And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. (Luke 2:22-40)

Over the next two Sundays, we get two events from the childhood of Jesus - His presentation in the temple at 40 days and His sitting with the teachers of the temple at 12 years. Both events are temple events, as the Lord comes to His temple yet in a hidden way, as a 40 day old infant, and as a precocious 12 year old boy questioning the rabbis.

For with God nothing will be impossible. - Luke 1:37

The fourth and last Sunday of Advent brings a much kinder and gentler text. John the Baptizer has had his say and is done for another year. The scene shifts to a town in northern Galillee named Nazareth. There was no such town by that name in the old testament. It was up in the northern hill country, a strategic lookout, and a place of recent development, which explains what Joseph, who was a contractor, was doing there.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (John 1:6)

So what do you think of John the Baptizer? You’ve had a week to think about him, to live with this Advent image in your head of this wilderness prophet wearing camel’s hair and leather, eating locusts and wild honey, calling people to repentance and baptism. What do you think of him? Do you like him? Would you want to meet him? Does he disturb you?

“The voice of one calling in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Mark 1:3)

You know you’re in the season of Advent when John the Baptizer shows up. There he is in all his wilderness glory - clothed with camel’s hair, a leather sash around his waist, a strange macrobiotic diet of locusts and wild honey, which means honey that you grab with your bare hands while angry bees were buzzing around your head. Imagine John walking into service this morning - munching on a grasshopper, a few bees stuck in his sticky beard. What would you think? Would we even let him in the door?

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at the your presence - as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil - to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!” That’s a great prayer to kick off the season of Advent, don’t you think? Lord, tear open the heavens and come on down. We need you here. Or as the collect for Advent 1 prayers, “Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come.” We need you more than ever down here, Lord, so come on down.