Second Sunday Of Advent

Repentance is perhaps one of the hardest things for humans to do. That is because true repentance requires us to amend our ways. Sin can be a hard thing to leave behind. We like our sins. They often bring us momentary pleasure. They would not be so hard to leave behind if they did not. Yet we were not made for momentary pleasure. We were made to spend eternity with our Lord in Heaven. Hold onto that thought as you read about John the Baptist and his call to repentance.

Gospel - Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,

when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,

and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,

and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region

of Ituraea and Trachonitis,

and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,

the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.

John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,

proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

A voice of one crying out in the desert:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths.

Every valley shall be filled

and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

The winding roads shall be made straight,

and the rough ways made smooth,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Scriptural Analysis

Chapter two of Luke’s Gospel closes with the finding of Jesus in the temple. At the end of the chapter, we hear that Jesus “Went down with them and came to Nazareth.” (Luke 2:51). Approximately eighteen years have passed since that event and the start of Chapter 3. The chapter opens with Luke’s third and perhaps most detailed placement of the events he recounts within the larger historical context.

Jesus is approximately 30 years old. Augustus Caesar, who reigned at Christ’s birth, has been replaced by his stepson, Tiberius Caesar, who reigned from 14 to 37 AD. Relationships between Rome and Israel were relatively calm during this period. Luke mentions the fifteenth year of Tiberius’s reign, corresponding to 28-29 AD. That is consistent with the timeline. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea from 26-36 AD. Herod Antipas was the tetrarch of Galilee from his father’s death until 39 AD. Hero’d half-brother Philip was the tetrarch of the regions of Ituraea and Trachonitis northeast of the Sea of Galilee until he died in 34 AD. Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene which is northwest of Damascus. All three of these tetrarchs would later be replaced by King Herrod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great, who reigned at the birth of Christ.

In addition to placing the events within the context of civic leadership, Luke also mentions two religious leaders. Annas and Caiaphas. Annas was high priest until he was deposed by the Romand prefect in 15 AD. He is mentioned as he still had considerable influence through Caiaphas, his son-in-law, who was high priest from 18-36 AD.

With the historical context of the processing events established, Luke mentions that the Word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah. John is presented here as an Old Testament prophet who receives the word of God at a specific historical moment. John is in the desert of the Judean wilderness, in the Jordan River area northwest of the Dead Sea. The Jordan was a historically significant place as it is where Elijah was taken up to heaven, “And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” (2 Kings 2:11) This corresponds to the Angel Gabriel’s message to Zechariah where he says that John, “will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” (Luke 1:17)

John’s mission was to proclaim a baptism of repentance, preparing the way for Jesus’s mission of calling people to repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The disciples will eventually take up this mission at the command of Jesus, “repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:47). John’s Baptism is best understood against the backdrop of Jewish ritual washings and immersions. There were numerous washings associated with the temple ceremonies. John’s washing is specifically for repentance and mimics what is seen in the prophet Isaiah, “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes.” (Isaiah 1:16). Those who converted to Judaism would have to undergo a washing that indicated one turning away from sin.

All four Gospels use the words of Isaiah to describe John. We have already heard these words once in the Canticle of Zechariah, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” (Luke 1:76) John the Baptist’s mission is to prepare the way of the Lord, to prayer the people for their long-awaited Messiah. Luke chooses to lengthen his quotation from Isaiah to include God’s plan of salvation specifically.

Daily Application

There are two points of great importance in this passage. First, Luke goes out of his way to situate Jesus within the context of human history. This bolsters the historical reliability and accuracy of the Gospel and shows just how connected God is to human history. He is not a God who is distant or cold: the blind watchmaker that some picture him as. Instead, he is a personal God who enters into the messiness and very details of our lives. He desires to be that close to all of us.

Second, John the Baptist’s message was a call to repentance. This is important for us to remember. Our Lord enters into human history, into the messiness of our lives, but calls us to change. So often, we try to remake God into our image instead of remaking ourselves into his. That is what repentance is all about. It is realizing that God has laid out his perfect plan for us: the way he wants us to live, the way he knows will bring us the most joy, happiness, and peace. If our lives do not resemble that, then we are called to repent and be to follow him.

As the Second Sunday of Advent approaches, it is a great time to make plans to go to Confession and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Look for ways to amend your life, straighten your path, and prepare your heart to receive our Lord anew at Christmas.