Matthew 3:1-12 Advent 2
Pastor Ron Koehler
Grace—Tucson, AZ
December 7, 2025
Prepare for the Judge’s Arrival Judges have always been of high importance, haven’t they? Well, most of them. Let’s work our way backward through time and think of some of the well-known judges from over the years. One of the most famous judges today is…Aaron Judge, but he doesn’t count because he’s just a baseball player. Maybe Simon Cowell counts because he’s a judge on American Idol. Just as popular was Judge Judy, who was on TV until just a few years ago (and who was an actual judge!). Keep going back and you might think of Ruth Bader Ginsburg—“The Notorious R.B.G.” of the Supreme Court. Rain Man loved Judge Wapner back in the 80s and 90s. You’d have to be at least 50-something years old to remember Sammie Davis, Jr. in a comedy sketch singing, “Here comes the judge! Here comes the judge!” But what you didn’t know is that he borrowed his song from a man named Pigmeat Markham. Quite a bit more serious is John Marshall, the 4th Chief Justice of the United States back in the early 1800s, and the longest-serving Chief Justice of the United States. Ok, no more judges! Well, one more—and we have to go back many, many more years for this one. He’s the Judge John the Baptist talked about. John told the people about Jesus and his greatness, his power, his expectations, and his judgment. John was getting people ready, like a bailiff calling out, “All, rise!” as the judge is about to enter the courtroom. As we read about this, we get a little distracted maybe… camel’s hair and locust and wild-honey lunches. Don’t think so much about that this morning. Instead focus more on what John said and did. He preached about the need for repentance. He proclaimed forgiveness as he did the beautiful work of baptism for some. Others he called snakes in a holy rant loaded with imagery: axes and trees and sandals and shovels and threshing floors! With all of that—the saving gospel and the damning law, John was doing the job he was born to do: preparing the people for The Imminent Arrival of the Jesus, the Judge. John the Baptist is still doing his work whenever a person reads or hears these words. They’re in front of us now, so look and listen as he tells us about Jesus so that you can Prepare for the Judge’s Arrival.