  

But those, the vipers, they wouldn't humble themselves and submit to baptism of repentance. They wouldn't confess their sin! John challenges them, show me - show me your works of repentance. What John in saying here is " SHOW ME THE WORKS THAT PROVE YOU ARE SAVED!" John says verse 8 & 9: "Don't begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 "And also the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that doesn't bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Luke 3:8-9)." Mere nationality and descent are no protection. God can raise up His children from other nationalities, in fact from stones if He so wills. By the way, the Jewish nickname for Gentiles back then was stones.

What John said was: if God wanted to, He could turn the Gentiles into Children of Abraham. And of course He did.  To be a child of Abraham is to be a child of the promise of righteousness. It's not a birthright; it's a declaration of salvation through faith given by God.

Did all the people repent? NO!. We know from Luke 7:30, that the Pharisees and lawyers refused the Gospel by rejecting John's baptism. At any rate others did. The question asked in verse 3:10  "What should we do then?" indicates repentance and people were baptized before they even asked the question. John is not giving a set of rules for people to fulfill as a preliminary to baptism.

Dear fellow redeemed, John preached to the Church of his day to prepare her for the coming of the Lord. He baptized for the forgiveness of sin. And where there is forgiveness there is joy and gladness. You too have received the forgiveness of sins in your baptism. And again even this morning you have received forgiveness by Jesus Christ through Holy Absolution. And in a few minutes you will receive the forgiveness of sin, through the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Where there is forgiveness there is great joy.

We have great reason to rejoice. The Lord has taken away our punishment and turned back our enemies. The Son of God came to do battle with the devil - to be tempted in the flesh even as we are - to resist temptation and to crush the head of the serpent - and to beat the old evil foe by dying and rising from the dead.  Jesus came to battle the Law, which condemns and kills us as it makes a list of all of our offences. Truly checking to see if we are naughty or nice. Jesus came into the world to overthrow the effects of the Law, to keep it perfectly in our place, "for us". "There is no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus"(Rom. 8:1). He lived and suffered and died in our place, so that we might be spared that awful sentence of God's wrath on Judgment Day.

The gardener laid the axe to the root of our sin - the axe that John said would chop down the unfruitful tree to be burned in the fire - but it came to rest on Jesus because He was cut down for us, then nailed to the tree of the cross, so that by His cross we might eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life and live forever. All this has been done so that you can know without a doubt that That YAHWEH, is the LORD, and is your strength and song; He is your salvation. Jesus is Yahweh and has forgiven all yours sins. In Jesus' name, in Yahweh's name, Amen!