Rev. Roland J. Wells, Jr. - Pastor

The First Sunday of Advent - December 8, 2002

Lessons: Isaiah 9:1-7; 1 John 2:28-3:2; John 7:37-8:1, 12

"Light Where You Don't Expect It"

Introduction:

This is a true and scary story. It was the Winter of 1974, and Brenda Wells was a freshman at Augustana, Sioux Falls. One wintery Sunday night she and several other students were driving back to school. Because of the Arab oil embargo, all gas stations were closed on Sundays. Driving back to Sioux Falls took more than one tank of gas. They had started late, so they could arrive at Worthington after midnight and fill up.

After they filled up, it was Brenda's turn to drive. So, she took off, driving exactly the mandated 55 mph. Almost immediately everybody else fell asleep, as she drove down the lonely road.

Suddenly she noticed a light behind, up high, her on her left. She looked back again in a few minutes, and it was still there! She drove on for miles, and that light stayed right there. She started to get afraid. She was being followed by a UFO! There had been a lot of sightings that fall.

You don't expect to see a UFO. Here they were in the middle of nowhere. On and on she drove. She wasn't supposed to go faster than 55, so she didn't. And the light hung right there behind her. Mile after mile. A UFO was chasing Brenda!

Finally, she woke up one of the guys, to see the UFO. He turned around and looked up. He said- it's a freight train on the tracks that paralleled the road.

1) How the Texts Interplay, and the Humor of John

Sometimes we get surprised by things that seem out of the ordinary. Brenda didn't expect to see that light out in the middle of the southern Minnesota prairie. Sometimes light pops up in places we don't expect it. As we turn to John's Gospel, we find light coming from a place where people didn't expect it. That's the center of our John text. It's about light coming, and the people don't expect it. Let's see how it fits together.

This morning we're going to look at our Gospel text to see what it says, see how it functions, how it calls up our knowledge of Isaiah, and how John's Gospel speaks to his audience and us. To understand John, throughout the year we will dig deeper and deeper into his Gospel to learn more and more about Jesus and what it means when: his Word comes, to hear him, believe into him, to know him and to bear witness.

John's Gospel is different from the other three, Matthew, Mark and Luke. He expects that the audience has already had contact with those three. So John doesn't tell us about Jesus' birth. He doesn't bother to tell us about Jesus' baptism. He doesn't have most of the parables. John never even uses the word parable! He doesn't tell us the story of the Last Supper and so on. John expects you to have the first three gospels. His Gospel is written to the Church- and he expects that you understand something. You, the Church, know the Scriptures. You have read the OT and the other Gospels. Now he's going to tell you more. And many times he throws in little hints of Scripture, and expects you to get the joke. Kind of a 'Where's Waldo' of Bible knowledge. Let's look at one of these.

That First Lesson, from Isaiah 9, is a famous messianic prophecy. Around Christmastime we often hear the last part:

(Is 9:6-7) For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.

That one verse, written over 700 years before Christ, tells us so much about who the Messiah will be. (Review)

But the part we usually don't pay much attention to the introduction to that passage from Isaiah. It's about light:

(Isa 9:1-2) But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined.

Now, let's make you a first-century Christian. Let's pretend you're hearing this Gospel for the first time. You have heard this Isaiah text. You have heard preaching on this text, and you know how it relates to Jesus. The great light that shown in Galilee was Jesus. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Next, you hear John's Gospel, you hear of these big-time leaders bickering.

Listen to the passage again, and you fill in the blanks: (John 7:40-43 - see below)

When Jesus stands up and speaks, some of the simple people suggest that Jesus must be the Prophet or the Messiah!. The great Jewish leaders are enraged. They attack the people who suggest this. They are supposedly wise and learned. The leaders supposedly knew the Scriptures. But do they really?

That sets up our text. They know Jesus is from Galilee. How can he fulfill the Bethlehem promise? But YOU know that. You've read Matthew. You've read Luke. You know this- Jesus was born in Bethlehem. They didn't get it, but you do! And it is deeply ironic, and even humorous! That's pure John, and that's the kind of thing we'll see all year. Let's go on in the story: (John 7:44-52) (read it)

Then that is followed by:

[12] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Do you see the humor here? The leaders, who are supposedly so wise, don't get it. They are offered a chance to meet Jesus, and they won't HEAR. More than that, they blaspheme God and say that because the people believe, they must have been cursed! More than that, these 'wise ones' are ignorant-- they don't even know their own Scriptures! (But you know them- and it's funny!) [52] (The leaders) replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."

But we know better- we know the Isaiah text we read- For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; because, 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined.

You know this- you recognize right away, that so very, very ironically, these leaders, who are supposed to know Scriptures the best, don't know them at all. And so it is even more ironic that Jesus stands up and says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Indeed, The people who walked in darkness HAVE seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined!

That's how John works- he expects you to know something. It's for Christians- it's a Gospel you can dig deeper and deeper in, and yet a beginner can enjoy it.. And when we look, we find the light we need for dark days. Jesus is the Light of the World. Are we open to that light? When It comes, when Jesus comes, and meets us day by day, do we recognize the light? It comes and surprises us. He comes and makes himself to shine through us. Do we recognize those times? Are we taking time in Advent, not only to bake, decorate and shop, but to be aware of the Light of the World- who keeps desiring to encounter us in these days?

Because Jesus is here, every time his Word comes to us. Jesus is the Word. Every time we hear his story, he's here. He's touching us; he's calling us to faith, and he's producing that faith in our hearts.

This morning, the light is coming. Good News! Won't you trust him? Amen.

Advent 2- December 8, 2002

Isaiah 9:1-7

But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

1 John 2:28-3:2

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him. 3:1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.

John 7:37-8:1, 12

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." [39] By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

[40] On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."

[41] Others said, "He is the Christ."

Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? [42] Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" [43] Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. [44] Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

[45] Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"

[46] "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared.

[47] "You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted. [48] "Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? [49] No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law--there is a curse on them."

[50] Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, [51] "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?"

[52] They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."

[53] Then each went to his own home.

[8:1] But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

[12]

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."