The Old Testament period was a long and elaborate preparation for the coming of Christ, who is God Incarnate. John the Baptist was a transitional figure between the Old and the New Testaments. He spoke with the language and style of the prophets of old, preparing the way for Jesus, just before Jesus would start his ministry. What is more, the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke depict John the Baptist as Elijah, one of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, who was prophesied to return before the coming of the Messiah. By connecting John with the role of Elijah, the Gospel writers indicate that the prophecy has been fulfilled and everything is ready for the arrival of the Messiah.
As we see from the Gospel reading for this Sunday, John the Baptist was preaching repentance, warning of dire consequences for those who do not do so. Sometimes commentators draw a contrast between the preaching of John and the teachings of Christ, suggesting that Christ was much softer and more conciliatory. However, Christ too used strong words at times when he spoke about sin and our need to repent.
But, we might ask, why such strong words? Didn't Jesus come to show us forgiveness? Why would Jesus want to condemn us? The answer is that sin is self-destructive. God always loves us infinitely and is always ready to give us his forgiveness and his grace. But when we sin and fail to repent, we turn away from the love that God is offering us.
When we persist in sin, we hurt ourselves and put ourselves outside of God's grace. God respects our free-will and will not force his love upon us. But God never stops calling us back to him. That is why Christ and John the Baptist too speak so uncompromisingly about our need for repentance, so that we can become open to the love of God in our lives.
In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, John the Baptist also highlights the danger of complacency. Many of the religious leaders of the time thought that their ethnic pedigree and their positions in the community would guarantee them a place in God's kingdom. But John tells them that none of that matters if their hearts are not pure, if they are not seeking to love God and to love with God's love.
John's message is a challenge for us as well. We too might fall into the trap of a complacent frame of mind, thinking that going through the motions is enough. But we must be careful. We could be doing things that are objectively good, but which we undertake without truly seeking God. Our hearts must always be centered on God so that we do not become like the religious leaders whom John chastises in the passage.
We also see in the passage that many are baptized as a part of their repentance. The baptism ritual in question was not yet the baptism that Jesus would give to the Church. The baptism of John was a ritual that symbolized inner cleansing through the immersion of the person in water. In contrast, the Sacrament of Baptism established by Christ is not merely symbolic. Sacramental baptism cleanses our souls, washes away our sins, and causes us to be born anew.
Unlike the baptism of John, sacramental baptism cannot be repeated. However, if we fall into sin after our baptism, we can be cleansed through the Sacrament of Penance, which is also known as Reconciliation or Confession. Throughout Advent we have many extra opportunities to take advantage of the Sacrament of Penance. (Please see our Advent calendar for more information.) Let us make a goal to go to Confession at least once during the season of Advent so as to be cleansed spiritually as we prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth and as we continue to await the Second Coming of Christ.
The First Reading for this Sunday, taken from the Book of Isaiah, gives us an intimation of the new world order that Christ will establish at the end of the world. God had created a perfect world, but human sin caused creation to be marred. When Christ returns, he will remake the world, eliminating the strife, suffering, and death that characterizes much of nature today. The New Jerusalem, as the new world Christ will create is described in the Bible, will be a place of complete contentment, perfect peace, boundless joy, and infinite love. That is the heavenly home Christ has promised us. Let us keep our eyes on this beautiful vision during the Advent time of preparation. Let us do all we can to open our hearts to the love of Christ so we can be with him in Heaven for all eternity.
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The readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, Cycle A, are:
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Romans 15:4-9
Matthew 3:1-12
The full text can be found at the USCCB website.
Photo Credit: Advent wreath, 2. Advent, Ehrenbach from Wikimedia Commons.
