This third Sunday of Advent is traditionally one where we remember John the Baptist as the modern prophet who came to testify about who Jesus was. John’s part in God’s stroy was to come and be a witness. He invited people to come and be ready to receive the truth about Jesus in their lives, and to believe in him.

In our carol service this morning we’ve heard about many journeys happening, we have the wisemen, he travelled from the east, we had Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem from Nazareth. Jesus the son of God gave up his God-ness and became a human baby, and the shepherds came down from the hills to find the baby that the angels are talking about. They were invited to come and see this thing that had been done for them and for all mankind, there in a manger they would find a baby that would be the saviour of the world.

We’re going to be thinking about that invitation that the shepherds received, an invitation that is offered to us every Christmas and every day to go on that journey of exploring and finding out about who Jesus is.

I have a suitcase with me this morning, we’re going to unpack the suitcase and as we do it, unpack the importance of the Christmas story, why that invite was the best invite the shepherds were ever going to receive and why the invite to find out about Jesus for ourselves is the best invite we could ever receive so let’s unpack this suitcase.

We have a nice little party frock here but Jesus didn’t come in party clothes, Jesus came as a baby. In Philippians 2 :7, it talks about how Jesus made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant and was made in human likeness. Jesus came to earth in human flesh not in kingly robes, he was born as a baby to live among us which is an incredible thing.

What else is in our case?

We have a box of luxury mince pies, maybe it’s to add to the Christmas feast, I don’t know about you but when I go and visit friends at Christmas they might sort the main meal but we might bring extra bits and pieces along and say this might be part of the feast so I think we’re going to have some mince pies afterwards. When Jesus came to earth there was no big celebration, he was born in poverty in a room where animals had been kept and where his bed was an animal feeding trough, so the shepherds weren’t invited to come and see a king in luxury but a baby, flesh and blood and in poverty.

What else do we have. I’ve got a pair of comfy slippers here, it looks like the persons come to relax to put their feet up and enjoy somebody else serving them for a few days. I have to admit when I go and stay with people I quite enjoy being looked after for a bit, I help out but it’s nice isn’t it to be served. Nice for a parent sometimes when we go out for dinner because they don’t have to cook or wash up afterwards. Jesus didn’t come expecting us to serve him he came to serve us as it says in Matthews gospel: the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

And then finally we have gifts this persons bought, some gifts to give to the people that they come to be with, When Jesus came, he came with a special gift for each one of us. Jesus made an incredible journey Gods son made from the glory of heaven and came to this dark Earth, he came to be with us as a baby, he came to be with us in poverty, he came to be with us to serve and he came to give us a special gift.

Why did he come? Well because God the father loves us, each one of us is deeply precious to God, he loves us with an unconditional love, love that’s not dependent on what we do and don’t do and because God loves us so much he sent Jesus as a precious gift, he sent Jesus to say that we wouldn’t die but have eternal life, he gave Jesus that we could have a restored relationship with God now and for all eternity.

God’s son has come close to us, making the big journey from heaven to earth so that we can come close to him, we are invited to become members of his family and enjoy a life giving and satisfying relationship with him that begins now and goes on for eternity. It might be a little hard to get your head around that God loves you so much he wants you to be close to him, so close that you become his child but it’s the truth and why we celebrate Christmas.

Jesus came to share God’s love with all people: because of his love he gave up his God-ness and became a baby to give us a choice to accept the invite to learn about who Jesus is. The reading from John that we heard says ‘yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God, and children born not of natural descent nor of human decision or a husbands will, but born of God.’

When Jesus came and became a man he served us in the most amazing way. Too make it possible for us to become children of God, he willingly gave up his life, being nailed to a cross for crimes that he hadn’t committed, rising from the dead three days later. Jesus did this because it was the only way that simple people could come close to a holy God. Jesus willingly came to give you and me a gift that we cannot earn ourselves, the gift of becoming a child of God. Because God loves us and came close to us we can come close to him, what an amazing gift and what an invitation to come and see Jesus.

That’s what the shepherds did that first Christmas, they were chosen to go and see Jesus for themselves and we are invited to come and see Jesus from ourselves and to receive the gift that he’s come to bring us, we won’t find Jesus laying as a baby in a manger, he’s now living with the father God in heaven but his presence is with us now and if we turn to him by faith and put our trust in him we will receive the gift of becoming a child of God whose life will be transformed. I will invite us to come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:6)

So this Christmas may we remember Gods story that led up to that first Christmas, when Jesus came as a baby, giving up his God-ness and came into poverty, to serve and to invite us to become children of God, whose lives can be transformed. Let’s keep accepting the invitation to follow Jesus each day and come and see what he’s doing in our lives and in others.

Last week Paul challenged us in this season of Advent to commit to what will last. We want to be prepared for eternity, Jesus is going to come back and we want to encourage others to be prepared to meet with Him too.

Be prepared is the scouting moto. Skills are taught that are to help mould young minds and give them the ability to grow into self sufficient adults. It equips them with skills to withstand crises, survival skills are also taught. Being prepared is an important skill to have in whatever circumstance.

With regard to Christmas I wonder how prepared you are feeling right now? Christmas is only 15 days away. There are cards to think about if you send cards, making Sure you get them in the post in time. There are presents to think about thinking about what gift would be great for each particular person that you might want to give a gift to. Then with the cost of posting you might think well let’s be prepared and arrange to meet up and exchange presents. If you’re going to attempt a roast dinner on Christmas Day preparation is key. I Quite like Jamie Oliver and he has a plan for Christmas dinner and all the things that can be prepared for in advance and a plan of how to get it all prepared in time on the actual day. If you’re travelling this preparation of your vehicle mode of transport the route that you’re going to take the clothes that you might need snacks for the journey lots to prepare for.  The idea is that the better prepared you are the more smoothly things might go.

Advent is the time when in the build up to Christmas we are not only thinking about that first Christmas or counting down to this one but also thinking as Paul touched on last week about being prepared spiritually – thinking about how advent points us to think of when Jesus will come again – are we prepared to meet him. I love the time of advent and lighting the advent candles helps us to think about Gods whole story with hints in the stories of the patriarchs pointing to Jesus – Abraham being told all nations will be blessed through his family and David being promised that there would be a king sitting on the throne from his family forever.

 This Christmas are we prepared to relive Gods story in the build up to the good news of Jesus? are we prepared to learn new things about God? about ourselves? are we prepared to put things right?

God wants his people to be prepared.

In our passage this morning, in the NIV Bible, the heading at the start of marks gospel is ‘John the Baptist prepares the way’ and he begins his gospel by saying ‘ the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the son of God’ the people who added those headings obviously feel that that sums up this section of marks gospel that it was John the Baptist who came to prepare the way that John came to make sure people are prepared to receive the good news of Jesus Christ and we’re gonna unpack what that means this morning

Marks gospel is action packed. It doesn’t contain much of Jesus’ words and sermons – there’s no sermon on the mount as in Matthew’s gospel or sermon on the plain as in Luke’s. There’s no nativity story. There’s lots of action. And Mark’s action begins by drawing his readers back to what has been written.

Mark includes two prophecies here one for Malachi chapter 3, verse one, and then another from Isaiah 40 verse three here amalgamates, these two prophecies into one. In the second week of advent is lit to remember the profits, and the profits were often pointing God’s people back to him. They said of being prepared was part of the Jewish history, and Mark is framing it a fresh and linking it closely to the good news of Jesus.

He continued to build on this theme by introducing John the Baptist. He describes what John was wearing his appearance that he wore camels hair clothes and a leather belt, and he ate locus and wild honey. It’s very similar to the description of Elijah in second kings chapter 1, verse eight. Again, Mark is using this imagery from the old Testament to make connections between the prophets who were preparing the way and John.

At Saint Georges next week the readings will be focusing again on John as John is the third candle that we light in advent. The purpose of John was that he was a modern age of his time prophet. He was revealing God’s plan and getting people ready.

How was John getting them ready? Well he offered a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins? What was the response to that offer? the whole of the countryside and all people are Jerusalem went out, confessed their sins and were baptised. There is a sense that the people needed to be ready to come across their messiah. Their hearts needed to be ready they needed to be right with God. That’s why we confess at the beginning of every service, so that we prepare ourselves to meet with God afresh in worship. John was getting them ready to encounter Jesus when he came.

And we know by his words John didn’t just come and baptise, but he had a message and the message was ‘after me, will come more powerful than I.’ The rest of Mark ‘s Gospel shows us Jesus’ power. Even in the rest of the chapter, we read how Jesus healed many, people from leprosy and how he drove out impure spirits. Just like the hymn I wrote about in our church email this week – There’s power in the name of Jesus. because of Jesus: demons will flee, captives are freed, God’s enemies shall be crushed, we are saved and given the ability to stand in faith.  That is the good news of Jesus, and he has the power and not need to give forgiveness, but to transform our lives. Jesus can transform our lives because he has defeated sin and death on the cross at Easter. That is the good news of Jesus that he made a relationship with God possible again by dealing with this in that often gets in the way. John‘s message is pointing to one more powerful than him. John,In the second part of his message  says this ‘ I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’ The good news about Jesus doesn’t end with his death and resurrection sign posts his followers to the sending of the Holy Spirit. John 14:26, we read that the’ advocate the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send him my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. This is the good news of Jesus we are not alone we can be transformed by the power of his Holy Spirit

So, when Mark uses, the Isaiah quote ‘prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him – he’s communicating to his listeners, but Jesus is a fulfilment of God story that repentance forgiveness baptism, part of that journey for Gods people.

What does making straight path look like for you?

How can we be prepared to receive from God today? 

We’re gonna do something I’ve never done here I want us to sit quietly for a moment, and to ask God this question, what does making straight Path look like for us? There might be something we need to ask forgiveness for or to even forgive ourselves for there might be behaviours and habits that we need to adopt? You might have never done this before and sat quietly. Some people might be comfortable with this for others It might help you to just read through those eight verses again. I want us to sit there and ask God how do I need to prepare to meet you Jesus?

How do you need to prepare to meet Jesus?

Father help us this season to be prepared to meet with you and to refocus on you.

Jesus said “…Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Mark 13:31). Advent is more than just the lead up to Christmas. It is an opportuniy to reflect on our lives from the perspetive of eternity.