Shepherd of the Springs
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

And you child will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins . . .

For hundreds of years there was a continual dialogue that went on between God and His people. The dialogue went something like this. God would raise up prophets to announce that He was mighty upset about his people’s faithlessness to the provisions of their covenant. The Law of God was being transgressed with impunity, the sacrifices offered up to God were empty expressions of a lack of repentance, and God had had enough. His mighty hand of judgment for all their callous transgressions was on the way. And then in the midst of their suffering and enduring various forms of the wrath of God, the people would repent and cry out to the Lord God: Give us another chance! . . . And He would. And so it went until these words from Malachi: Read Malachi 4:1-6 . . . and then there was silence. The God of Israel stopped talking to his people. He ceased his conversation with his covenant people for around 400 years, about the same amount of time He was silent when his people were in slavery down in Egypt.

But, now as the fullness of time approaches in the shadows of Bethlehem, the silence is broken and God announces that the day prophesied by Malachi has now come to pass. In the words later spoken by Jesus in the wilderness to those who could receive them: John is that prophet of the Most High sent to His people in fulfillment of the prophecy about the return of Elijah. God breaks his centuries-old silence to once again speak to his people. This time, however, the message is different. The old message of wrath and destruction for faithlessness to the provisions of the Law gives way to a new song. As Malachi declared, this message would be one as follows: For you who fear my Name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in his wings. The great and awesome day of the Lord is at hand and it will usher in something completely new on earth. No more carrot and stick, no more promises of blessings or curses to motivate for moral reform and compliance to a program of righteousness through righteous living, no more promises of more chances. The prophet who would be the forerunner of Babe of Bethlehem would bring knowledge of salvation to his people, a salvation to be delivered by a righteousness coming through the imparting of the forgiveness of sins.

In the shadow and darkness of all our moral failings, our resolutions to do better and our grieving over not measuring up, Zachariah speaks of John the Baptist’s ministry, a ministry of the return of Elijah the prophet, a ministry to announce that the forgiveness of sins will be coming to earth. This will be the good news of the Light that will shine in the dark places of Bethlehem, the dark places of the children of Israel, the dark places that are also connected with our lives. This is the light that will lighten we the gentiles, this is the glory of Israel that John will prepare a way for. This will be the fulfillment of the prophecy about the light that will come with the dawning of the sun of righteousness. God will visit his people here on earth and He will come with the healing of his mercy and forgiveness. From manger, to cross, to empty tomb - the Sun of Righteousness will visit justice upon the land and we through his atonement for sin will receive right here on earth his favor and forgiveness of all our sins.

During this Advent season, the shadows of Bethlehem represent the darkened state of the people of God and the world in general when seen from the vantage point of the silence of God in the face of the poverty of our sinful state. We need to learn the lesson of the 1500 years of the children of Israel under the provisions of the Old Covenant. The motivation provided by self-improvement programs built on the hope of blessing or the avoidance of punishment can do only so much here in this fallen world. They can produce a certain modicum of outward discipline. They can make us more civilized with one another in our outward dealings. They can bring a disciplined life and outward moral improvement. But they cannot heal or reform the self-centered heart or the fat relentless ego that refuses to fear, love and trust in God as the center of one’s love and life. That is the dark shadow inside of us that is in need of a peace on earth that can come from no other source than a God with us, a Sun of Righteousness who will bring the mercy and healing of divine forgiveness to us here living in the shadows of our sinful world, in the shadows of Bethlehem.

John the Baptist will be called to a prophetic ministry in the wilderness settings of life to call us to repentance, to a proper preparation for the coming Immanuel. For only the repentant heart can receive and live with the forgiveness that the Sun of Righteousness will bring. We need this Advent season to ready ourselves to step out of the shadows of Bethlehem and behold the presence of the Light of the World from whom we will be lighted, and lightened from our burdens of sin and guilt. This is the season to observe our need for that light, for that pardon, for that righteous standing that comes only through his gracious forgiveness. This is the season to understand the silence of God in the face of the Law’s impossible demands on our frail sinful condition. The darkness and shadows of our lives are visited by Elijah proclaiming the word of hope that will soon be arriving. The Sun of Righteousness is on His way, the fullness of time is at hand, the forgiveness of your sins is arriving from the heavenly places to cover you and make you holy and fit for the dawning of the Kingdom. The time is getting close for those of us who live in the shadows of Bethlehem. The time is getting close to behold his star, his stable, his manger, his cross . . . and his glory. The time is getting close to behold your Savior. A-men!