SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
MATTHEW 3: 1-12
DECEMBER 9, 2001
INTRODUCTION: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town:
J. Fred Coots, Henry Gillespie (c) 1934
You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list,
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry.
Better not pout, I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Today, our text, Just like the Christmas Carol “Santa Clause Is Coming to Town, speaks of the call to behave. We know that Santa is watching, but sometimes we forget. If we remembered, we might act a little different. John the Baptist came preaching and his preaching focused on one idea or understanding: Repentance, to turn from misbehaving to right behavior. This morning, we are going to think together about getting ready for Santa. We only have a few more weeks and none of us want coal in our Christmas stocking. Santa’s watching, so let’s get it right.
THESIS SENTENCE: Getting ready for Santa is turning from misbehaving to right behaving (in Christian understanding, this is called repentance).
JOHN THE BAPTIZER TAKES US THROUGH THREE MOVEMENTS CONCERING THIS UNDERSTANDING OF GETTING READY FOR SANTA/REPENTANCE. THE FIRST MOVEMENT IS…
I. WE MUST HEAR THE MUSIC (VV. 1-4)
A. JOHN LIKES THE OLDIES BUT GOODIES!
1. John liked the way the prophets of old sang, “Elijah” if you will. He even quotes the prophet Isaiah “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
2. He came “Singing the same song”/ Preaching like the prophets of old, proclaiming Divine judgment and summoned all to “Get ready for Santa/Repent” and start being a good boy and girl/amend their ways!
3. Do you remember Jonah preaching to Nineveh: “On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: ‘Forty days and Nineveh will be overturned (Jonah 3:4).’”
4. John had the message of old, “REPENT!” He came to turn people back to the true and living God!
B. JOHN LIKES THE NEW HITS, TOO!
1. John could hear Elvis Singing Blue Christmas: It just wouldn’t be the same if Jesus wasn’t coming.
2. Unlike the prophets of old, John offered a sacrament of repentance, “Baptism.” There is no reference in the OT of a once for all baptism. But John seems to be proclaiming: “To repent and be baptized is to be sealed into God new Reign!”
3. He also states a “New Reign” has arrived. It is the Reign of the Kingdom of Heaven!
4. It may even appear that John would stand in opposition to the message Jesus would come proclaiming. It might appear surprising that all four Gospel proceed Jesus ministry with that of John and that this is affirmed in the book of Acts, chapter 10 verses 36-37, “You know the word which he sent to Israel… beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached.”
5. John’s preaching did not stand in opposition to the soon ministry of Jesus. It heralds it in! He was the forerunner as Isaiah prophesied! He was preparing the way!!
SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN:
THE SECOND MOVEMENT OF THIS UNDERSTANDING OF GETTING READY FOR SANTA…
II. WE MUST ACCEPTANCE THE MUSIC (VV. 4-6)
A. MANY WILL COME AND SING THE SONG
1. John did not follow the church growth mentality. It wasn’t concerned with his location of preaching. He could have been a “First” Baptist in uptown Jerusalem, but he chose to be the “Last” Baptist in the Desert of Judea.
2. Location didn’t seem to matter to the crowd, either. Verse 5 tells us that “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.”
3. You don’t cover this much territory without gaining a “Multitude.”
4. What makes the Multitude come? Do you remember Jesus asking the crowd about John, “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a Prophet…. I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist;… (Matthew 11: 7-11).”
5. CAN YOU IMAGINE GOING OUT OF YOUR WAY TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD????????????????????????????
B. MANY WILL NOT ONLY SING THE SONG, THEY WILL LIVE IT!
1. Not only did the crowd come, they heard and received the MUSIC!
2. Verse 6 tells us they “confessed their sins,” and then he baptized them in the Jordan River.
3. One of the most interesting aspects of all four Gospels is the reality of those outside the religious establishment getting the truth and those within the religious establishment rejecting the truth. It seems that to be close to the truth is more harmful that to be far away from the truth. This is the problem with all cults, they get you close enough to the truth to detour you from really getting THE TRUTH!
4. Do you remember the parable Jesus taught to those that were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else? Jesus said, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God (Luke 18:9-14a).”
ILLUSTRATION: Russell Brownworth writes, “A little girl was pushing the limits of her mother’s very last nerve. Mom was nearing the end of a hectic season of cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping and church stuff. She was also nearing the breaking point with her little pre-schooler.
Finally the little girl was bathed and ready for bed. As she knelt to say her prayers, Mom listened as her sweet three year old theologian "customized" her evening prayer, ...And forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us!”
SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN:
THE THIRD MOVMENT OF GETTING READY FOR SANTA IS…
III. WE MUST NOT REJECT THE MUSIC (VV. 7-10)
A. “POUTING AND CRYING” comes from A Wrong Motive
1. John says, “Image is nothing, obey your thirst [FOR THE TRUTH!] 2. John tells the Pharisees and Sadducees, you may look religious and right, but let me tell you what I see!
3. “You brood of Vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath (Verse 7)?” Santa knows what you’re up to!
4. This imagery is that of the “offspring” of poisonous snakes that could look like branches. These religious leaders looked harmless, but in reality they were poison to the system!
5. One other aspect of John’s imagery, was that of a burning field from which vipers would flee!
6. This goes back to John’s understanding of his “Prophetic Role.” God is calling down judgment on those that will not receive “the kingdom of heaven” that is coming near!
7. And to receive this “kingdom of heaven,” we must “PRODUCE FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE.” THIS IS GETTING READY FOR SANTA! This is being good little boys and girls!
8. What John was saying to his religious counterparts, is that, “if you want some of this, you better change to get it.” No more pouting and crying!
9. The proof of the pudding is not the act of saying you won’t pout or cry anymore, but showing that you won’t do it anymore! ARE YOU PRODUCING FRUIT? Or are you still “Pouting and Crying”?
B. “POUTING AND CRYING” comes from a Wrong Rationalization
1. We all like to rationalize our behaviors away and the religious leaders were no different. For every rebuke they had an answer. Are we any different?
2. Knowing what John was saying, the religious leaders went back to the past, while John was looking at the future. They saw Abraham, John saw Jesus!
3. What do you claim as you escape from obeying God today, the past or the future?
4. The Religious Leaders said, “We have Abraham as our Father.” And to that excuse, John responds, “I tell you the truth that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”
ILLUSTRATION: Douglas Hare writes, “The Christian equivalent of ‘We have Abraham as our father’ is ‘We have Christ as our Savior.’ While trust in Christ’s salvation is a first requirement, it is not the last. Even Paul, mistakenly perceived by some as substituting grace for human responsibility, soberly reminded his converts as Corinth, ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he or she has done in the body” (II Corinthians 5:10).
Another writes, “Salvation is not verified by a past experience, but by a present faithfulness.”
5. John further reply to rationalizing is, “The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.” AND JOHN AIN’T TALKING ABOUT NO CHRISTMAS TREE!!
6. I want to do like a friend told me about her Catholic mother. She went to confession and could not think anything she had done, any sin committed, but she confessed anyway, she made up a lie just to have something to tell the priest. No matter where I am today spiritually, John’s words call me to self-examination. I want to “repent” of anything that would keep me from God and the “kingdom of Heaven!”
ILLUSTRATION: Owne Bourgaize writes: A small boy was writing a letter to God about the Christmas presents he badly wanted. "I’ve been good for six months now," he wrote. But after a moment’s reflection he crossed out "six months" and wrote "three". After a pause that was crossed out and he put "two weeks". There was another pause and that was crossed out too. He got up from the table and went over to the little crib scene that had the figures of Mary and Joseph. He picked up the figure of Mary and went back to his writing and started again: "Dear God, if ever you want to see your mother again…!"
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN:
CONCLUSION: Are you ready for Santa to come to town? What might be under your tree? Is Santa going to bring you lots of toys and goodies from his Sleigh? Or Might He just skip your place, all together?
What the world needs are some folks who are hungry to get ready Santa! Folks that aren’t afraid to go out of their way to “REPENT” in the desert and then go home and act like it. The choice is ours! We can get ready, or we can go home “UNJUSTIFIED” BEFORE GOD!
CLOSING HYMN:
