For those who like to read to the end of the novel, the writer of the Gospel of Mark, beats you to the ending. He gives it right off the mark, "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God." Mark does not wait for angels to tell the story of shepherds, nor does he talk about wise ones looking for a Christ child. Mark jumps right to the crunch! This is about Jesus folks and he is the son of God! This story is going to be about what God is going to do, so get ready. Jesus is coming!

And immediately, with an "upper cut punch", Mark brings in John, the messenger of the coming Christ. He's not the kind of Christmas messenger we'd expect. He is certainly not one that Coca-Cola would have winking at us through the Christmas season. John the Baptist, this herald of Christmas is not stuffed with cookies and all decked out in red velvet. This new Elijah, this wildman of the wilderness, this prophet of God comes dressed in rags, thin but strong, rugged, but radiant he shouts out his Christmas message. "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

In this Gospel we can't just get to Jesus right away, Mark wants us to first pass by John and his Christmas message. Mark does not want us to get to Jesus without hearing from John, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Get prepared!

This message seems timely since many have frantically trying to get prepare for Christmas day. Like busy bees in the malls, we seen them; people wander about with that glazed look, "Out of my way, must buy presents ... 5 more to go". And as cars wiz to and fro as parents taxi children from one event to another, as choirs get prepared with music and as preachers get services for Christmas ready. A message telling us to prepare seems timely except, John isn't telling us to prepare for this Christmas. He's talking about the Christmas of all Christmases, the coming of Christ.

You see, in Marks' gospel, there is no baby Jesus, no stable, no star in the sky. For Mark wants to jump right into Christ's mission. He is concerned about ultimate things. About life and death, about justice and oppression, about sickness and suffering; and especially about God's coming Kingdom. This is what John calls us to prepare for; this is something far more important than whether we can get slurp and burp Baby for Sally or whether we have time to make those cookies for the kids or even whether our family is able to get together this Christmas. This is about the Big Day coming when God's kingdom will break completely into the world when God is going to set things God's way, whether we like it or not!

That's why some have come out to listen to John. Why they have traveled far away from the centers of power and their familiar towns. They are spiritually hungry; they have given up on the temple and its religious leaders. They are tired of platitudes and shallow sentimental uplifting talk about God.

And so they have come to the end of the wilderness to meet him and to be told that their seeking for God is about to bear fruit. For the Christmas message of Mark is that the God that they have been seeking is about to come looking for them and they had better get prepared.

"The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

The crowds have come to get baptized by him, just as crowds have come through these doors and to this font, to be baptized and people come for various reasons. God knows they bring their children or they come as adults seeking to connect with God through the waters of Baptism.

But just as John knows that what he does is not about him, when people come to be baptized it is not into Shiloh United Church or even the United Church of Canada but into the Universal church. Into a reality greater than us. They are being baptized into God's holy mission, to witness to the unfolding of the kingdom of God.

John, this new Isaiah, is the most unlikely Christmas character. His is the voice in the wilderness of our busy and chaotic lives, calling us to prepare for the great coming of God. To prepare for the coming of the this Kingdom-bringer, this Prince of Peace, this mighty Councellor, this one who we are unfit to untie his shoes is coming to untie ours and to take our world weary feet and tenderly wash them and set them on the road to new life. To be prepared to be a Christmas people, willing to follow Jesus Christ, the son of God. For this son is God's very presence in the world; born in stable in Bethlehem with a mission which is revealed finally on a cross in Jerusalem. A mission we are called to share in as his messangers of hope.