December 8, 2024 Text: Luke 3:1-14
Dear Friends in Christ,
Here’s the story: Two Texans were trying to impress each other with the size of their ranches. One asked the other, “What’s the name of your ranch?” He replied, “The Rocking C, Flying W, Circle Z, Bar U, Rolling G, Silver Spur Ranch.” The questioner was impressed and exclaimed, “That is some name. About how many head of cattle do you run?” The other rancher answered, “Not many. Very few survive the branding.”
People sure place a lot of importance on themselves, don’t they? Like the little shaver who said to his dad: “Let’s play darts. I’ll throw and you say, ‘Wonderful!’”
We have a star preparing to shine over Bethlehem. And at the journey’s end we will find a crude, humble manger. Hard to fathom that the appearance of God would come in such low estate. This morning, let’s examine . . .
“BIGSHOTS AND NOBODIES”
A bigshot is someone of consequence and prominence. A nobody is the opposite; they are of no influence or consequence.
Our text begins, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas…” (v. 1-2)
We have got some bigshots listed. Are you impressed? These are important people in history, many who no doubt were impressed with themselves. But what do you think? Some leave us a little chilled. Pontius Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas. Power brokers who could be evil. They had a lot to do with the suffering and death of Jesus.
Then the next statement, “the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” Who is in the wilderness? John, John who? The son of Zechariah, cousin of Jesus. He evokes Godly thoughts. But he wasn’t well known. A nobody.
“And he (John) went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘The voice of ne crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” (v. 3-6)
There are many things in this world that are important. But nothing in this world is as important as God reaching into our lives and confronting us with the eternal issue. I look out at many of you, who I have known for years. Familiar faces on a Sunday that might be lying in a hospital bed by Wednesday, suffering for a while, and then saying the standard words at a graveside. It has happened a lot and will probably continue.
Into these situations comes a God who goes after the “nobodies.” Christ dies on the cross for “nobodies.” And the Last Day when the graves open, the “nobodies” will be standing at the Lord’s Right Hand. Maybe you aren’t so special and important here, but you are everything to Jesus. He came to seek and save you who were lost. You and I. God’s children. Every sin paid for. Every stain of guilt washed clean by His blood. Aren’t you thankful . . . that in this context . . . you are a nobody?
The “nobodies” still influence the world around them. We have something to say, and something to give to people – the love and hope of Christ. And considering what most people do with the Advent/Christmas season, God help us to be, as Luther said we should be, “Little Christs.”
“Nobodies”, maybe, to most of the world. Everything to Him who redeemed us.
"But God demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
