WHAT DO YOU EXPECT (TO SEE/HEAR)?
December 17, 2006 - ADVENT 3 - Matthew 11:2-11
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Dearest Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
Advent is a season of expectation. Today we want to look at what you and I expect out of this Advent season and what we might expect from the coming Christmas celebration that is hardly a week away. We know the expectations concerning Christmas in this world. These worldly expectations are to get the best gift, the most gifts, and the perfect gift. Yet, the reality is that you and I with only our worldly expectations will always be sorely disappointed. There is no gift or present in this world that will truly satisfy. So it is that we come to the gift that really matters--the gift of Christ our Savior.
Jesus had sent out the 72 disciples and gave them the authority and power to do miracles in his name. The disciples return with great joy because even demons submitted to God’s powerful name. Then Jesus spoke these words: "Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, ’Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it" (Luke 10:23,24). If Jesus were here today, he would say the same thing, "Blessed are your eyes that you have seen and heard God’s powerful, miraculous gospel." We gather together and we ask the Lord to open our ears to hear, our eyes to see the glory of God, our Savior, born at Bethlehem. Our theme is from the question that Jesus asks three times, "What do you expect to see?" We could also say, "What do you expect to hear?"
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT (TO SEE/HEAR)?
I. The question of John or
II. An answer from Jesus.
I. THE QUESTION OF JOHN
We heard in our Gospel lesson (Luke 3:7-18) a continuation of what we heard last week in the sermon. John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness. In today’s text (Matthew 11), the times and circumstances had changed for John the Baptist. We are told he is in prison. He is also nearing the end of his life. John had preached against Herod and his sexual sins. Herod did not like that so he threw John into prison. Because John was in prison, no longer was he out among the people. Because John was in prison, no longer did the crowds come to him that they might be baptized. No longer could John openly and freely preach to the crowds, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near."
So it is no wonder that we hear John asking a question. "When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, (the parallel account in Luke’s gospel reveals that John heard about Christ raising the son of the widow of Nain) he sent his disciples to ask him, ’Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’" Strange question! We wouldn’t ever think that John would ask such a question. Time and again, we have in our Gospel and in the other Gospels John testimony. John proclaimed this Jesus as the Lamb of God. Time and again, John testified that this Jesus is the Savior, the Light for the world. Yet, now you have to remember John in prison all alone. John is wondering about his preaching, wondering if truly the message that he preached was the message that God wanted preached.
We have here the testimony of Jesus. John’s disciples come and ask the question. When the disciples of John leave, they go back to report to John what Jesus told them, what they saw and heard. Then Jesus addresses the crowd to speak to them about John, Certainly the problem was there when they heard this question from John’s disciples when they came to say, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" They were wondering the same things you and I would wonder--why is John asking such a question. So Jesus gives to this crowd his testimony about John the Baptist. Jesus asked them: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?" Reeds were common along the River Jordan where John was baptizing. They moved quite easily back and forth by the wind. Here is that strange word what did you go out to see? In a sense they went to see the John the Baptist, but in the end is what they heard that mattered.
Jesus continues: "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." John was not a king. He worked and lived in the wilderness. John didn’t go into the city very much at all. So finally, Jesus asks one more time: "Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet." Again, that strange word use, "What did you go out to see?" Jesus uses see rather than who did you go out to hear?" You won’t necessarily see a prophet, but you will hear a prophet. You can see people who might call themselves prophets. In the end it will be a prophet of God that one will hear.
Jesus continues his testimony about John the Baptist. Even though John asks this question, Jesus says to the crowd and to us: "This is the one about whom it is written: ’I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’" Jesus quotes the prophet Malachi. The prophet Malachi was one of God’s Old Testament prophets. Malachi foretold about a prophet that would come. This prophet is John himself even though John is in prison and even though he asks this question.
We return to John’s question. What do you and I expect to see or hear, a question like this from John? What you and I expect to see or hear could even be a question like this from any of us. Is Jesus the One who was promised? A moment of doubt we might say for John the Baptist. It is a moment of wondering. This doubting question sounds strange. But isn’t that really what sin is? When we sin, it is because for some reason or other deep down we doubt God’s promises. No matter what sin it is, we have put ourselves in the place of God and say, "I am going to do what I want. I am more important than God." When we don’t trust God, love God and fear God above all things, that is doubt. There is doubt that the world places in our hearts or that Satan tempts us with or that our own sinful flesh blinds uses. It is doubt that thinks God surely can’t do everything. There are many doubt examples. Our very first parents, Adam and Eve doubted God when Satan says, "Certainly, he did not say you will die from eating from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil." We have Peter who walked on water until he doubted, and then he began to sink. We have Thomas who was not going to believe that Jesus came back to life until he saw Jesus’ hands and put his fingers in the nail prints. From time to time we are very much like Adam and Eve, our first parents. We are often like Peter who sank in the water. We sink in the seas of tribulation and troubles of this life, the worries and cares. Sometimes, we are like Thomas and say, "Prove it! Show me!" What is Jesus’ reply? "Then Jesus told him, ’Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’" (John 20:29).
The Lord says that to us today, "What do you expect to see?" Do we expect to see all the power of God displayed for just my life and me? Or can we expect and ought to see the power of God displayed in this wonderful world of ours through miracle of life and living? Or do we expect to hear the message of salvation? There is the key, isn’t it? That was the point Jesus was making to this crowd. Yes, even John who was the greatest of all prophets would have his doubts. At this time in his John had been separated from the group of believers. Still John also realized he could come and ask Jesus the Savior. It is to be the same with us. We may have our doubts. We have our sins that keep attacking us and in reality are doubts or disobedience. Again, what does the Lord say to us? Our heavenly Father reminds us that we, too, can come to the Lord. We, too, can seek out the answers from him. We don’t have to send someone else out on our behalf. I don’t have to pray on your behalf to God. God reminds us we can pray, each one of us as individual believers, anytime, anywhere. God encourages us to pray without any doubt. From James: "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6).
We can ask with boldness and are encouraged to ask with the great confidence of faith. (1) The Lord invites us to pray to him; (2) our Lord promises to hear; (3) and our Lord also promises to answer all of our prayers. Our God answers the prayers of his people according to his will, not our will. The book of Hebrews reminds us: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Our loving Lord has worked faith in our hearts so that with boldness and confidence we come before the throne of grace and ask him to help us in our time of need.
What do you expect to see? We expect to see the Lord’s answer, just like we have here in our text. We hear the question of John, and then we hear the answer of Jesus.
II. AN ANSWER FROM JESUS
Remember? John the Baptist is in prison. Because he is in prison John gets into a prison mood. John wonders why he is there, in prison. John was imprisoned simply for preaching the Gospel. Then he began to doubt, ponder things that are put into his mind. For John is now absent from the body of believers of Christ. Thankfully, John had disciples who he could send to get the answer. Jesus’ answered his disciples very simply. The disciples asked Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come or should we expect someone else? Jesus replied, ’Go back and report to John what you hear and see." Jesus replies, "Go tell John the sounds and sights of what is happening outside the prison wall. Go tell John what is happening, because he had preached the kingdom of God was at hand."
Then we hear the things that happening, because Jesus the Christ is walking on the earth. Jesus adds, "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised." Miracle upon miracle. This was Jesus, not just the carpenter’s son. This was Jesus, not just the son of Mary and Joseph. Not just that one from Nazareth. Jesus was the very Son of God. There is even more: "and the good news is preached to the poor." People could see, hear, walk, and the dead were even raised. The greatest miracle of all, he says, "And the good news is preached to the poor." To those who are poor in spirit, the Gospel is preached. The word of God went out from the mouth of John. This word of God did not stop, because Herod had thrown John into prison. John could not proclaim the message outside, but Jesus was here. God’s powerful message could continue. Jesus tells John’s disciples to tell John the sights and the sounds of the Savior who is here. This One who was expected has arrived.
In the middle of our text, very simply, verse 6: "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." Jesus was saying that to the crowd reminding them this is John. John is not going to fall away on account of Jesus. Jesus was reminding them that in the end they would be blessed if they didn’t fall away. But you know what happens. Jesus does miracle upon miracle. Jesus does them here and throughout his ministry. Yet, near the end of his life and in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus is betrayed. He is taken away as a prisoner, and says to them, "Every day I preached in the temple. Why didn’t you come then? You come in the middle of the night." All the miracles, all the teachings made no difference to those who fell away on account of Jesus. Jesus was tried and put to death even though he had done all these miracles, even though he had saved people by the preaching of the Gospel.
Matthew reminds us about John. As Jesus is talking to the crowd, it is interesting as we hear that John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus is pronouncing his blessing on John. John’s disciples leave before hearing this blessing for John from Jesus. In a sense Jesus is almost preaching John’s eulogy. It is not very long after this John the Baptist is beheaded. Jesus tells the crowd about the prophecy spoken concerning John. In verse 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." Sounds like a contradiction, but it is explained. There was no prophet greater than John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the only prophet who was foretold in the Old Testament who was to come and prepare the way for the Savior. John the Baptist was the one who did that. These words are foretold over and over again from God’s Old Testament prophets. John the Baptist was the greatest prophet, because he said, "Jesus is coming." And Jesus came. John was also and especially the greatest prophet because he immediately preceded the greatest prophet. Jesus. There were no other prophets between John and Jesus.
Then Jesus says, "Yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Jesus is talking of the example of the least of believers. Faith is faith is faith. We remember Jesus using the example of how the faith of little children makes one fit, prepared and ready for the kingdom of God. These are those least in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus also reminds us of that this morning. Sometimes we talk about great faith or a strong faith or a weak faith. In reality in God’s eyes a saving faith is a saving faith. Once you and I know and believe by God’s grace that Christ is our Savior and has covered up all of our sins that is faith: faith that saves. It is true that along the way we can strengthen our faith by studying God’s word. A saving faith is saving faith no matter if we consider faith strong or weak. There is no difference concerning saving faith whether we have lived our whole life, 60, 70 or 80 years; or when an infant is baptized. By God’s free grace, individual believers have faith that saves them. As Paul says: "There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23,24). We might not put ourselves in the same category of John the Baptist. We might not put ourselves in the same category of Isaiah or Jeremiah or any other great men of faith. Yet, the reality is we are the same. Like believers before us or after us we are all sinners. We are all sinners who are saved. Just like them! This is the miracle of miracles.
What do you expect to see? We can and ought to expect an answer of Jesus to solve our problems. It is true that during Christmas we might expect lots of other things. We might expect to see lots of presents under the tree, big gifts, small gifts and all kinds of different gifts. The Lord says the gift that every believer has is Christ in the manger. What do we expect to see then? Someday, we expect to see Jesus face to face: not based on our own good works, not because we have prayed hard enough, not because we have paid enough, but simply by God’s grace. Listen to these words of Paul that describes this miracle that in reality because of our sins, we should expect eternal punishment, but Paul says to Timothy: "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst" (1 Timothy 1:15). We have to admit, "I am the worst of sinners." We should expect the worst of punishments. But our gracious God gives us the best of forgiveness--salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Now, our lives have changed. We are sent out with Jesus’ answer to the world’s problems. All to often, as you listen to different sermons or different preachers or people that don’t grasp God’s grace, you soon discover that they often only want God’s answers for problems in this life. True, God can answer every worldly problem. God’s main concern is the problem concerning our soul, the problem for us in entering eternity. God’s answer is his Son born in Bethlehem. God’s answer is that he made us his children. God’s answer is that you and I are like John the Baptist, that we are like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Like them we have been given the knowledge, understanding and faith in the saving word of God. Even though we might be the least of any believer, we have the great message of salvation. Remember what Jesus said at the beginning of our sermon? There are many who long to see what we have seen and hear what we have heard. Now, our joyous privilege is to be able to proclaim what we have seen and heard. Isaiah says: "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61:1).
Jesus is the Light of the world. That light lives in our hearts to be seen in our lives. So what do you expect to see? What do you expect to hear? Certainly, each and every Sunday we expect to hear God’s message of salvation. We are reminded of the question of John that from time to time maybe doubt creeps into our lives. If it is not doubt, it is sin which in reality is the fruit of doubt. Then we have Jesus’ answer to our doubt and to our sin--that Christ died for our sins. Jesus’ answer is given to us because he has placed faith in our hearts by grace. In this season of Advent the expectation and excitement we look forward to the things that we cannot see--eternal life, forgiveness of sins, God’s grace. Paul writes: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). What do you expect to see? It is God’s eternity given to each of us through the forgiveness of sins, the gift of Christ our Savior. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
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ADVENT 3 readings: ZEPHANIAH 3:14-17; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7; LUKE 3:7-18
