Advent: The Now and Not Yet of God's Promise
Luke 3:1-6 Advent is a season of paradox. It can feel like a see-saw of waiting and arrival, promise and fulfillment. It invites us to sit in the tension between the “now” of God’s work in the world and the “not yet” of God’s ultimate restoration. Luke 3:1-6 captures this duality perfectly (as much as any of us knows anything of 'perfection'). In Luke 3:1-6, John the Baptist calls us to prepare for the coming of the Lord, proclaiming both an immediate need for action and a vision of salvation that stretches far beyond the present. God knows that the present is a dam wreck. The “Now” of John the Baptist’s Context Luke doesn’t waste words setting the scene. He anchors John’s ministry within the oppressive structures of his time: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, and other rulers dominate the political landscape, symbolizing systems built on exploitation and violence. It is no accident that John does not emerge not from these centers of power. Instead, we see him emerging fr...