In Jesus Holy Name December 12, 2010
Text: Matthew 11:1-4 Advent II Redeemer
“Checking Out the Stories”
Our gospel lesson begins with John the Baptizer in prison. John was not afraid to proclaim his message to religious leaders who had come down to the river to investigate his preaching. They wanted to know why he was drawing such great crowds. We know that he was calling for people to repent, to reform their lives in preparation for the arrival of the Messiah. He had publicly called for King Herod to repent. That’s why he was in jail. He challenged authority…. He lost his freedom. His words were silenced. He was placed in prison by King Herod Antipas. John’s preaching had few favorites in the royal palace.
John was doing what God had called him to do. He was the prophetic voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Repent”. Reform your behavior. The judgment of God, the Day of Wrath is coming. By the hundreds, by the thousands they came to the river. They stepped into the water, asking for forgiveness. But not Herod. Not the religious Pharisees and Sadducees.
This was not the King Herod who was the ruler at the time of the birth of Jesus; this was his son, Herod Antipas, who turned out to be just as bad as his father. Herod Antipas had traveled to Rome taking his sister-in-law along. They had an affair. Upon returning to Jerusalem he had his brother Philip killed; then married his sister-in-law. The nation was in shock. John the Baptist condemned the king’s behavior and was placed in prison.
No trial. No charges. Month after month he found himself waiting. His public words were silenced.
John knew his prophetic career was over. There is one thing John wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt about Jesus. Was Jesus, his cousin, the long expected Messiah? Yes, John remembered the baptism of Jesus and the words from heaven which proclaimed: “This is my beloved son.” But John wanted to know for sure.
John knows the ministry of Jesus in Galilee. He has heard the stories. The miracles. The preaching. The crowds. The casting out of demons. The raising of Jarius’ daughter from death. He knew about the new beating heart in the body of the boy who had lived and died in the village of Nain. His body was on the way to the cemetery until Jesus met the funeral procession at the village gate.
John knew the prophecy of Isaiah 11:4 “…the coming Messiah would strike the earth with a rod and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips.” He knew Isaiah 61:2 “The anointed one would proclaim the day of vengeance of our God.” So, why is Jesus preaching love and mercy and forgiveness? John sent his disciples to ask: “Are you the one? Or should we expect someone else?”
It’s a fair question still today. There are literally thousands of religions to choose from. Have you picked the right one? Is the cross of Jesus the only bridge that spans the gulf of sin which separates lost human beings from God’s perfect holiness?
Just this past week end I was making a hospital visit on a good friend and member. Her sister was there visiting from Tennessee. We naturally struck up a conversation while her sister was sleeping. During the conversation she mentioned that “Well, I’m glad that my sister is comfortable in her faith. It gives her a lot of comfort as she fights cancer.” I said, “Well, what about you? “Oh, I believe in a little bit of everything. A little of this, a little of that, a blend of Buddha and Jesus. I lived most of my life in Berkley…you know that’s how it is there…and now in Tennessee there is a church on every corner, but I don’t go to any of them. I’m comfortable with what I have.”
I said, “Really,… what about the day you find yourself in your sister’s situation? We all will come face to face with God some day.” To which she responded. ‘Well, my husband and I are beginning to evaluate various long term medical home insurance.” I said, “You know that’s not what we are talking about. You know…not even Lazarus is alive today even though Jesus raised him from the dead.” She said, “Yes, I know that story.” I said: “Well, you know then that there is only one way to heaven…. Jesus.”
She then repeated the phrase “I’m comfortable with my belief.” I could have said… Well, when trouble comes… which theology do you use? To whom do you pray? But I didn’t because I could see….she was just playing the verbal banter game…and she was not that comfortable with the end of life issues. So now it is up to the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to her heart.
Ravi Zacharias in his book “Jesus Among Other Gods” begins chapter one: “Philosophically, you can believe anything, so long as you do not claim it to be true. Morally, you can practice anything, so long as you do not claim that it is a “better” way. Religiously you can hold to anything, so long as you do not bring Jesus Christ into it. All religions, plainly and simply, cannot be true.” All religions are not the same. All religions do not lead to the same destination, heaven.
John’s question still matters today. “Was Jesus who he claimed to be?” Is He the “way, the truth, and the life. When he said: no one can come in to the Father’s eternal presence except through me? A true statement? (John 14:6) What this question means for you is: either Jesus is your Savior or He isn’t. Either you can really celebrate His birth at Christmas, or you can forget the festival altogether. Either you can rejoice in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, or you can ignore Him entirely. There are no other choices. This is what the discussion in the hospital room was really all about.
This is how Jesus answered John’s question. “Go back and report to 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.”
Jesus was pointing out that He was doing things that only God could do. The blind could see without surgery; the lame walked without months of therapy; exiles who had incurable leprosy were being made well.
After three years of ministry, miracles proclaiming God’s offer of forgiveness, there were still those in the land of Israel who rejected Jesus. They had him arrested. They pushed a crown of thorns down on his head. They had him whipped and then crucified him on a Roman cross. He died. The Roman guard made sure by stabbing His heart, blood and water came out. He was dead. The buried him.
This happened because the same religious authorities who heard John preaching at the river could not and would not believe that God the Creator would show up on earth in human flesh and bone. When Jesus preached in his home town of Nazareth, they tried to throw him off a cliff. Why? Because they heard him claim equality with Yahweh, the God of Israel who dwelt in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The world’s opinions have not changed. Atheist still put up their bill boards. They look at the festive folks who believe in God and the birth of Jesus. They think you have been hoodwinked by some once upon a time story from the past. They believe that everything is relative. They believe sin is subjective. They believe that religion is just a way for churches to separate people from their cash.
We see the court cases against the cross, the manger displays. We know the debate rages whether or not creationism can be placed in school text books alongside the theory of evolution or “Intelligent Design”. Scientists tell us that new galaxies & biological discoveries are not created by “intelligent design” but grew out of matter that existed. Islam believes in a virgin birth, but states that God would never come to this earth, nor have a son. Jesus was just a great prophet.
There are others who prefer to blend a little Hindu “reincarnation” with Buddhism. You can choose a religion that tells you can be the “god of your own planet in the world to come.” Some, simply choose to deny the very existence of a Creator God, calling religion a delusion. Others make up their own theology based on their own ability to earn heaven.
Does this sound familiar? Let me tell you, even some Christians, sometimes wonder if they are believing the right thing. Every once in a while, like John, we wonder if we, with a few thousand religions to pick from have chosen the right one. Jesus Christ must be Who He says He is, namely the sinless Son of God and the Savior of the world, or He must be the world’s greatest con artist who leads millions astray.
If you are being logical. If you study the intricacies of the strain of DNA in every cell of your body, including that little protein called “laminin”, or the endless beauty of new galaxies discovered you must make a decision about the claims of Jesus. Jesus cannot be an “almost redeemer”, a ‘sort of God’. Either He is or He is not.
Three days after Jesus was buried, with a Roman guard at his tomb….he rose from death. He came back to life. Time and time again people saw Him. They ate with Him. They believed. Search other religions the world over; no other faith attempts to make such a resurrection claim.
Christmas is around the corner. How will you celebrate this year? Doubt or denial? Or will you like the shepherds go and see the Savior, worship Him as the long expected Messiah?
Years ago a little girl was spending the night at her grandmother’s house. Grandma had put the 5 year old to bed, but it didn’t take long before Grandma heard her name being called. Investigating, grandma was asked: “will you turn on the light? I’m afraid of the dark.” Turning on the light, Grandma replied. “Honey, you don’t sleep with the light on at your house. You sleep in the dark there.” The little girl replied, “But Grandma, that’s my darkness.”
So many are like the gal in my hospital visit wondering in darkness…trying to create a comfortable faith…but their light cannot penetrate the darkness of the grave. Only Jesus brought light that shatters the darkness of death. He brings the light of His Father’s love; the joy which comes from sins forgiven.
Eugene Petersen in the Message writes: When we look at this Jesus we see God who cannot be seen. God the Father was pleased to have all of the fullness of His holiness, His deity dwell in Jesus and through Jesus bring back to Himself all people and things into a vibrant harmony by His death, His blood that was poured down from the Cross. Be careful do not be distracted nor diverted.
“There are many out there taking other paths, and trying to get you to go along with them. All they want is easy street. They hate the Cross of Jesus. But easy street is a dead end street. We are waiting for the arrival of the resurrected and living Jesus who will transform our earthly bodies to be fashioned like his glorious body.
