Advent 3Jesse JacobsenTypeset |
In a day when people are afraid of religious convictions, when “fundamentalist” means you believe your doctrine, and when such believers are considered a problem for the world,
it’s not surprising that some people are reluctant to trust what the Bible says.
On one side Christian groups claim only they can explain the Bible with authority.
On the other side Christian groups claim that what the Bible says doesn’t really matter.
What’s a humble Christian to do?
It would be nice, wouldn’t it, if we had more guidance than a single book. if we had more to rely upon than the Bible.
And we do. The Bible is more than a book. It’s about 66 different books, compiled together as one. These books were written in very different times and places: The bronze age, The iron age, The Persian empire, The Roman empire. Yet one theme unites them all in perfect agreement: Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of God, the Savior of the world. More than a book, the Holy Spirit is there, teaching and demonstrating that our faith is true.
When Jesus was teaching, not everyone believed Him. Some wanted more evidence, better evidence of His claims. They saw only John the Baptist: a popular, but very eccentric preacher in the wilderness.
They wanted more.
They had more. We see it all in our text.
More than a prophet points to the Coming One. The signs declare the Christ The message reveals the Savior
And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ ”
Jesus did not just appear on earth. The way was prepared for Him.
It was John the Baptist that prepared the way.
Six months older than Jesus, John had already been preaching and baptizing a while, when Jesus began His ministry.
But John was different. It says in Matthew 3, And John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
John’s disciples believed what he preached.
But I’d suppose that some also liked his appearance.
Charisma and mystique are attractive things. John had both.
Then came Jesus. He dressed in normal clothes. He ate normal food. He preached and taught in parables.
Not quite the same charisma and mystique that John had. Could this really be the Christ that John was preaching?
By this time John had been arrested for preaching against Herod, for marrying his brother’s wife.
After this, our text says: When John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Why did John send those disciples? We might think it’s because even John had begun to doubt.
That would make us look better, right? We sometimes have doubts of our own.
But no, John was still doing his appointed task: preparing the way for Jesus in the hearts of His people.
John knew that those disciples needed to see the works of Jesus that he’d been hearing about in prison.
Jesus pointed John’s disciples to those works as evidence, signs of the truth.
Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
The works that Jesus mentioned are especially meaningful. The blind see, receiving their physical eyesight, but also the spiritually blind begin to see their Savior.
The lame walk, receiving their physical strength again, but also the spiritually disabled can now approach God.
The lepers are cleansed from their physical disease, and the unclean disease of sin is cleansed from those who repent.
The deaf receive the use of their ears again, and the spiritually deaf also hear the promises of God.
The dead are physically raised to life again, and those dead in their trespasses are given new birth through Baptism and faith in the Word of God.
Each miracle truly happened, showing the power of God, and also demonstrating His saving work through Jesus.
Back in Exodus 15:26, God said, I am the LORD who heals you.
Malachi 4:2 says, But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings.
Psalm 103 begins, Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.
And in Psalm 147, it says, The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
What else would the Messiah do but heal His people, restore them to Himself, and raise them from the dead?
But these miracles are things that we all need, too. That is, we need to see our Savior, to approach our God with confidence, to be cleansed of our guilt, to hear the promises of God, and to live again through Baptism and faith in the Word of God.
Like John’s disciples, we also need to recognize our Christ.
So consider well these signs He performed. This isn’t mythology or children’s fables.
Jesus walked on this earth, 1,977 years ago. He ate, slept, preached, died, and rose again. Yes, He also did the works mentioned in our text: all of them.
We have four different Gospel accounts telling of it: each one well supported by a great many ancient copies.
Even from a historical standpoint, there is only one fair conclusion: Jesus of Nazareth was a man who did the works of God.
So you see, more than a prophet points to the Coming One. The signs declare the Christ.
John himself was more than a prophet.
It was a popular thing for a while for the people of Jerusalem to go hear John preach in the wilderness.
But since he was imprisoned, his fame decreased. Only Johnâs most loyal disciples were still with him. Now a new preacher had arisen: Jesus of Nazareth.
Some may have wondered if they were wrong to follow John.
What should the people think about John? Is he all washed up?
Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: âWhat did you go out into the wilderness to see?â
It was time to understand who John really was. A reed shaken by the wind? DeďŹnitely not. John was no weathervane, or he would not have been arrested.
A man clothed in soft garments?
No, everyone knew John wore camelâs hair: not the richest or most comfortable choice.
John was a prophet, and genuine one.
He had only one job from God: to preach Godâs message to His people. Johnâs clothing and comfort came second.
Itâs no wonder that John had been imprisoned: Godâs message is often unwelcome on earth.
John was more than a prophet. Of all prophets, he was foretold to come before the Messiah.
Jesus quoted Malachi 3, todayâs Old Testament lesson: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.
It might seem strange that Jesus would point to John, when it was Johnâs job to point to Jesus.
But consider how important John was for these people. Recognizing John meant hearing his message. Hearing Johnâs message meant recognizing Jesus.
The important thing about John was not his charisma or mystique, nor his camel-hair coat and his berry diet.
It was the message of the messenger: that Jesus is the Christ, the Lamb of God.
Imagine a hundred ďŹashlights pointing at someone far away: thatâs what the Old Testament prophets were like. They all pointed ahead to the promised Messiah, providing Godâs Word for the people to believe and trust.
But now comes John, living at the very same time as the promised Messiah.
Instead of a ďŹashlight, John holds a huge magnifying lens. He holds it up, so it catches the light of all the prophets before him and focuses that light upon the Messiah Himself.
When we see the job that John had, and did, then we know that Jesus is truly the Coming One.
Our time is a bit different. We are not waiting for the promised Messiah. In fact, most â or all of us â are not even Jews.
So what does John have to do with us?
First, we may may also wonder what to believe about Jesus. We werenât there to see the signs that Jesus performed, though the evidence for them is very strong.
But there are also many people who deny that Jesus could be the savior of the world.
Itâs as though John were just thrown into prison, and maybe heâs all washed up.
Can we really trust the message weâve been hearing? Jesus says yes, we can.
Just as John was truly sent by God, so were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the Evangelist inspired to tell us about our Savior.
Just as John was truly sent by God, so were the apostles Paul, Peter, and others.
John focused the light of the Old Testament prophets, who knew only a little about the coming Savior. But the New Testament writers were also inspired by God. They gave different eyewitness accounts of Jesus.
Second, the message of John is the same message in our Bibles: âRepent and be baptized for the remission of sins.â
Weâll hear more about Johnâs preaching next week. The essence is this: You canât enter eternal life as you are. Your wrongdoing, evil thoughts, and godless speech will condemn you. So repent, for the kingdom of God is near.
Youâd like to have the perfect Christmas, but your own guilt is weighing down upon you.
You might not even last until Christmas.
Repent before God of all your sin, and be forgiven. Jesus came to bear that load of guilt for you. Let Him take it, and receive His purity in return. This is Godâs free gift to you — even today. Itâs the message of John.
More than a prophet points to the Coming One. The signs declare the Christ. The message reveals the Savior.
Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!
This document was translated from LATEX by HEVEA.