Let It Rain! John1:19-28

Rorate Coeli, The Fourth Sunday In Advent               21-December-2025
Sermon Text: John 1:19-28
Sermon Theme: “Let It Rain!” I. Rain Down Real Repentance! (Vs.19-21) II. Renew Us With Your Word!(vs.22-23) III. Wash Us Saved In Jesus! (Vs.24-28) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. Fill in the blank....”It’s beginning to look a lot like______” “I’m dreaming of a ______ Christmas...” “Deck the halls with ________.” Since Halloween Christmas music has been piped into our ears. We grow impatient during the season of Advent. The Church isn’t like the world in which we live. While the world decks the halls, the Church dresses in the somber purple of repentance. While the world rushes to find joy in its preparations and gifts, the Church waits for joy to rain down from heaven.
    We wait! Nearly seven centuries before Jesus’ nativity the prophet Isaiah waited. He dreamed of a wet rainy Christmas. He anticipated the day when it would look a lot like a Suffering Servant blooded and beaten for our sin. He saw the halls of the repentant heart washed clean of the scarlet stain of our sin and renewed by God’s grace to be white as snow.
    We heard Isaiah’s forecast for Christmas in our introit this morning: “Isa 45:8 "Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, And let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it.” Isaiah spoke these words of hope and promise to a people who would be chained in the darkness of the Babylonian captivity. Seven decades would pass, then the Lord God would stir up a pagan ruler, a king, to issue a decree that His promise of the Christ and His birth in Bethlehem might take place. Remember that ruler? No, not Caesar Augustus - but Cyrus the Persian. Nearly two centuries before Cyrus comes to rule over Babylon, releasing the Jewish captives to return to Judea and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem - the Lord God through Isaiah names the deliverer of His children. Our God is the God of History. Christianity is the historical faith, rooted in historical reality.
     Therefore as we patiently wait for the season of Christmas to begin in the Church. We joyfully sing: “Let It Rain!” I. Rain Down Real Repentance! (Vs.19-21) II. Renew Us With Your Word!(vs.22-23) III. Wash Us Saved In Jesus! (Vs.24-28)
I. How long does it take you to prepare for Christmas? As children we thought Christmas was magical, everything seemed to just happen. The tree, lights, smells of Christmas goodies, Christmas eve children’s program, presents, family gathering, delicious food, a house filled with relatives and laughter. It all seemed just to happen. Magical. It’s easy for many husbands to think Christmas is still magical - as all is suddenly prepared and ready - but the wife knows - Christmas preparation takes work and planning. Houses to be decorated, presents purchased and wrapped, gifts balanced between every child to be fair, cookies, carmels, and chocolate covered crackers take time to craft. It is easy to grow exhausted with all the preparation in hope for a house filled with joy.
    The Lord God carefully prepared for the first Christmas present to be given. 1,402 years before Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem the prophet Moses promises that the Lord God will raise up a Man - the Prophet - God will draw near to His people as one of their brethren. When God descended upon Mount Sinai, His glory shielded by a dark cloud, and spoke His Holy Ten Commandments to the children of Israel, they cowered in fear. They wanted a man - a mediator to stand before God’s glory and their ears. They feared if their heard God’s voice speaking His Law and seeing His holy fire - they would die. Moses promises the God/Man will come! He will speak the Words of God the Father. He will breathe out the Holy Spirit. He will reconcile us to God our Father!
     The murderous lying devil had taken the human race captive in Adam and his wife. All mankind born of a human father are born in Adam’s sin and the death it brings. Captives of Satan and doomed to spend eternity in hell - the just punishment for rejecting our Creator and His good and gracious will. Satan’s first lie was that God’s Word can’t be trusted. He slandered our Creator implying that He doesn’t care for humanity. Then the devil promised us spiritual autonomy - to be like God - if we just disobeyed His commandments and did things our way.
      We need our Creator and God to rain down real repentance upon us. Listen (vs.19-21) As a six month old infant in his aged mother Elizabeth’s womb - John the fetus lept for joy. The God/Man Jesus the Embryo in the womb of the Virgin Mary had come to their house. God the Savior was now in the world as One with fallen humanity. God’s Christmas preparation which had begun in eternity and was preached to our first parents on the day of their rebellion - was now here - the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in the newly Holy Spirit conceived Embryo in the Virgin’s womb. The Holy Head Crusher had come! Rejoice!
     Thirty years later. John, a descendant of the priest Aaron, the son of the priest Zacharias, began preaching in the wilderness Mat 3:2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Repent - be honest! Where are you? What have you done? Why are you trying to camouflage your sin, shame, and guilt? Why are you running with the devil in darkness to death and hell? Turn! Return to God! Listen to His Promise and Live!
       Learn from John. The delegates from the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem wanted to know who he was. John was popular, many were going out from them to hear him preach. Worse they were repenting and being baptized, forgiven, and their lives were changed. John could’ve claimed he was the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet - the ruling body of the Jews would have honored him and the people would’ve followed him. John simply says, “No!” “I am not the Christ! Not Elijah! Not the Prophet!”
      Our fallen flesh loves to puff itself up in pride. Satan whispers we can be our own saviors. False teachers now say they believe in “the Christ” but not that “Jesus of Nazareth is The Christ.” With this lie they claim we can all have “christ” power within us...sound familiar...same lie whispered in Eden to our mother Eve - “you can be your own god!” Beware of false teachers. Beware of your fallen fleshly thinking - you were dead in sin - no divine spark in you - you can never save yourself from sin! Turn from foolish self delusion. Confess your sins! Lay your sin blackened heart bear before Jesus. He is faithful and just to forgive your all your sin - to wash you clean with His blood from all unrighteousness.  
     John will take no glory to himself. From the womb he point us away from ourselves to find our joy in Jesus the Christ alone!
II. “Oh, where shall joy be found?” we sing in a Christmas hymn - how do you answer? Is joy found in family gathering? In presents given? In food shared? Where is joy found? How about in a prison cell, isolated, alone, waiting to be executed? Is joy found there? It was for St. Paul as he writes from prison to his congregation at Philippi. How? Listen! Php 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (5) Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Where Jesus is present - joy is found... God the Holy Spirit opens our lips to sing...4 Oh, where shall joy be found? Where but on heav'nly ground, where the angels singing with all his saints unite, sweetest praises bringing in heav'nly joy and light. Oh, that we were there! Oh, that we were there!”
    You are THERE! Listen! (Vs.22-23) Who is John? The Voice! Promised by God through Isaiah! Preparing the way of the Lord - God Himself is present! The God/Man walks among them, but they can’t see Him - for they will not listen to Moses or the prophets. Christ Jesus is present in His Word! He draws near to you now! He rained His renewing Word upon your sin deadened heart - “I baptize you!” “You are now adopted by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!” “You are saved by My sacrifice alone on Calvary! You are rescued by My triumphant march through hell and out of the grave! Eternal salvation is yours by the Holy Spirit’s gracious gift of faith to cling to Me alone!”
    Where God’s Word is poured, proclaimed, preached, prayed, and fed you stand on heavenly ground - you are there! We confess at our Lord’s Table - “therefore with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven” Rejoice! The Lord is at hand! Emmanuel - God is with us! Here! Now! Where Jesus is present in the wilderness of this fallen world - heaven touches earth. You may be a prisoner of grief, shame, depression - Jesus is hear. Let His peace and joy guard your heart and mind - Hear His voice spoken by His sent preachers - “Be of good cheer, I forgive you all your sins! Feast with the Church in Heaven and on Earth at Jesus Table!”III.   Why are you doing what you are doing? We run to find joy at Christmas. Joy finds us. He is Jesus. He is your Gift from God. He is your Righteousness. He is your Salvation! He is your Brother! He is by your side! (Vs.24-27)
       What authority did John have to baptize? He was called by God the Holy Spirit through His Word and promise preached by the Angel Gabriel to his father Zacharias. Zacharias sang this lullaby to the miracle baby boy of his old age... Luk 1:68-79 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people (69) and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, (70) as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, (71) that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; (72) to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, (73) the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us (74) that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, (75) in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (76) And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, (77) to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, (78) because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high (79) to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
     John heard God’s call from the lips of his priestly father. He baptized with water for repentance - for Jesus is among them. He is the God/Man and John isn’t worthy to serve Him as the lowest slave of the house - unloosing His sandal strap to wash His feet clean of their filth upon entering a house. John preached repent! (Vs.28) He preached in the small village of Bethany across the Jordan. When his hearers heard he would bring them to the shallow waters of the Jordan to pour forgiveness upon their heads fixing their eyes upon the Lamb of God - Jesus - He alone takes away the sin of the world - my sin and yours - forever!
     Fast forward in John’s gospel - what does Jesus do at the last Passover. John wasn’t worthy to untie Jesus’ sandal - Jesus humbles Himself to become the Slave to wash us clean. Our pride won’t humbly serve - He serves you! He baptizes you into Himself. He clothes you with His righteousness! He covers all your sin! He earn eternal life for you!
      Rejoice! It’s beginning to look a lot like Salvation! I’m dreaming of a Righteous Christmas! Deck the halls with cross won, empty tomb certified, Jesus fed - forgiveness, life, and salvation! Rejoice in the Lord always - Let it rain! Amen.