Isaiah 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; St Matthew 11:2-11
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Why is St John in prison? What did the baptizer do that earned him a dank room in Herod’s dungeon? Well, he did what all persecuted and martyred clergy and Christians have done - he remained faithful to the Word of God, to the Ten Commandments and the moral Law. He preached truth to power, telling Herod it was not lawful for him to have his brother’s wife as his mistress, and on account of this he received the prophet’s reward. St John refused to acquiesce on the definition of marriage and sexuality and he was martyred for it.
The Church today, both her clergy and laity, could learn from the steadfastness of this man. The lives of the saints can and do offer instruction to us today. Which is one reason why we are observing the commemorations of certain saints during our midweek Advent services - St Nicholas, St Lucia, and this Wednesday, St Thomas. And we shall hear more from St John the Baptist next Sunday.
But today he’s in prison. And hearing of the deeds of the Christ, he starts to wonder whether Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Coming One, the Messiah, for whom he and all of Israel longed. Some pious theologians prefer not to impugn St John’s character by suggesting that he’s doubting, but rather, he’s taking this opportunity to send the last of his disciples of Jesus. Perhaps. I understand that sentiment.
But if St John is doubting, if he has a troubled conscience, and I believe he does, he is not alone. Our Lord refers to him as more than a prophet and the greatest born of women. But this doesn’t mean that he’s superhuman. He wrestles with his flesh, with the temptations of the evil one, with the scoffing and slander of the world, as did all the prophets before him. As he sits solitary in prison, alone with his thoughts, the devil works to still up his conscience and cause him to question the certainty of God’s Word.
“Did God not say, ‘Behold the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for Him? Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him?’ Than why are you, the Forerunner, the Voice, the one preparing the way of the great and powerful Lord, languishing in Herod’s prison?” This is how the devil works on the hearts and minds, in the consciences of Christians. This is how it was with Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah and all the prophets. They all doubted at some point.
This is how it is with you, is it not? Does the devil not afflict your conscience by asking, “Did God not say, ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the age?’ Did you not die with Christ? When then do you still commit such shameful sins? Why can’t you be free of them?” His ploy is the same as it was for Adam and Eve - he’s trying to inject doubt and uncertainty into God’s Word, to lead you into false belief and shame, as the Small Catechism says of the Sixth Petition, Lead us not into temptation.
Maybe you heard this past week that Pope Francis is suggesting the Lord’s Prayer be changed regarding this petition. That it should read, “Do not let us fall into temptation.” Now I don’t want to disagree with the pope just because he’s the pope. Not everything catholic is Roman. He’s got a point. We do pray for such things. Jesus instructs the three in the garden to pray that they may not enter into temptation. But that’s not what He teaches us here in the Lord’s Prayer. The words are very clearly and correctly rendered, Do not lead us into temptation.
God tempts no one. You know this. By faith you trust it to be true. You hold tenaciously to the Word and promises of God despite what you experience in the here and now. But we are not gnostic. Nor are you Zen Buddhists. Christianity is not about inner peace through suffering, but the peace which comes from above even in the midst of suffering. You suffer. It cannot be denied or forgotten or neglected. St John was languishing in prison, alone with his thoughts, doubting the Lord’s good Word. What about you?
Do you find yourself languishing in the prison of your sin? Tortured by your temptations and flesh? Do you feel trapped by the besetting sins that plague and hound you? And then, after Satan, that cruel jailer, has tempted you into sin he then turns and tortures you, accusing your conscience of that same sin! How shall you be free? How shall you have a good conscience? Who will give you a good word? As the Introit said, Let me hear what God the Lord will speak. For He will speak peace to His people, to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly (Ps 85:8).
And so St John sends two disciples to Jesus and Jesus sends them back to John to tell him what they have seen and heard. Even pastors need pastors. And this is what the Good Shepherd sends back to John. This is who He sends to you. Servants of Christ and stewards of His sacraments; that is, servants of His Word who speak in His stead and by His command, who comfort your grieving conscience and bring hope in this midst of your suffering. They bring this good word. His Good News.
And what is this Good News? It is comfort, comfort, dear people loved by God. It is double comfort in the midst of your sin and suffering. It is sight with the eyes of faith to once clouded and blinded eyes. It is the walking in the righteous way of the Lord to limbs once warped and twisted by sin. It is cleansing and healing to souls and ears once plagued with death and misery. For you who were once dead in your trespasses and sins have been raised up by the mighty Word of Absolution; by the full and free forgiveness of all of your sins.
And the poor have the Good News preached to them. This is the culmination of Jesus’ miracles according to Isaiah 61. All of these things that these two disciples are to tell John are the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah chapter sixty-one. St John knows this, but he needs to hear it again; just like you.
Remember a few weeks ago with the triumphal entry of our Lord how I said that St Matthew is at pains to point out that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies? But that the evangelist never quite records the whole verse or section? And thats because he was us to go look it up? To see the Scripture cannot be broken? Hear the context of Isaiah 61: 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 captive, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn (Is 61:1-2).
This is the Word that Jesus sends back to John. This is the Word that He sends to you. The Good News of salvation in His shed blood. And this Word is always from outside of you. Never from within. Never from your own heart or conscience, where the Law reigns, but always from outside of you. As it is written, By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything (1 Jn 3:19).
He knows everything. He knows that you are languishing in the prison of your sin, from which you desire to be free. He knows that you suffer now, in your flesh, on account of your flesh, but also on account of the world and devil. He knows, not only because He has created you, but because He has redeemed you. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did not count equality with the Father a thing to be kept for Himself, but made Himself nothing. He emptied Himself, humbly taking on the form of a servant, a slave, and obediently dying the ignominious death upon the Cross. In His flesh, like yours in every way, but without sin, He truly experienced temptation and suffering. He knows what it means.
And this is the Word He sends to John. Its as if He says to him, “My dear John, My cousin and My flesh. My heart is with you. I am beside you in prison. I am with you in the dungeon. In your misery and suffering. I do not turn away from you because of them, but embrace you as My own. You, dear cousin, who prepared My way in preaching and in life, shall also, by My Father’s will, prepare My way in death. You will go before Me to the grave. You will not see Me die and rise. But fear not, for My death shall defeat your death. And in My resurrection I shall give you a share of My never-ending life. You will see Me again. Then you will receive your commendation dear cousin.”
This is what is means, dear Christians, to be blessed for not being scandalized by Jesus; not being offended at His Cross and suffering. For they are for your everlasting salvation. So that even in the midst of your cross and suffering, which you have by faith and your life being hidden with God in Christ, you share in His suffering now, but shall also share in His triumph on the Last Day.
For you have the favor of the Father, the beatitude of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. By His grace you are not a reed shaken in the changing winds of doctrine and culture, but remain steadfast by faith in Him. You may someday, Lord’s willing, receive a martyr’s crown, a prophet’s reward, but fear not, for you are dressed in the baptismal robe of Christ’s own righteousness that covers all your sins and gives you a good conscience. And by His grace you are rescued from the prison of death and made to sit in the House of your Father and King. Rejoice! Dear people loved by God. Rejoice in the Lord always! Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.
Even now He comes to you in peace and love as His servants set before you His sacred mystery, the double comfort of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Coming One, by which you are strengthened and steeled for battle, in both body and soul, unto life everlasting.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Why is St John in prison? What did the baptizer do that earned him a dank room in Herod’s dungeon? Well, he did what all persecuted and martyred clergy and Christians have done - he remained faithful to the Word of God, to the Ten Commandments and the moral Law. He preached truth to power, telling Herod it was not lawful for him to have his brother’s wife as his mistress, and on account of this he received the prophet’s reward. St John refused to acquiesce on the definition of marriage and sexuality and he was martyred for it.
The Church today, both her clergy and laity, could learn from the steadfastness of this man. The lives of the saints can and do offer instruction to us today. Which is one reason why we are observing the commemorations of certain saints during our midweek Advent services - St Nicholas, St Lucia, and this Wednesday, St Thomas. And we shall hear more from St John the Baptist next Sunday.
But today he’s in prison. And hearing of the deeds of the Christ, he starts to wonder whether Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Coming One, the Messiah, for whom he and all of Israel longed. Some pious theologians prefer not to impugn St John’s character by suggesting that he’s doubting, but rather, he’s taking this opportunity to send the last of his disciples of Jesus. Perhaps. I understand that sentiment.
But if St John is doubting, if he has a troubled conscience, and I believe he does, he is not alone. Our Lord refers to him as more than a prophet and the greatest born of women. But this doesn’t mean that he’s superhuman. He wrestles with his flesh, with the temptations of the evil one, with the scoffing and slander of the world, as did all the prophets before him. As he sits solitary in prison, alone with his thoughts, the devil works to still up his conscience and cause him to question the certainty of God’s Word.
“Did God not say, ‘Behold the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for Him? Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him?’ Than why are you, the Forerunner, the Voice, the one preparing the way of the great and powerful Lord, languishing in Herod’s prison?” This is how the devil works on the hearts and minds, in the consciences of Christians. This is how it was with Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah and all the prophets. They all doubted at some point.
This is how it is with you, is it not? Does the devil not afflict your conscience by asking, “Did God not say, ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the age?’ Did you not die with Christ? When then do you still commit such shameful sins? Why can’t you be free of them?” His ploy is the same as it was for Adam and Eve - he’s trying to inject doubt and uncertainty into God’s Word, to lead you into false belief and shame, as the Small Catechism says of the Sixth Petition, Lead us not into temptation.
Maybe you heard this past week that Pope Francis is suggesting the Lord’s Prayer be changed regarding this petition. That it should read, “Do not let us fall into temptation.” Now I don’t want to disagree with the pope just because he’s the pope. Not everything catholic is Roman. He’s got a point. We do pray for such things. Jesus instructs the three in the garden to pray that they may not enter into temptation. But that’s not what He teaches us here in the Lord’s Prayer. The words are very clearly and correctly rendered, Do not lead us into temptation.
God tempts no one. You know this. By faith you trust it to be true. You hold tenaciously to the Word and promises of God despite what you experience in the here and now. But we are not gnostic. Nor are you Zen Buddhists. Christianity is not about inner peace through suffering, but the peace which comes from above even in the midst of suffering. You suffer. It cannot be denied or forgotten or neglected. St John was languishing in prison, alone with his thoughts, doubting the Lord’s good Word. What about you?
Do you find yourself languishing in the prison of your sin? Tortured by your temptations and flesh? Do you feel trapped by the besetting sins that plague and hound you? And then, after Satan, that cruel jailer, has tempted you into sin he then turns and tortures you, accusing your conscience of that same sin! How shall you be free? How shall you have a good conscience? Who will give you a good word? As the Introit said, Let me hear what God the Lord will speak. For He will speak peace to His people, to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly (Ps 85:8).
And so St John sends two disciples to Jesus and Jesus sends them back to John to tell him what they have seen and heard. Even pastors need pastors. And this is what the Good Shepherd sends back to John. This is who He sends to you. Servants of Christ and stewards of His sacraments; that is, servants of His Word who speak in His stead and by His command, who comfort your grieving conscience and bring hope in this midst of your suffering. They bring this good word. His Good News.
And what is this Good News? It is comfort, comfort, dear people loved by God. It is double comfort in the midst of your sin and suffering. It is sight with the eyes of faith to once clouded and blinded eyes. It is the walking in the righteous way of the Lord to limbs once warped and twisted by sin. It is cleansing and healing to souls and ears once plagued with death and misery. For you who were once dead in your trespasses and sins have been raised up by the mighty Word of Absolution; by the full and free forgiveness of all of your sins.
And the poor have the Good News preached to them. This is the culmination of Jesus’ miracles according to Isaiah 61. All of these things that these two disciples are to tell John are the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah chapter sixty-one. St John knows this, but he needs to hear it again; just like you.
Remember a few weeks ago with the triumphal entry of our Lord how I said that St Matthew is at pains to point out that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies? But that the evangelist never quite records the whole verse or section? And thats because he was us to go look it up? To see the Scripture cannot be broken? Hear the context of Isaiah 61: 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 captive, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn (Is 61:1-2).
This is the Word that Jesus sends back to John. This is the Word that He sends to you. The Good News of salvation in His shed blood. And this Word is always from outside of you. Never from within. Never from your own heart or conscience, where the Law reigns, but always from outside of you. As it is written, By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything (1 Jn 3:19).
He knows everything. He knows that you are languishing in the prison of your sin, from which you desire to be free. He knows that you suffer now, in your flesh, on account of your flesh, but also on account of the world and devil. He knows, not only because He has created you, but because He has redeemed you. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did not count equality with the Father a thing to be kept for Himself, but made Himself nothing. He emptied Himself, humbly taking on the form of a servant, a slave, and obediently dying the ignominious death upon the Cross. In His flesh, like yours in every way, but without sin, He truly experienced temptation and suffering. He knows what it means.
And this is the Word He sends to John. Its as if He says to him, “My dear John, My cousin and My flesh. My heart is with you. I am beside you in prison. I am with you in the dungeon. In your misery and suffering. I do not turn away from you because of them, but embrace you as My own. You, dear cousin, who prepared My way in preaching and in life, shall also, by My Father’s will, prepare My way in death. You will go before Me to the grave. You will not see Me die and rise. But fear not, for My death shall defeat your death. And in My resurrection I shall give you a share of My never-ending life. You will see Me again. Then you will receive your commendation dear cousin.”
This is what is means, dear Christians, to be blessed for not being scandalized by Jesus; not being offended at His Cross and suffering. For they are for your everlasting salvation. So that even in the midst of your cross and suffering, which you have by faith and your life being hidden with God in Christ, you share in His suffering now, but shall also share in His triumph on the Last Day.
For you have the favor of the Father, the beatitude of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. By His grace you are not a reed shaken in the changing winds of doctrine and culture, but remain steadfast by faith in Him. You may someday, Lord’s willing, receive a martyr’s crown, a prophet’s reward, but fear not, for you are dressed in the baptismal robe of Christ’s own righteousness that covers all your sins and gives you a good conscience. And by His grace you are rescued from the prison of death and made to sit in the House of your Father and King. Rejoice! Dear people loved by God. Rejoice in the Lord always! Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.
Even now He comes to you in peace and love as His servants set before you His sacred mystery, the double comfort of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Coming One, by which you are strengthened and steeled for battle, in both body and soul, unto life everlasting.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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