Mark 1:1-8 "It's About Jesus!"

2nd Sunday in Advent - December 7, 2008

Pastor Troy Slater - Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Herington, Kansas

It's often said how most people like to talk about themselves. In our narcissistic culture it's all about "me" - "look at me - make me the center of your attention." We're even told that if you want to get on someone's good side or carry-on a good conversation with them, ask them about themselves. Perhaps you've heard of the two southern belles who were visiting and one of them was monopolizing the conversation. At last she took a breather and said, "Well, enough of me talking about myself, honey. Why don't you talk about me for a little bit?" … Unfortunately that's pretty much our world, isn't it? It's all about "me". …

Well that was not John's world - that is John the Baptist's. For standing there in our Gospel text for this morning - standing there in the Judean wilderness with one foot in the Old Testament and the other in the New, there is John the Baptist and what's John doing? What's he doing? Well, he's not talking about himself, is he? No. No rather John is pointing to someone else. He's pointing to Jesus. For John knows that it's not about him, it's about Jesus. It's not about him, it's about Jesus.

For after all, John knew he was but a messenger as the prophet Isaiah had once foretold, "Behold, I will send my messenger before you, who will prepare your way - the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'" And so John appeared our reading tells us. "John appeared baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

I suppose it's quite appropriate really that John appeared in the wilderness. After all it was into the wilderness that Adam and Eve were exiled to following their fall into sin. Out of Eden and into the wilderness is where they were consigned; a land which was cursed because of their sin, a land yielding thorns and thistles. Only in toil and sweat would Adam wrestle a living from the dirt, there in the wilderness. A harsh life certainly, complete with sibling murder as Cain slaughters Abel. There is death in the wilderness as the dust from which Adam was made, ultimately claimed him, claimed his children, and will claim us. That's right, will claim us - for after all, we've been in that wilderness haven't we? In fact it's where we now live - a land of our own sin as we attempt to go it alone, to live as if God didn't matter and I mattered most - a land that yields its thorns and thistles. With toil and sweat we have to wrestle a living, raise a family, maintain our health and our sanity. Yes we know the wilderness, don't we? We know the wilderness. ..

But it was there in the wilderness that God made some promises. Of course there with Adam and Eve he promised a Savior - one who would crush the head of the serpent, the devil, Satan, the father of all lives, the master of all evil. God made a promise in that wilderness - He promised the Savior. And so some 4,500 years later John comes onto the scene - into the wilderness - and he's preparing the way for that Savior. "Repent," He cries, "Turn from a life all about "me" - repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Make ready His paths. For one is coming after me who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not even worthy to stoop down and untie." In other words, John says, "I'm not even worthy to be His slave."

Yes John knows his place; he who knows who he is and He knows who Jesus is. Jesus is the one that matters, not John, not you, not me. No, it's not about me, it's not about you. Even in a narcissistic culture - a "look at me" culture, it's still to be about Jesus. It's all about Jesus.

But even in the church today there are those who are trying - and oftentimes quite successfully - to pull the church into a "me-centered" existence. "I want the church to give me advice - teach me how to make my life better, my family better, be a better husband/wife. I want to hear about "me" all while of course being entertained. I don't want to hear about all that sin and death, a cross and blood, hell and judgment - that has nothing to do with me. In fact it offends me."

And you know what? Many a church does it. Instead of preaching the Savior, they preach the sinner. Crosses get thrown out as it becomes all about "your best life now". Don't believe me? Well who's the most popular preacher today? Joel Osteen. But you watch one of his services and do you see a cross there? No. You hear a lot of self-help, pop-psychology, but you won't here about a Savior crucified for your sins. No sin, no blood, no cross, and thus you have no Savior. It becomes all about the "me".

That's why it's so important to hang onto a good, Christ-centered liturgy like we have with the historical liturgies that we use. It's not about our feelings, making us feel good, it's not about the latest fads that seek to tickle people's ears and get them into the doors no matter what. In the church, the talk isn't to be about us. Want "self-help" fine, but find a therapist. Want to be entertained, go to the circus. But if you want a Savior crucified for your sins - you want to get at the heart of all of our problems - well then come. Come and hear your Savior's words of absolution upon your sin. Come and hear His promises of eternal life in Him. Come and eat the body given on the cross for you - drink the blood shed for the forgiveness of your sins. In the church, the talk is always to be about the one whom we are not even worthy to untie His sandals. It's to be about the One who's infinitely greater than we, for He is our Creator and we are the creatures of His own redeeming. God the Father sent His only-begotten Son, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, God Himself became incarnate precisely so that He could shoulder our sins, carry a cross, rise over death. That's what it is about. That's who it is about. Jesus and Him crucified for our sins. It's about Jesus.

And John knew that. John knew that. .. Medieval artists would often portray John with an out-of-proportion, larger-than-life finger pointing to Jesus. For you might recall how in the Gospel of St. John he records John the Baptist pointing to Jesus and saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." That is John's office. He knows he's only an unworthy servant. And so John points and then quickly gets out of the way so that we see only Jesus. …

After today we will only have two weeks left in Advent; the overflowing joy of Christmas will soon be upon us. And as that season approaches John does us the service yet again of focusing us entirely on Jesus and His cross. He steps into the wilderness - into our wilderness - and points us once again to what it is all about - to who it is all about. John reminds us that the joy of the coming days isn't found in presents and memories and family gatherings and sentiments of goodwill and cheer - blessings though they are. John reminds us that the joy isn't found in gluttony and drunkenness or spending the economy out of a slump - blessings they are not. Before long, God willing, we will stare with Mary and Joseph and the shepherds in wonder at the Child who is indeed among us, our Immanuel. We'll sing songs of greeting to Him, rejoicing that He came among us. Most of all, we'll rejoice that He came among us to be our Savior from this wilderness. "The Lamb of God, who does take away the sin of the world.". Yes only in Jesus is there forgiveness of sins. Only in Jesus is there joy for those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death there in the wilderness.

And so before we greet Him in the manger, let's again welcome Him as He comes to us. Let's welcome Him once again as He comes to us at His Table, bearing the only Christmas gifts that any of us need, gifts that none of us can live without. Let's focus on Jesus. For indeed truly it can only be all about Him. Amen.