Fruit Worthy of Repentance

Advent 2 Year A


A sermon based on Isaiah 11:1-10 and Matthew 3:1-12



In the name of Jesus; amen.

How close are you to being ready?

Do you have your decorations done? Is your tree up? Have you finished shopping? Have you baked your cookies? Have you repented?

Today’s gospel tells us the story of the appearance of John the Baptist in the wilderness. John was a strange fellow who lived out in the dessert and ate bugs and dressed in uncomfortable clothes. He was Jesus’ cousin and the whole purpose of his life was to prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah.

The way he did that was by preaching a baptism of repentance.

Now this is a bit different from the baptism that we undergo. John’s baptism was more like a Jewish ritual that was performed to purify a person. It wasn’t a one time deal like we undergo when we are baptized into the faith. It wasn’t a baptism which promised forgiveness; it was a baptism that called the baptized to repentance.

It makes a great deal of sense that we read this particular story during Advent as we prepare for Christ’s coming into the world. Remember, Advent is not just the time before Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but it is also the time that we focus on remembering that just as Christ has come into the world Christ will come again and bring about a new thing. This thing will be like what Isaiah talks about in our first reading when peace will reign in our nations and in creation itself.

Nothing we do can bring about that new thing; only God does that, but we are called to prepare for it by making God a priority in our lives and by repenting.

I want to be clear about repentance because John is pretty clear about our need to repent.

Theologian Richard Jensen says this about repentance:

“Repentance is often understood as an ‘I can’ experience. ‘I am sorry for my sins. I can do better. I can please you, God.’ So often we interpret repentance as our way of turning to God. That cannot be. Christianity is not about an individual turning to God. Christianity is about God turning to us.

“In repenting, therefore, we ask the God who has turned towards us, buried us in baptism and raised us to new life, to continue his work of putting us to death. Repentance is an ‘I can’t’ experience. To repent is to volunteer for death. Repentance asks that the ‘death of self’ which God began to work in us in baptism continue to this day. The repentant person comes before God saying, ‘I can’t do it myself, God. Kill me and give me new life. You buried me in baptism. Bury me again today. Raise me to a new life.’ This is the language of repentance.”

In this season of emphasis on everything we need, from iphones to perfect light displays we are reminded that what we need is God. We might be able to accomplish all the decorating, cookie baking, and present purchasing, but we cannot accomplish salvation.

There is a freedom in that; a freedom in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire that we are promised with Christ’s coming. There is a freedom in knowing that this is one thing that we cannot do when there is so much else that is expected of us in this life.

We cannot possibly accomplish all that would be required of us if it were up to us to earn our salvation. True repentance acknowledges this one simple fact: we cannot be good enough nor do enough to make us worthy enough.

This repentance, this acknowledgement levels the path straight to our hearts; it clears the way for God to come in and do what is necessary for us. Repentance frees us because as Jensen says, it kills us and lets God renew us.

And we need this renewal, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of the world. Our “I can’ts” become God’s cans working through us. We become fruitful the moment that we see our need for God; we become the fruit on the new branch of Jesse’s tree. We become food for the world through God’s doing.

The baptism which calls us into the family of God is a one time deal, but this baptism of repentance is a constant need. It is the water that renews us and creates in us a place for God to work through us.

May this time be a reminder of your need for God and may your need for God make you into fruit worthy of repentance and new life.

Amen.