Sermon on Luke 3:1-14 for the 2nd Sunday in Advent, "The Word of God Came"
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. As we continue in the season of Advent, we come to John the Baptist, who levels a path in our hearts for the coming of the Lord—whose message was like a refining fire and a fuller’s soap. We turn our attention today to his preaching of the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Please keep both the Old Testament and Gospel readings before you today, as they refer to him. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. What would you do if you had a life-saving message that could spare untold numbers of people? Let’s say you were a scientist and knew in advance of a volcanic eruption that was going to happen in a highly populated area. Or an astronomer who knew of a killer asteroid that was headed toward earth. Who would you tell to get the message out to the most people? You might notify a prominent government official, who could initiate some public...