Pilgrim Place

Zephaniah 3:14-18
Advent 3, Series C
by Pastor Jim Kreft

Presents and parties, cards and cookies, decorations and dinners. These traditions surround the Christmas season. Yet these good traditions are not the reason for the season.

Christmas occurs for one reason: we’re sinners. We do what we want to do. Who cares if God says “Love Me” and “Love one another.” By our actions we show we “know better” than God and end up loving ourselves more than anyone or anything else.

It’s been that way through history. God sent prophets to His OT people to call them back from their sin. They ignored God and went their own way.

The people in Jesus’ NT times were pretty much the same. They were slaves to sin. Although they claimed to be God’s children, they acted as if they didn’t care about their God at all.

How different is it today? Just look at the news around us. If you question the reality of sin, how do you explain these situations? Two accused snipers have gone to trial. One was found guilty and sentenced to death. The other is still undecided. A possible copycat sniper is working in the Columbus, Ohio, area. Terrorism continues around the world, with innocent victims stuck in the middle. Over one million unborn babies are never born each year because their “mothers” do not want or can not raise them.

Who can question the reality of sin? Sin happens. It exists. And it’s sin that caused Christmas to happen. Let’s look for a few moments at the prophet Zephaniah to see what he has to say to this situation.

Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah, one of the best of Judah’s kings. His activity was probably early in Josiah’s reign. That was before Josiah began his religious reforms. That period of Israel’s history would closely match the situation to which Zephaniah speaks.

Zephaniah saw a sinful people. He saw idolatry practiced by both priests and people. He saw a people who no longer trusted or believed in God. He saw a people who needed to be punished, which he called the coming of the “great day of the LORD” when God would punish sinners.

That’s the message of much of Zephaniah’s prophecy. Yet there’s a change in his words. Right near the end of his book we find a different message. And that’s where we find today’s Old Testament lesson.

Here the prophet speaks about a time in the future when Israel would again be able to “sing happily,” to “be glad and rejoice.” Why would this happen? Simply because of these amazing facts.

The LORD has canceled your judgment; He has driven out your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is among you; you will no longer fear disaster (3:15).

In the future, the judgment due upon God’s people would be canceled. It would be as if God, in His mercy, erased their sin. God would remove the punishment by canceling its cause: their sin.

Because of this promise of God to act in the future for His people, the people would no longer need to fear. As the prophet wrote,

Do not be afraid, Zion; do not lose courage! The LORD your God is among you; He is a Warrior who gains victory. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will renew you with His love; He will be joyful over you with shouts of joy.

Protected, forgiven, and renewed by their God, the people would be able to rejoice “…with shouts of joy.”

Running throughout is the call to repent. While the words may not be plainly spoken, the intent is clearly heard. Later John the Baptist would speak these words to people in his time. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” he constantly proclaimed. In today’s Gospel lesson he told the people to “produce works which show that you have repented.” In other words, their external actions should reflect the change that’s occurred within them.

What does this have to say to us as we live in a world of sin and seek to get ready for Christmas here during Advent?

First of all, we can repent. We can use this as a time to see our true inner condition. We’re sinners. We need a Savior. We need forgiveness. We go to God, asking for His grace and mercy, for Jesus’ sake. In that grace, mercy, and love God promises to forgive us.

Second, having received forgiveness, like the people in Zephaniah’s time, our lives need to show the righteousness we say we have. Because of God’s graciousness, ours through Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, we respond by seeking to live the holy, sinless lives God would have us live.

That means change. It means we no longer live for ourselves, but for our God. That may mean we need to leave behind our former ways of life and, instead, follow God’s ways for our life. Seek His help as you seek to live in His way.

Finally, it means we can rejoice. We can rejoice because God cancels our judgment. We can rejoice because God forgives our sin. We can rejoice because of the upcoming birth of a Child, God’s Son, who can to take upon Himself the punishment, the guilt, of all our sin.

For God has sent His Son. He has come to us in our sin. He has come to save us. Jesus Christ, the world’s Savior, has come in fulfillment of prophecy. The good tidings have come true. We can rejoice!

Today we can rejoice in repentance. During Advent, we prepare for Christ’s coming. His coming was necessary because of our sin. Yet today we take time out to rejoice. For very soon we will remember Christ’s birth. In fact, we have only 11 days left until Christmas. Let us rejoice that God chose to save us by sending His Son into the world at Christmas.
And let us prepare for this Christmas in repentance, with true sorrow over our sin. Then let us seek to live for God in all we do. For Christ is coming, very, very soon! So be ready, for heaven’s sake.

The only way you can be ready through faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

May you so believe. Amen.