Glory Revealed
12/13/09
Isaiah 40:1-5;
Luke 3:1-18
Third Sunday of Advent
Pastor Greg Smith
Our text for this morning is Luke 3, the story of John the Baptist, but I would like to begin with Luke’s quote from Isaiah 40. These very beautiful verses are written for the people of Israel in exile in Babylon about 500 years before. The people of Israel were exiled in a country far from home. The temple now lay in ruins. They had no king of their own. They are a powerful announcement: dramatic change is on the way! You will not be abandoned in exile forever.
God sends a prophet with a message of comfort: their suffering has a limit. Now it’s time to get ready! It’s time to prepare. God will soon arrive! Let’s prepare the way for his coming!
Verse 5 is the climax of his message:
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
“Glory” is an important word but the definition is not that obvious. Glory is one of those “Big Picture” words that can help us see some of the ways the message of the Bible fits together. So, here is a definition: Glory means the revealed, experienced presence of God with all the distinct qualities that make God so worthy of praise.
That definition makes sense of some familiar passages from the Bible.
• Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” By that we mean we can see God’s power and faithful care in the awesome beauty of creation.
• When Moses prepared to go up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, the Bible says the “glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai” but to the people “the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.” The glory of the Lord is not a “tame” experience.
• When the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness and God wanted to show his faithful care through his visible presence, the Bible says “the glory of the LORD appeared in a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.”
• When Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory of the Lord came and filled to temple. The people knew it and they were humbled and overwhelmed with awe and thankfulness.
• And remember the shepherds in Luke 2:
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
When the glory of the Lord is revealed, the effect is awesome:
— Fear
— Wonder
— Humble worship
— Overflowing joy
Why? Because God gives a glimpse of his power and might, his holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, and covenant love. Glory!
As I said, the people of Israel were exiled in a country far from the Promised Land. The temple now lay in ruins. They had no king of their own. On of the prophets— Ezekiel— had said that the glory of the Lord had left them. No wonder the people felt forsaken, abandoned and alone. This was the true meaning of exile— it was exile from God’s powerful presence. The GLORY OF THE LORD had abandoned them.
Into that situation, Isaiah’s message came as welcome news.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD;
MAKE STRAIGHT IN THE DESERT
A HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
The message was this: Get ready. Prepare the way because “the glory of the LORD” will be revealed once more. God in his power, his majesty, his faithful, covenant love will once again be present among the people. The glory of the Lord would return to the people of Israel!
This was the greatest promise of comfort they could receive. It meant that the LORD was ready to forgive. The relationship with God that seemed broken beyond repair was about to be restored and renewed.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
Such a powerful hope called for preparation! Look at verse 3.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD;
MAKE STRAIGHT IN THE DESERT
A HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD.
It was about 500 years later and the people of Israel still felt like they were in exile. Many of the people had long ago returned to the land. But the glory of the Lord seemed as far away as ever. They were looking, hoping, waiting for God to come to his people, this time through his anointed one, the Messiah. They again looked to Isaiah for clues about what God might do.
Look at Luke 3:4-6. Luke quotes these verses from Isaiah 40 to explain John’s behavior:
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
Notice verse 6. Instead of all people seeing God’s glory as it says in Isaiah 40:5, Luke says says, “And all people will see God's salvation.” God’s glory is God’s salvation! The Lord will come in his saving power! The people will again see the Lord's power and might, his holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, and covenant love.
This is something important enough to prepare for! But how? Look at verses 4 and 5 of Luke 3 again.
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
How do you make straight paths? In the ancient world, when a king would visit, the roads would be worked on to make them smooth. The ruts and potholes would be smoothed out, the dips would be filled in. The road would be leveled.
• Tenwek Hospital road: potholes that were six feet across and three feet deep. You had to drive around them. A 10 minute drive turned into a
John the Baptist accomplished this by spiritually leveling all the people through the word of God. Listen to John’s stinging words in Luke 3:7-9.
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Talk about leveling! John made clear that you can’t rely on your heritage and past. Jews and non-Jews are put on the same level. This is especially important to remember at a time of year when tradition is important. It is wonderful to have a strong heritage of faith. But even the most accomplished and respected among the crowds that came out to listen to John were expected to do what only non-Jews converting to the Jewish faith would do: be baptized as an expression of the end of their old life and the beginning of the new. It would have to be an incredibly humbling experience!
But while all come through the same door of faith, each person’s life is unique. The decision has to be personal and individual. Sure: the same standards apply to all of love for God and love for each other. But each person will have their unique leading edge issues of faithfulness:
• The issues a person faces at 16 may be different from a person at 70.
• A single person from married.
• A person with great job and plenty of money from a person struggling to make ends meet.
That’s why John gives each person tailor-made instructions on lifestyle change to prepare the way for the Lord.
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
John gave very practical steps for change: it wasn’t just about attitudes, it wasn’t just about feelings. It was about action.
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
You know real repentance when you see it.
• The goals of a peoples’ lives begin to change.
• They begin investing their thoughts and energy in new directions.
• They begin to pray and get support from other believers for their life change.
Repentance is not an optional extra, but an expression of genuine faith.
No matter who we are, real repentance will be costly. For good reason: John says that genuine repentance is a life or death issue. A crisis is coming. Prepare the way of the Lord! A time of great testing is here. Fire is the very vivid image that John uses. Look at what Jesus says in verse 9.
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
The glory of the Lord will be revealed! God’s salvation will come. Lives will be changed! Look at Luke 3:16-17.
I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
John looks forward to a time of cleansing, purifying, and purging. Unfruitful limbs are pruned away, chaff is burned so that only the good grain is left. “Get ready, each one of you!” John says. “Turn around. It’s time to prepare because the Messiah is on His way!”
Jesus, the coming Messiah, was the one who would baptize the people with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the very presence of the glory of God. John’s gospel makes this clear. Look in John 1.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only [Son], who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Jesus is the very glory of God come in the flesh. But through Jesus the glory of God can take up residence in our lives— and with life changing results. Turn to 2 Corinthians 3:18.
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Through the work of the Holy Spirit our lives can reflect the Lord’s glory. What a wonderful way that verse in Isaiah 40:5 can be fulfilled in your life and my life!
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,and all people will see it together.For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Unlike John, we know the rest of the gospel story. The mighty one that John the Baptist expected has come. And after Jesus’ death and resurrection he made the Holy Spirit available to all who would receive. It is this Spirit that transformed the unbelieving, cringing disciples into the courageous band that brought a message to the world.
God’s work is never complete! God wants to write his will upon your heart, so that you joyfully seek with all your heart to serve him.
Isaiah promised, “the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together.”
This has been fulfilled in Jesus. He is the Word become flesh. “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This is fulfilled in ordinary Christians like you and me who “with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory” and who are being “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
Third Sunday of Advent
Pastor Greg Smith
Our text for this morning is Luke 3, the story of John the Baptist, but I would like to begin with Luke’s quote from Isaiah 40. These very beautiful verses are written for the people of Israel in exile in Babylon about 500 years before. The people of Israel were exiled in a country far from home. The temple now lay in ruins. They had no king of their own. They are a powerful announcement: dramatic change is on the way! You will not be abandoned in exile forever.
God sends a prophet with a message of comfort: their suffering has a limit. Now it’s time to get ready! It’s time to prepare. God will soon arrive! Let’s prepare the way for his coming!
Verse 5 is the climax of his message:
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
“Glory” is an important word but the definition is not that obvious. Glory is one of those “Big Picture” words that can help us see some of the ways the message of the Bible fits together. So, here is a definition: Glory means the revealed, experienced presence of God with all the distinct qualities that make God so worthy of praise.
That definition makes sense of some familiar passages from the Bible.
• Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” By that we mean we can see God’s power and faithful care in the awesome beauty of creation.
• When Moses prepared to go up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, the Bible says the “glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai” but to the people “the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.” The glory of the Lord is not a “tame” experience.
• When the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness and God wanted to show his faithful care through his visible presence, the Bible says “the glory of the LORD appeared in a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.”
• When Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory of the Lord came and filled to temple. The people knew it and they were humbled and overwhelmed with awe and thankfulness.
• And remember the shepherds in Luke 2:
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
When the glory of the Lord is revealed, the effect is awesome:
— Fear
— Wonder
— Humble worship
— Overflowing joy
Why? Because God gives a glimpse of his power and might, his holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, and covenant love. Glory!
As I said, the people of Israel were exiled in a country far from the Promised Land. The temple now lay in ruins. They had no king of their own. On of the prophets— Ezekiel— had said that the glory of the Lord had left them. No wonder the people felt forsaken, abandoned and alone. This was the true meaning of exile— it was exile from God’s powerful presence. The GLORY OF THE LORD had abandoned them.
Into that situation, Isaiah’s message came as welcome news.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD;
MAKE STRAIGHT IN THE DESERT
A HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
The message was this: Get ready. Prepare the way because “the glory of the LORD” will be revealed once more. God in his power, his majesty, his faithful, covenant love will once again be present among the people. The glory of the Lord would return to the people of Israel!
This was the greatest promise of comfort they could receive. It meant that the LORD was ready to forgive. The relationship with God that seemed broken beyond repair was about to be restored and renewed.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
Such a powerful hope called for preparation! Look at verse 3.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the LORD;
MAKE STRAIGHT IN THE DESERT
A HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD.
It was about 500 years later and the people of Israel still felt like they were in exile. Many of the people had long ago returned to the land. But the glory of the Lord seemed as far away as ever. They were looking, hoping, waiting for God to come to his people, this time through his anointed one, the Messiah. They again looked to Isaiah for clues about what God might do.
Look at Luke 3:4-6. Luke quotes these verses from Isaiah 40 to explain John’s behavior:
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
Notice verse 6. Instead of all people seeing God’s glory as it says in Isaiah 40:5, Luke says says, “And all people will see God's salvation.” God’s glory is God’s salvation! The Lord will come in his saving power! The people will again see the Lord's power and might, his holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, and covenant love.
This is something important enough to prepare for! But how? Look at verses 4 and 5 of Luke 3 again.
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
How do you make straight paths? In the ancient world, when a king would visit, the roads would be worked on to make them smooth. The ruts and potholes would be smoothed out, the dips would be filled in. The road would be leveled.
• Tenwek Hospital road: potholes that were six feet across and three feet deep. You had to drive around them. A 10 minute drive turned into a
John the Baptist accomplished this by spiritually leveling all the people through the word of God. Listen to John’s stinging words in Luke 3:7-9.
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Talk about leveling! John made clear that you can’t rely on your heritage and past. Jews and non-Jews are put on the same level. This is especially important to remember at a time of year when tradition is important. It is wonderful to have a strong heritage of faith. But even the most accomplished and respected among the crowds that came out to listen to John were expected to do what only non-Jews converting to the Jewish faith would do: be baptized as an expression of the end of their old life and the beginning of the new. It would have to be an incredibly humbling experience!
But while all come through the same door of faith, each person’s life is unique. The decision has to be personal and individual. Sure: the same standards apply to all of love for God and love for each other. But each person will have their unique leading edge issues of faithfulness:
• The issues a person faces at 16 may be different from a person at 70.
• A single person from married.
• A person with great job and plenty of money from a person struggling to make ends meet.
That’s why John gives each person tailor-made instructions on lifestyle change to prepare the way for the Lord.
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
John gave very practical steps for change: it wasn’t just about attitudes, it wasn’t just about feelings. It was about action.
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
You know real repentance when you see it.
• The goals of a peoples’ lives begin to change.
• They begin investing their thoughts and energy in new directions.
• They begin to pray and get support from other believers for their life change.
Repentance is not an optional extra, but an expression of genuine faith.
No matter who we are, real repentance will be costly. For good reason: John says that genuine repentance is a life or death issue. A crisis is coming. Prepare the way of the Lord! A time of great testing is here. Fire is the very vivid image that John uses. Look at what Jesus says in verse 9.
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
The glory of the Lord will be revealed! God’s salvation will come. Lives will be changed! Look at Luke 3:16-17.
I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
John looks forward to a time of cleansing, purifying, and purging. Unfruitful limbs are pruned away, chaff is burned so that only the good grain is left. “Get ready, each one of you!” John says. “Turn around. It’s time to prepare because the Messiah is on His way!”
Jesus, the coming Messiah, was the one who would baptize the people with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the very presence of the glory of God. John’s gospel makes this clear. Look in John 1.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only [Son], who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Jesus is the very glory of God come in the flesh. But through Jesus the glory of God can take up residence in our lives— and with life changing results. Turn to 2 Corinthians 3:18.
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Through the work of the Holy Spirit our lives can reflect the Lord’s glory. What a wonderful way that verse in Isaiah 40:5 can be fulfilled in your life and my life!
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,and all people will see it together.For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Unlike John, we know the rest of the gospel story. The mighty one that John the Baptist expected has come. And after Jesus’ death and resurrection he made the Holy Spirit available to all who would receive. It is this Spirit that transformed the unbelieving, cringing disciples into the courageous band that brought a message to the world.
God’s work is never complete! God wants to write his will upon your heart, so that you joyfully seek with all your heart to serve him.
Isaiah promised, “the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together.”
This has been fulfilled in Jesus. He is the Word become flesh. “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This is fulfilled in ordinary Christians like you and me who “with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory” and who are being “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”