St Matthew 11:2-11/1 Corinthians 4:1-5/Isaiah 40:1-11
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Advent is a time of waiting and watching, of seeing and hearing. It is a time for patience; a test of endurance. It is where we rehearse in the Church Year what we experience in our daily lives: patient endurance as we wait for the Lord to come and fulfill His promises.
Our lives are shaped by what we wait for. It forms part of who we are. The student, waiting for the end of the semester, counting the days and hours until winter break; the retiree, waiting for the social security check to arrive, hoping she can stretch the food in the cupboards and the dollars in the checkbook; the elderly widower, who feels abandoned and alone, waiting, longing to go “home.”
The time we spend waiting – for the phone to ring, the plane to land, the letter to arrive, the check to come, waiting for grades to come in, for family to arrive – waiting to see, to hear, to know, is the hardest for us. To be on the edge of this in-between time, the already, but not yet is what we struggle with most. Because all this waiting reveals that we are not in control. It shows us our uncertainty, our insecurity, and how much we feel alone because of it.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, sings the Psalmist, and in His Word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchman for the morning (Ps 130:5-6).
This is John the Baptizer. He waits. He waits in prison. Day and night he sits alone in silence. In his cool, damp, dark cell, he waits. All he has are his thoughts, his memories. And so he waits. He lives in the in-between time. What is he waiting for? He is waiting for the Christ. He is waiting for Jesus to fulfill His Word. In Advent expectation, his soul waits for the Lord.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Advent is a time of waiting and watching, of seeing and hearing. It is a time for patience; a test of endurance. It is where we rehearse in the Church Year what we experience in our daily lives: patient endurance as we wait for the Lord to come and fulfill His promises.
Our lives are shaped by what we wait for. It forms part of who we are. The student, waiting for the end of the semester, counting the days and hours until winter break; the retiree, waiting for the social security check to arrive, hoping she can stretch the food in the cupboards and the dollars in the checkbook; the elderly widower, who feels abandoned and alone, waiting, longing to go “home.”
The time we spend waiting – for the phone to ring, the plane to land, the letter to arrive, the check to come, waiting for grades to come in, for family to arrive – waiting to see, to hear, to know, is the hardest for us. To be on the edge of this in-between time, the already, but not yet is what we struggle with most. Because all this waiting reveals that we are not in control. It shows us our uncertainty, our insecurity, and how much we feel alone because of it.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, sings the Psalmist, and in His Word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchman for the morning (Ps 130:5-6).
This is John the Baptizer. He waits. He waits in prison. Day and night he sits alone in silence. In his cool, damp, dark cell, he waits. All he has are his thoughts, his memories. And so he waits. He lives in the in-between time. What is he waiting for? He is waiting for the Christ. He is waiting for Jesus to fulfill His Word. In Advent expectation, his soul waits for the Lord.
Now John knows that Jesus is the Christ. He heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ. He knows the prophecies of Isaiah, which said: The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exalt in the Holy One of Israel (Is 29:18); and Your God will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy (Is 35:4b-6); and he knew this one, too: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has Anointed Me to bring good news to the poor, He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound (Is 61:1-2). (Oh yes, certainly John was reciting that one in his memory.)
After Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan by John, and His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus visited the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. He stood up in the congregation and read the lesson for the day. It was this final text from Isaiah, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, etc. And He preached His sermon saying, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Lk 4:18).
Today? While John sits in prison waiting, watching, wondering, “How long, O Lord? How long?” Praying, “Come, Lord Jesus; come quickly. Fulfill Your Word.” Like the souls beneath the altar in Revelation, slain for the Word of God, crying out, How long, O Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood? Today?! They were given white robes and told to wait and rest and little longer (Rev 6:10-11). So too John. So too you.
And so John waits. He watches. He looks and He listens, for he knows that while the grass withers and the flower fades, the Word of the Lord endures forever. And so he sends two of his disciples to Jesus, hoping, longing for a kind word from the Christ, a comforting word, a word of pardon and peace.
He knows these things. He knows Jesus is the Christ. After all, John is the Voice crying, In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. John is more than a prophet. He knows Jesus is the Coming One, the Messiah, of whom he himself proclaimed, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
But the Word is meant to be preached. Even pastors need pastors. Memorization is essential; yet faith not only cometh by hearing, it needs hearing, lives on the preached Word. And so John longs for a comforting sermon from Jesus, a Word from the Christ. And he receives it. Jesus said, “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” It is as if He said, “Dear cousin, your wait is almost over. I am the One who is to come, and behold I have come. I have come to rout the devil and dismantle his wicked army. I have come to put an end to death and bring light and immortality to light. I am the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I have come to bring your troubled conscience peace.”
And He says to him, Blessed is the one who is not scandalized by Me. This is word directly for Saint John. He is not a reed shaken by the wind. He is wall of bronze; the Messenger of the Christ; steadfast and faithful, courageous, even unto death. He is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is the power unto salvation.
John will receive his commendation from God. He has received a prophet’s reward. Earlier Jesus had said, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Such was done to the prophets. Such is done to John who is more than a prophet. Such is the reward for all who are not scandalized by the preaching of Christ and Him Crucified for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus speaks this beatitude directly to the aching soul of John. It is meant for him as he waits. Waits for rescue and release; waits for Christ to fulfill His promise, waits for his martyrdom and resurrection. Jesus has not forgotten John.
Beloved, Jesus has not forgotten you, either. His sermon is for you too. It is a word of comfort and peace; a kind Word, a tender Word: Your warfare is ended, your iniquity is pardoned. You have received from the Lord’s hand double for all your sins.
You wait, but you wait in freedom. For the Son has set you free. By His stripes, you are healed. By His death, you have life. By His punishment, you are set free. The Greatest in the kingdom of heaven made Himself the least. The Son of the Father took the place of rebels. The King came to serve.
Blessed are you, O Christian, poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is yours.
You have the Good News, the Gospel preached to you. And it is this: in Christ you are free. Free from sin, from death, from the power of the devil. Your waiting is not in vain. Your present suffering is not to be compared with the glory to be revealed to you. Be patient. Endure. You have not been forgotten. You have not been abandoned. For your sake the Christ has come. For your sake the Christ will come again.
And in this in-between time, this already and not yet, the Christ is with you. Always, even to the end of the age. For the heavens and the earth will pass away, but the Lord’s Word will never pass away. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
Look to the Word made flesh. Listen to His voice and hear His promises. Watch for the One who comes in the Name of the Lord, who comes in His Body and Blood. He comes to comfort you amid sadness, to take away your sins, cleanse your conscience, and assuage your hearts and fears.
And while there is much that remains uncertain and insecure, the Word of the Lord is sure and certain. He will not leave you as orphans. He is steadfast. He is with you. And He will bring you home, make you free, and fulfill His Word once and for all, just as He has for John.
Wait for Him. Wait in Him. Remember it is what we wait for that forms us. Let your in-between time be formed by the One who comes to fulfill His promises. Let this already and not yet be formed by the One who puts His Name upon you in water and Word, who gives you to share in Him and makes you a part of Himself. Be formed by the One who comes even now to give you a foretaste of what is yet to come. For that is who you really are. You are in Christ. And where He is, there you shall be also.
In the Name of the Father and X of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
After Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan by John, and His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus visited the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. He stood up in the congregation and read the lesson for the day. It was this final text from Isaiah, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, etc. And He preached His sermon saying, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Lk 4:18).
Today? While John sits in prison waiting, watching, wondering, “How long, O Lord? How long?” Praying, “Come, Lord Jesus; come quickly. Fulfill Your Word.” Like the souls beneath the altar in Revelation, slain for the Word of God, crying out, How long, O Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood? Today?! They were given white robes and told to wait and rest and little longer (Rev 6:10-11). So too John. So too you.
And so John waits. He watches. He looks and He listens, for he knows that while the grass withers and the flower fades, the Word of the Lord endures forever. And so he sends two of his disciples to Jesus, hoping, longing for a kind word from the Christ, a comforting word, a word of pardon and peace.
He knows these things. He knows Jesus is the Christ. After all, John is the Voice crying, In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. John is more than a prophet. He knows Jesus is the Coming One, the Messiah, of whom he himself proclaimed, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
But the Word is meant to be preached. Even pastors need pastors. Memorization is essential; yet faith not only cometh by hearing, it needs hearing, lives on the preached Word. And so John longs for a comforting sermon from Jesus, a Word from the Christ. And he receives it. Jesus said, “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” It is as if He said, “Dear cousin, your wait is almost over. I am the One who is to come, and behold I have come. I have come to rout the devil and dismantle his wicked army. I have come to put an end to death and bring light and immortality to light. I am the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I have come to bring your troubled conscience peace.”
And He says to him, Blessed is the one who is not scandalized by Me. This is word directly for Saint John. He is not a reed shaken by the wind. He is wall of bronze; the Messenger of the Christ; steadfast and faithful, courageous, even unto death. He is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is the power unto salvation.
John will receive his commendation from God. He has received a prophet’s reward. Earlier Jesus had said, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Such was done to the prophets. Such is done to John who is more than a prophet. Such is the reward for all who are not scandalized by the preaching of Christ and Him Crucified for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus speaks this beatitude directly to the aching soul of John. It is meant for him as he waits. Waits for rescue and release; waits for Christ to fulfill His promise, waits for his martyrdom and resurrection. Jesus has not forgotten John.
Beloved, Jesus has not forgotten you, either. His sermon is for you too. It is a word of comfort and peace; a kind Word, a tender Word: Your warfare is ended, your iniquity is pardoned. You have received from the Lord’s hand double for all your sins.
You wait, but you wait in freedom. For the Son has set you free. By His stripes, you are healed. By His death, you have life. By His punishment, you are set free. The Greatest in the kingdom of heaven made Himself the least. The Son of the Father took the place of rebels. The King came to serve.
Blessed are you, O Christian, poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is yours.
You have the Good News, the Gospel preached to you. And it is this: in Christ you are free. Free from sin, from death, from the power of the devil. Your waiting is not in vain. Your present suffering is not to be compared with the glory to be revealed to you. Be patient. Endure. You have not been forgotten. You have not been abandoned. For your sake the Christ has come. For your sake the Christ will come again.
And in this in-between time, this already and not yet, the Christ is with you. Always, even to the end of the age. For the heavens and the earth will pass away, but the Lord’s Word will never pass away. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
Look to the Word made flesh. Listen to His voice and hear His promises. Watch for the One who comes in the Name of the Lord, who comes in His Body and Blood. He comes to comfort you amid sadness, to take away your sins, cleanse your conscience, and assuage your hearts and fears.
And while there is much that remains uncertain and insecure, the Word of the Lord is sure and certain. He will not leave you as orphans. He is steadfast. He is with you. And He will bring you home, make you free, and fulfill His Word once and for all, just as He has for John.
Wait for Him. Wait in Him. Remember it is what we wait for that forms us. Let your in-between time be formed by the One who comes to fulfill His promises. Let this already and not yet be formed by the One who puts His Name upon you in water and Word, who gives you to share in Him and makes you a part of Himself. Be formed by the One who comes even now to give you a foretaste of what is yet to come. For that is who you really are. You are in Christ. And where He is, there you shall be also.
In the Name of the Father and X of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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