“Let the Fire of Your Justice Burn”Main point: John comes to us with a message of repentance. Our justice is bent. We need to agree with the justice revealed in Christ.INTRODUCTIONWelcome to the Season of Advent and with it a fresh start. For those who are new to the game: Advent simply means arrival. During this season we put the arrival of Jesus in full view. Today, and for the next two weeks, the pending arrival of Jesus sits right in front of our faces.During Advent we certainly remember the arrival of Jesus in his birth in Bethlehem, we also look forward to his arrival in glory in the future - at the end of this age. In that way, the themes of Advent are twofold. Two arrivals in one - with appropriate themes to match. Today we… meet John the Baptizer who brings a message of fire.JOHN THE BAPTIZERJohn comes blazing on the scene this morning with a fiery message to prepare the way for the Lord. John brings integrity, grit, intensity, and a sobering look at our compromised moral condition.We are reminded that though Jesus may come to us as a cute, innocent baby - he also comes as a good and perfect judge. With fire. When Jesus comes on the scene it’s not just warm feelings and sentimentality - it’s also accountability for those who abuse power, distort justice, and manipulate the people around them. It’s accountability for gross evil. And lest we think this is some other person who is far away instead of me - here - today, John tells us to take account of the ways our justice is bent. Today we are called to task. We run, smack dab, into a person with so much integrity and fervor that it makes us take a hard look at ourselves - to make adjustments to prepare the way for the Lord today.Is it just me, or does John see to come out of nowhere? He seems to pop on the scene and it seems so out of the blue. Where does this message of fire come from?To answer that question, we have to back up and tell a bit more of the story -  because John is a man in context. POINT 1: John speaks with the VoiceJohn doesn’t come out of nowhere. He comes 1) from a long line of prophets who spoke truth to the people around them and called people in power back to fidelity to the ways of God. He also speaks 2) with the Voice that laid the foundation of the world from its very beginning. The Word of God. The voice that said, “Let there be light.” The prophets - John the Baptizer among them - spoke in agreement with the voice that laid the foundation of the world. Wisdom, mercy, and justice are baked into the created order - and they are baked into us. It only takes us a short reflection to see how this plays out as we look at the world and assess what is going on - whether we agree with things or disagree with things, whether we think the world is going along ok or whether we think things are not so good.We can’t hardly string three sentences together without referencing fairness about our situation or values of good and bad as we look at the world. At the heart of values is justice. Notice it the next time you’re talking to someone, even casually.“It doesn’t seem right that…(you finish the sentence)” That’s justice.“I can’t believe that person would say that to me.” That’s justice.Just yesterday I was sitting at a birthday party and the conversation turned to food pantries and SNAP benefits and the worthiness of people to receive or not receive government assistance. The heart of that conversation was justice.Even rooting for Indiana over Ohio State in the BIg Ten football championship yesterday carries with it a bit of justice. Indiana’s football program has been the underdog for years. Beating Ohio State felt like a bit of cosmic justice. Unless you’re an Ohio State fan. In which case you’re looking at justice from the other side of the coin.We feel justice deep in our gut. And for good reason. Justice is built into us.

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