Isaiah 40:1-11 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,

and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.

Isaiah 40:11

Isaiah speaks these words of hope and good news to God’s people, long in exile.  Their homeland of Jerusalem had been ravaged, the Great Temple of Solomon looted and destroyed, and they had been forced into slavery for decades in foreign lands.  Now, with restored faith, carried in God’s bosom, they would be gathered home where they could begin to rebuild their lives as faithful followers of God.  They had suffered through the bad news; they were ready, now, to embrace the good news.

We, too, want to embrace this good news of being gathered and carried in God’s bosom.

Thus, centuries later, John the Baptist came preaching the dire need for repentance yet again.   John the Baptist is our uncomfortable companion each year during the season of Advent.  John, the bristly harsh talking man of the wilderness, reminds us that we must confront and subject ourselves to the bad news before we can fully embrace and live into the good news.

Mark’s Gospel begins very simply: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  Then, moving swiftly to the quote from the prophet Isaiah, “I am sending my messenger ahead of you.”

John is the messenger, sent to prepare the way.  John the Baptist comes to guide us in making the path straight in preparation for the Incarnation – God coming to earth in human flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ.

John wants us to recognize Jesus when he comes; John, himself, recognized Jesus the Messiah, leaping with exaltation within his mother Elizabeth’s womb when Elizabeth encountered Mary, the Theotokos – the God bearer, newly pregnant with the baby Jesus.  John wants to prepare us to meet Jesus Christ with that same exaltation.

John cries from the wilderness, reminding us of our own journeys in the wilderness – long dark nights of painful struggle and anxious misdirection.  We all need time of exile in the wilderness in order to come to our fullest realization of our dependence upon God alone.

John is our grating flight instructor, barking at us to follow the rules of the flight manual, obey the instructions of air traffic control, and trust our instruments rather than our own prideful sense of direction – mostly misdirection.  John is most zealous in wanting us to travel responsibly and joyfully along our journey, baptized and guided by the Holy Spirit, loving and respecting our fellow travelers, sharing the good news, and arriving securely with great glory in the arms of our Lord.

A voice cries out:

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

It is John the Baptist who calls us to share the good news of this blessed Advent.