“A large, two-engined train was making its way across America. While crossing the Western mountains, one of the engines broke down. “No problem, we can make it to Denver and get a replacement engine there,” the engineer thought, and carried on at half power. Farther on down the line , the other engine broke down, and the train came to a standstill in the middle of nowhere. The engineer needed to inform the passengers about why the train had stopped, and always trying to look on the bright side of things, made the following announcement: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time until the additional engines arrive. The good news is that you didn’t take this trip in a plane!” What classifies as good news?

A couple met up with a real estate agent to look at a prospective home. As the agent was showing them around, he said, ‘I have good news and bad news about this house. And to show you I’m an honest salesman, I’m going to tell you about both. The bad news is that there is a chemical plant one block south and a slaughterhouse a block north.’ ‘What is the good news?’ inquired the prospective buyers. ‘You can always tell which way the wind is blowing.’ What classifies as good news?

One more: “A farmer went into his banker and announced that he had bad news and good news. ‘First, the bad news…’ the banker suggested. ‘Well,’ said the farmer, ‘I can’t make my mortgage payments. And that crop loan I’ve taken out for the past 10 years—I can’t pay that off, either. Not only that, I won’t be able to pay you the two-hundred thousand I still have outstanding on my tractors and other equipment. So I’m going to have to give up the farm and turn it all over to you for whatever you can salvage out of it.’ Silence prevailed for a minute and then the banker asked, ‘What’s the good news?’ ‘The good news is that I’m going to keep on banking with you.’ What classifies as good news?

In our gospel lesson for this morning, John the Baptist is in the desert “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Crowds of people have come to be baptized by him. They sought him out because they felt he had something important to offer them. And John responds by saying to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” I’ve got to wonder what the crowd thought when the prophet they came out into the wilderness to be baptized greets them by calling them a “brood of vipers.” Seems like a pretty rude welcome.

Then the crowd asks him, “What then should we do?” And he gives them some instructions. They don’t seem all that radical. He tells them that if they have two coats to share one and to share food as well. Tax collectors should collect no more than what is owed to them. Soldiers should not extort people. These things should have seemed pretty normal under Torah law. But they would have been somewhat radical to the Romans. Romans were all about power and catering to the powerful.

After all of this, the crowds begin to wonder if John is the Messiah, the one who would come to restore their land. John responded to this question by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Someone else is coming, John says, someone who is more powerful, and he is coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Luke ends this story with this statement, “So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” I have to ask the question then, “What classifies as good news?”

Perhaps a little context would help us see the good news in this passage. In that day, Israel was under Roman rule. Rome had allowed the Jewish people to continue to live and worship in the land, but they were still subject to the Roman laws. John’s ministry took place in the midst of growing upheaval. The Jews were beginning to worry about the Romans coming in and finally destroying them. There was a lot of fear and uncertainty in the land. No one knew for sure what to expect, but they knew that whatever happened, it was not likely to be good for them.

When the people heard about this crazy prophet out in the desert baptizing people for repentance for the forgiveness of sins and he began to draw a crowd, many Jews wanted to know what was up. Was this guy the Messiah? Would he save them from Rome? In their fear, they sought John out. They were hoping he would be the one who would help them.

With that in mind, let’s go back to John’s opening statement and talk a little more about vipers. Vipers are venomous snakes. Rattlesnakes are actually classified as vipers. Their bite is deadly, even from birth. A brood of vipers would be all of the newborn snakes. I learned this week that when a brood of vipers is faced with an enemy, the baby snakes all scatter and slither away. John’s designation of the crowds as a brood of vipers, may be less of an attack on them and more of a commentary of their actions. They are like that brood of vipers. The scary Romans are threatening to take their land and they are running scared. In the midst of this fear, some of the Jews who came out to see John are deluding themselves into thinking that because they are Abraham’s offspring that they will be spared when the Romans take over. But John tells them that the axe is already laid for the destruction. And only those who produce good fruit, perhaps the kind of fruit that would appease the Roman government, will be saved.

This is when John is asked what can be done about this. And John gives the crowd three answers to three different groups. To the crowds in general, he told them to share food and to give their neighbor a coat if they happen to have an extra. To the tax collectors, he said to not take more than you are owed. And to the soldiers, he said not to extort people. Live as good people, bearing fruit for the kingdom of God and not for the empire.

The people began (or perhaps already had been) thinking that John might be the Messiah that was prophesied in the Scriptures. He was giving them advice, not to fit in with the enemy threatening to invade, but to act in direct contrast to that enemy. That seemed like the sort of advice that might come from the Messiah who was believed to be a conquering king who would defeat the empire and take back the land for Israel. To act for justice rather than in service to power was (and still is) a revolutionary act. And that was what John was suggesting that the crowd do.

John recognizes that the crowd is beginning to think he might be the Messiah, so he quickly decides to clear things up. He says to them, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” John says that the Messiah is yet to come, and the Messiah will have greater power. The Messiah will come to gather the good things and burn away the bad. The Messiah will come to lift up the weak and tear down the powerful. In other words, the Messiah will be even more revolutionary than John. And Luke tells us that all of this was good news. So, what classifies as good news?

Is good news simply the stories that make us feel good in our hearts? The stories of victory? Stories of good fortune? Or is good news something more than that? On first read, the things John says to the people who had gathered around him do not sound like good news. They sound scary and dangerous. John sounds critical and maybe even a bit rude at times. But within this revolutionary message, there is some unexpected good news. The good news is that the Messiah is coming and that through him justice will prevail.

This week is the third week of Advent. You may have noticed that the candle that was lit today is not purple like the other weeks of Advent. Today we lit the rose candle, the candle of Joy. This week stands out from the other weeks of Advent. On this Sunday, we stop to rejoice over the unexpected joy of what is soon to come. We stand alongside Mary in her unexpected joy when the angel told her she was carrying the Son of God. The good news of Jesus Christ is not that everyday is perfect and happy all the time. The good news of Jesus is that joy exists in the midst of waiting. Joy exists in the midst of fear. Joy exists in the midst of turmoil and oppression. Joy exists in the promise that the Messiah is coming. To bring justice and peace and hope and love for all. The good news of Jesus was and is an unexpected good news, but it is the greatest news we could imagine. Amen!