Something to think about – StepohenSizer.com

“The Advent reading from Luke 3 introduces us to the three most important themes of the Bible.  They can be summed up in three questions.   The primary theme in the gospels concerns the identity of Jesus. “Who is Jesus?” The second theme has to do with the mission of Jesus. “Why did Jesus come?” The third theme has to do with the call of Jesus. “What does Jesus demand of us?”  When you read the gospels thoughtfully – you discover that every event, every story, every quote, every conversation is about one of these three themes.  It is asking or answering one of these three fundamental questions. About Jesus’ identity; his mission; and his call.  Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus come? And what does Jesus demand of me?”

Questions to Ponder

• Why does Luke mention the political and religious leaders at the beginning of this chapter?
• How does John the Baptist's ministry fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah
• How does John the Baptist’s message of the coming Messiah establish the expectations for Jesus’ ministry?

How does John’s call for repentance speak to us today, and how can we apply it to our lives?

Something to think about – Interrupting the Silence

What do you see when you look at the landscape of your life today? Where does it hurt?

We can think of last week’s gospel as being about making a diagnosis and this week’s gospel as being about prescribing a treatment. “What then should we do?” That’s what the crowds ask John the Baptist in today’s gospel. They’re asking about the treatment that will begin to heal the hurt in their lives and world.

“What then should we do?” When has that been your question and what caused you to ask it? In what ways is it your question today? And what’s behind it?

What is the self from which you are living today? That’s the unspoken question in today’s gospel. And is it really you, who you want to be, and how you want to be, or is it someone or something else?

Maybe there’s a better question. Maybe the better question is, “How then do we want to be?

If we get the “how” of our lives worked out the “what” follows pretty naturally. If we know how we want to be, the values we hold, the qualities we embody, what we are living for and what we are willing to die for, we’ll know what to do.  

Questions to Ponder

• So what was John the Baptist saying
• Who is the coming “One mightier than” (Luke 3:16) John the Baptist?
• What does John the Baptist mean by not being “worthy to loose” His “sandal strap” (Luke 3:16)?
• How does John's water baptism differ from Jesus' baptism?

Something to think about – Becky Eldridge

“Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste…” 

Consider what Mary must have been feeling along the journey to see Elizabeth. Only one line captured a journey of almost eighty two miles to see her cousin. Eighty two miles traveled at best on donkey, at worst on foot. Even if Mary traveled “in haste”, it would take her days to get there. That is a lot of time to think. That is a lot of time to wonder about this life growing inside of her and the promises she had just made to God and the angel. It is a fair amount of time to walk, ride, or travel for a newly pregnant woman, too. 

So, what would that journey have looked like? What would Mary have felt, thought, and considered along on the road? 

As we move through the final days of Advent ask yourself: 

• Where has there been beauty and struggle in your own story? 
• How can Mary’s journey give you comfort and courage along the way?
• Who are those you turn to when life takes an unexpected turn?

Questions to Ponder

• How long after “the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38), did Mary “set out” (Luke 1:39) for Zacharias' house?
• Why did she set out in that manner?
• Who is Mary's “Savior” (Luke 1:47)?
• Whose greatness does Mary's soul proclaim?
• What is the greatest thing that Jesus has done for you?

Something to think about – Center for excellence in preaching

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt once published some very intriguing data on what he calls “elevation,” which is the opposite of disgust. We all know that there are any number of things that disgust us or cause us to feel revulsion.

Happily, however, witnessing acts of moral beauty also has an effect on us: it elevates us, moves us toward wanting to perform acts of morality ourselves. 

The shepherds of Luke 2 may well be a good example of this kind of elevation. They had witnessed something of profound moral beauty and had heard a message of radiant hope.

Luke tells us in verse 18 that everyone was amazed at “what the shepherds said.” Their sense of moral and spiritual elevation was contagious. It quickly began to spread, to wow and to startle a great many people. “What the shepherds said” did all that.

The Savior whose birth we celebrate was indeed born to you and for you all. If you can hear and believe that part of what the shepherds said, then no matter what happens the rest of today or this holiday season, you will be able to join those shepherds in glorifying and praising God for all that you have seen and heard. 

Questions to Ponder

• Why did Jesus choose to be born in a barn instead of a palace? What was he communicating to us by doing that?
• What is the hope of Jesus? What did he come to do for us?

Something to think about – Heartlight

Luke lets us know that Jesus was a good kid. As he grew up, he was obedient, he grew smarter, he made God proud, and he was liked by others. Like any loving parent, Mary stored up the memories of his childhood in her heart. There were no shortcuts for the Messiah. God's Son had to grow up and live a life of character in a family just like any other child. His wisdom came as he grew. Yet all the while, God's mission for him lay ahead. Think of it: If we cannot fathom God's being fully in human flesh, what must it have been like for Mary and Joseph? Yet this divine mystery holds our healing, God's grace, and the Savior's glory. Now God calls us to grow, in all ways, to be like his Son.

Questions to Ponder

• Joseph & Mary assumed Jesus was with the caravan.  What kind of suffering/emotions did they experience when they realized they had lost sight of Jesus?  What kind of suffering happens when we lose sight of Jesus today?
• Why were the teachers amazed by Jesus?
• How has God used time and life circumstances to prepare me for his purposes

Introduction

Within the gospel reading’s profound words lies the simple message that God is revealed in a human person. Though we may try to understand how the Word existed with God from the beginning of time, the wonder we celebrate at Christmas is that the Word continues to dwell among us. Christ comes among us in the gathered assembly, the scriptures, the waters of new birth, and the bread and the wine. Through these ordinary gifts we receive the fullness of God’s grace and truth.

Overview

• A Light in Our Darkness

  The longest night of the year has passed, but while the light is increasing, it remains so incremental it appears as though the darkness outside is triumphing. By the third day of January, the hangovers have arrived. Not just the self-inflicted suffering of many on New Year’s Eve, but also the financial hangovers of the irrational exuberance of Christmas. Only a few more days and the darkness of January bills will be casting a pall over many homes. Add to all this the darkness of illness and injury, sorrow and loss, and even in this season there is plenty of pain and anxiety to go around.

  Still, the promise of hope comes to us this day, not in the form of an infant as on Christmas Eve but in the form of light. We celebrate the pure radiant light that cuts through the darkness of this world and shines into shadow-filled lives. It is the light that shines through the love broken and poured in bread and wine. It is the light of the holy presence of Christ in times of confusion and despair. It is the light of grace and truth shining into lives young and old, rich and poor, broken and whole.

  It is the light of Christ that sends people like John the Baptist into this world, people who dedicate their lives to pointing others toward Jesus. Some days we are privileged to play this role for others, reminding them of Jesus. Other days we need John the Baptist to tell us the story one more time. We need people like John to point our eyes toward the light, undiminished by time, so that we can see clearly the promise of Jesus in our lives, our communities and our world.