3rd Sunday of Advent at Epiphany on
Grace, mercy and peace to you through the One who can give sight to the blind, make the deaf hear, make the lame walk, and brings the dead back to life. Amen.
Matthew 11:2-11
When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3
to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6
Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." 7 As John's
disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did
you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not,
what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine
clothes are in kings' palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom
it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way
before you.' 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there
has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he.
Years of visiting mothers in the hospital after they have given birth to a child,
has taught me a number of undeniable and unchangeable truths. First, no matter what
I may personally believe, every baby born is exceptionally beautiful. I have learned
when a mother asks, "Don't you think my baby is the most beautiful child in the
entire world?" there is only one answer possible: a quick and enthusiastic "Yes!"
There is another thing I have learned. Along with being the most beautiful baby
ever born, every grandparent who has rushed to the hospital has assured me their
grandchild is also the smartest baby this poor planet has ever seen. Consider the
facts. Hasn't their grandchild already had the wisdom to open his eyes? Amazing!
But there's more. Their baby has already figured out how to sleep and eat and ...
do other baby things.
Of course most dads don't worry about their baby being beautiful or brilliant. They
know that someday their new child is going to grow up to shatter every record put
on the books by Tiger Woods, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Brett Favre and Michael Jordan.
That’s why proud papas show up at the hospital armed with footballs, basketballs,
baseball gloves, and curling stones (OK, maybe not the curling stones).
In truth,
when any of us look at a baby for the first time, we dream dreams. In our dreams
our children will always be applauded by teachers and admired by classmates. We dream that they will enjoy a long,
healthy life of laughter without tears.
However,
as we all know, even in the best of situations, things seldom turn out the way we
dreamed them.
In Scripture,
when Adam and Eve watched their two boys, Cain and Abel, playing with each other,
did they ever believe that the oldest would kill the youngest? When David looked
upon little Absalom for the first time, did he ever imagine a day when his headstrong
son would try to overthrow him and they would be involved in a life-and-death struggle
for the kingdom's crown? I wonder, when Zechariah and Elizabeth looked at baby John,
what did they think would happen to their little lad? If ever parents had reason
to dream gloriously great dreams about their child, it had to be this couple. After
all, John's name had been picked in heaven and his birth was a biological miracle
foretold by an angel. They had been given God's promise their boy would not only
bring joy and gladness into their lives, but he would also be filled with the Holy
Spirit and many would be blessed because of him. (Luke 1:13)
Do you
think for a moment they ever imagined their boy would end up living in the wilderness;
that his clothing would consist of a camelhair suit accessorized with a genuine
leather belt? Did they ever suppose his diet would be made up of locusts and wild
honey, or that his days would be spent doing baptisms in the
Herod
Antipas was a loyal Roman puppet-prince. He had a new, slightly used bride, named
Herodias. You see, Herod had, against all morality, tradition, and law, stolen and
then married the wife of his brother, Philip. It was a union God had forbidden;
an action John condemned. Criticizing a king can lead to discontent; discontent
can lead to revolt; and revolt can lead to an old king being removed and replaced
by a new leader. That's why Herod gave the order for John to be taken out of circulation
and put in prison.
We are
told that Jesus had heard of John’s suffering, now we are told that John, in prison,
hears of Jesus’ doings. During the long days, weeks and months in prison, I’m pretty
sure that John felt confused. He was the friend, the forerunner, and the second
cousin of Jesus of Nazareth. God had told him to call sinners to repentance and
now Jesus was eating and drinking and partying with sinners. John had preached of
a God who was displeased with the way people were living their lives and Jesus was
telling them that God loved them. Apparently the folks who were taking the "Jesus-reports"
to imprisoned John left out the fact that Jesus was just as much against sin as
John had ever been; they forgot to mention Jesus was transforming sinners into saints
just as the Spirit had done when John was baptizing at the
It was
an honest question made by a man whose life was hanging in the balance. Jesus, are
you the One? John's question was short, but it covered a lot of territory. If Jesus
wasn't the right one, if John had been mistaken about the person and mission of
Jesus, then maybe he had been mistaken about other things as well. "Jesus are you
the One? Are you God's Son, the world's heaven-sent Rescuer from sin, death, and
Satan? Are you the One who is the physician for souls that are spiritually sick
and dying? Are you the One who is going to give his life as a ransom; the One who
is going to redeem the people? Are you the One who is going to call us from darkness
to light?" "Jesus, are you the One?" That was the question John's disciples were
to ask.
John's
question may also be your question. Maybe you've found out, as John did, things
seldom work out the way we expect. Are you lonely? Has your job security become
less than secure? Has the mortgage, which once seemed so payable, become a crushing
burden? Are creditors chasing you? Are you drowning in sickness, sadness, sorrow?
Do you
have a son or daughter with whom you can no longer communicate? Do you have a parent
who is having difficulty maintaining independence and you must make decisions that
are impossible to make? Has your life-long partner’s life ended too soon? Things
don't turn out the way we expect. Of course, it's impossible for me to list everyone's
burdens and hurts. Time doesn't allow for that. Even so, I believe … I know … you
are hurting.
Troubles for the Christian, especially when they continue for a long time without being relieved, sometimes prove very difficult to endure. Where there is true faith, there may often be a mixture of unbelief. It is like the father of the demon-possessed boy. When Jesus asked him, “Do you believe I can heal your son?” the man replied, “Yes, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.” The remaining unbelief of good Christians may sometimes, in the hour of temptation, call into question those fundamental truths we have learned from little on like “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28) Or “God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
We know in our hearts that God works in mysterious ways, yet it is often difficult for us to accept those mysterious ways when they are actually happening in our own lives. God never promises to eliminate every one of our problems the way we might like, but I can assure you that He does love you. He loves each of you enough to allow his Son to die for you. He will help you through your heartaches and do what is right for you.
If you feel that God has been ignoring you and your problems; if you feel the Lord
hasn't been listening to your prayers and He doesn't care about what happens to
you; if you feel you are alone in facing whatever black emptiness confronts you,
please, listen carefully as John's disciples ask, "Jesus, are you the one who is
supposed to make a difference, or should I start looking around for someone else
to help me?" Listen carefully because the Baptizer's question is your question,
too. "Jesus, are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?"
Scripture says John's representatives received a twofold answer. The first part of the answer came in the form of a demonstration. Luke writes, “At that time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.” (Luke 7:21) Then, having performed a multitude of miracles, Jesus turned to John's messengers and said, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
Now, you and I are practical,
get-to-the-point kind of people. You know John's friends had asked Jesus a simple
"yes or no" question and He chose to give them a long, two-part answer. You may
not understand, but John did. John knew that in doing what he did and saying what
he said, Jesus was making reference to a prophecy made centuries earlier by Isaiah
on how people could recognize the Messiah. “Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be
strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine
retribution he will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind
be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap
like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.” (Isaiah 35:4-6)
When John's disciples relayed those words, John would have been at peace. He would
have been assured that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of the world. No matter
what might happen to him, John knew that his sins were forgiven, that he was saved,
and that he had told the truth when He pointed to Jesus and said, "Look, the Lamb
of God who takes away the sins of the world." John would have been comforted because
he believed Jesus Christ is, as the Christmas angel said He would be: "God's good
news of great joy for all people."
Now there
are some preachers who will tell you that if you have Jesus as your Savior, all
of your problems, worries, pains, and hurts will disappear. That's simply not so.
When John received confirmation of Jesus' Lordship, he wasn't released from prison;
because John believed in the Savior, that doesn't mean his problems evaporated and
he lived happily ever after. He didn't. Scripture tells us that King Herod's wife,
through her cunning, conniving, and conspiring eventually had John beheaded. Because
John believed, it doesn't mean Jesus took away his problems, it does mean Jesus
helped him past his problems.
Things
seldom turn out the way we dream ... but they can always turn out the way God wants.
In that truth a believing John, a saved John, went to heaven. Today, tomorrow, and
for all eternity he will stand before the crucified and ever-living Lamb of God
who took away his sins, your sins, my sins, the sins of the entire world. Jesus
conquered John's problems and ultimately freed him. That is the promise Christ makes
to every one of us. Once again, neither I, nor any other preacher, can promise God
will eliminate every one of our problems the way we might like, but I can assure
you that God, because of the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of His Son, will
help you through your heartaches and do what is right for you.
Recently,
a 12-year-old farm boy named
“It’s
kind of the same thing. That calf was close to me and God’s Son was close to Him.
“I just wanted to tell you guys, just remember when you lose a loved one or a pet,
always remember that God gave His Son, too. And He understands. He will always understand.”
Young
Logan is wise beyond his years – wise unto eternal salvation. This Christmas, when
you look into the manger, see more than a beautiful baby lying there. When you see
Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, see Him for who He is and worship Him for what
He has done for you. See Him in His cradle, but also see Him on His cross, see His
empty, open tomb. See Him and know that while things seldom turn out the way we
dream, because of Jesus they can always turn out the way God wants. If you see Jesus
this way, your Christmas, your life, will be blessed. Amen.