The prophet Isaiah tells us about the hope and expectation of the one who is to come. For Isaiah, the Messiah will usher in the Kingdom of God. Where else - other than the Kingdom of God - do you find this occurring? Isaiah 2:4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. I can not speak for you, but I am not optimistic on experiencing this in my lifetime, by anything we can accomplish. We ourselves are not capable of bringing about a time when we will beat our swords into plow shears, only the Messiah will bring peace and arbitrate our differences to the point where we don’t need military hardware to defend ourselves.
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. This prophesy of Isaiah is closer to home. Do we ever think that the wolf or mountain lion will ever lie down with the lamb, fawn or calf elk - without eating it? Then the prophet says a child will lead them - A Child! Who would ever believe this. For a child to be our Messiah is as inconceivable as the U.S. doing away with its military, as wolves and lions not eating baby animals and instead eating grass. Isaiah has some pretty high expectations of just what the Messiah will accomplish. We do expect this in the Kingdom of God. Paul expresses these expectations as well when he writes to the Romans: Romans 8:22-25 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. During this season of Advent we wait with patience. But just exactly what are we waiting for? John the Baptist does not offer us a rosy picture of the coming of the Kingdom of God. John the Baptist’s Messiah is not an innocent, charming child, is it?
The axe and the winnowing fork are the tools of the trade John the Baptist uses to illustrate the coming of the Messiah. The axe fells a tree, leaving a stump. It is out of the Stump of Jesse that our Messiah will come. John calls the people to repent - to turn and live righteously; be a tree that bears good fruit, fruit worthy of repentance. The axe and the winnowing fork are the tools at hand. The axe cuts down the tree that does not bear good, repentant fruit; the winnowing fork will separate the grain from the chaff - the chaff and the unfruitful tree will be burned with unquenchable fire.
What John is prophesying and proclaiming is a rite of purification in order for us to be ready for Messiah. Num 31: 23 everything that can withstand fire, shall be passed through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless it shall also be purified with the water for purification; and whatever cannot withstand fire, shall be passed through the water. The purifying fire of the Holy Spirit will cleanse us, burn away the impurities. John baptizes with the water of repentance. People receive it and live righteous lives - in right relationship with God. Either way we will be purified by God and welcome into his Kingdom. A kingdom the Messiah will come to establish. We wait with hope for what is unseen and unbelievable at the same time. We light our candles and wait for Messiah, the anointed one who will establish peace, justice and harmonious living. We wait for the child who will lead us to the Kingdom of God. Amen.
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