John the Baptist (which means “baptizer”) heads off into the wilderness by the Jordan River preaching God’s Word. God (who last spoke through a prophet about 400 years before) resumes His speaking through John. He’s sent by God to prepare the way for the coming Messiah—to make straight paths in the hearts of humankind for the coming of the Lord Himself.

Heightening the significance of his message, John eats delicacies like grasshoppers and wild honey, and (like Elijah) he wears a unique camel hair garment with an attractive leather belt. If you’re thinking, “Pastor should wear unique clothes” … look at me. I’m wearing clothes that haven’t been worn by westerners in hundreds of years…

John’s powerful message and eccentric appearance draw quite a hearing from Jerusalem, from the larger region of Judea, and from more areas near the Jordan River. People flock to the wilderness to hear him preach and receive his baptism.

Isaiah (many, many years before John’s birth), outlined John’s role as the forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’” In the ancient world, a king’s servants would prepare the roadway for him to travel through the area. John prepares the way for Jesus in peoples’ hearts (in our hearts) by straightening us out.

John’s dress is unusual, but His message is pointed. He declares:

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND… SO WHAT???

So… repent! We think of repentance as confessing our sins and turning away from them. Often times in the Bible, repentance also means to turn to the Lord in faith and to live in our faith in Christ.

So… John tells us to turn away from our sins. An aspect of John’s baptism was the confession of sins. Other Gospels teach us that John proclaimed “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” The baptism that people received from John is different than the baptism we have received, because John’s baptism was prior to Jesus’ institution of baptism into His death and resurrection through the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The baptism that people received from John is similar to the baptism we have received because both are of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

The people who had come to John, heard God’s Law in His preaching. He convicted them concerning the sin in their lives. God’s Law thunders the ways we have sinned against Him—deeply offending Him, hurting Him, and spurning Him—through our thoughts, words, and deeds, because we are by nature (as the descendants of Adam and Eve) sinful and unclean. We sin because sin has infected, corrupted, and marred us beyond any semblance of what God created us to be. Sin is utterly damaging and disfiguring. Our sinful hearts fight against such knowledge, so we need to be regularly reminded of our fallenness.

Some people don’t like to hear about sin. They may think they are doing okay. They may think God is pleased with them, and they have no need to hear about sin or really no need for Jesus. The Pharisees and Sadducees in today’s Gospel felt that way. They didn’t come to the wilderness to be baptized. They came to check things out, so they could bring a report to Jerusalem. Any interest in John’s message stemmed from suspicion. In their eyes, they had nothing for which to repent. The same is believed by many today, sadly.

John’s message (the message of God’s Word itself) is “to flee from the wrath to come.” God hates sin. It angers Him. Through sin, sinners seek to replace God. So, God hates the sinner. The idea that God hates the sin but loves the sinner has a big problem: God clearly informs us that He’s willing to throw the sinner into unquenchable fire.

So… John tells us to trust the mercy of the coming One. We even get a taste of hope from John’s opening words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” If there were absolutely no hope in salvation from sin and God’s wrath, then there would be no point in repentance. We would all be doomed, and that’s it.

But what can you do when you’re facing God’s wrath? Plead for mercy. You confess your sinful ways, beg for the Lord’s mercy, and turn to the Lord in trust that He will be merciful to you. And guess what? He’s merciful, gracious, forgiving, and abounding in steadfast love. God hates sin. God hates the sinner. But God loves the sinner in Jesus.

John prepares the way for Jesus by calling sinners to repentance so that their hearts may be cleared of idols and room made for their Savior. The Lord hates sin. The Lord’s wrath will poor out on sinners who stubbornly reject Him. And yet, that’s not what the Lord desires. He wants to save all sinners. He sent Jesus to seek and save the lost.

Those who believed John’s message received a wonderful gift. Baptism. They were cleansed of their sins in the Jordan River, because Mark and Luke teach us John’s baptism was one of “repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” That’s the reason Matthew tells us they were confessing their sins. King David wrote many years before: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” Those who heard the message to repent responded in faith, trusting the Lord’s promise of the forgiveness of sins.

John declares the coming of the “mightier One.” He says, “Hey, I baptize you with water for repentance. That’s my role as the Savior’s forerunner. That’s the authority given to me. But someone is coming after me—much more powerful. I’m not worthy to do the menial task of carrying His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Jesus’ great power and authority is the power and authority of God. Jesus (God’s Son) has become man in order to save humankind. He didn’t flee God’s wrath but walked right into it and bore our sins (suffering in our place), so that we may be delivered from sin and God’s wrath. Then, He arose in triumph, having won the war against sin and death. Through Baptism into His name, He gives you the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit (who is God) works in you to forgive and make you holy.

Being sorry for your sin, confessing your sin and sinfulness before God from the heart, and trusting in the grace and mercy of the Lord having been baptized into Jesus’ saving death and resurrection, you are repentant. You are prepared for the Lord’s coming. You are prepared to receive your king—not only on the Last Day when He comes to judge the living and the dead, but you have been made ready to receive Him today and every day in Word and Sacrament. He’s with you now and every day by His Word of grace to forgive, renew, and lead you to walk in His ways. God works repentance—changing you to trust Him daily.

So… John tells us to bear good fruit. One who trusts in the grace and mercy of Jesus bears good fruit. It’s automatic. It’s not that we stop sinning and become perfect in this life. We sin daily. We loathe the fact that we sin. Through repentance we daily die to sin and live to God. We strive for godliness, rejoicing that Jesus’ blood cleanses us of all sin.

Those who reject Jesus produce bad fruit, because no good fruit can flow from rejecting God. Yet, those who hear, receive, and believe the promises of God in Christ Jesus and the hope of eternal life are cleansed of sin and by the Spirit’s power produce the fruit of faith. To bear good fruit is to strive for godliness and virtue. God produces all kinds of good fruit in you who believe. He prunes what’s not good in us.

In Luke’s Gospel, the people hearing, receiving, and believing John’s message are genuinely curious as to what they should do in order to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” John then gives general directives to various groups. The gist of producing good fruit comes down to fearing, loving, and trusting the Lord our God above all things and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We should do unto others as we would have done unto us. Doing these things in our various roles in life, we follow the example of our Savior. Where we fall short in any of these areas and sin against God and others, we repent. We confess and turn away from our sin and turn to the mercy and grace of our Lord. Jesus forever remains faithful and doesn’t deny His salvation to anyone who seeks His grace and mercy. In love, He has come to save sinners. Amen.