Isaiah 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; St Matthew 11:2-11
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
When John was in prison and knew that the end of his life was imminent, when it seemed as though the kingdom had failed and the satan Herod would win, he sent word by his disciples for a final word from Jesus. Do not be surprised by this. No one is immune from doubt. Even the most ardent and confident man behaves unexpectedly in the face of fear and death. John needed assurance. He needed hope. And he put it rather bluntly. Are you the Coming One or should we be waiting for another?
Typical of Jesus, He knows better than John what John needs. Its no different for you. He is patient and kind with His impatient children.
He does not, however, say, “Yes.” He does not say, “Its going to be okay John. You go to the prophet’s reward. Fear not, for I know what I am doing.” He says, The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
He doesn’t say, “It’ll be alright. It’ll get better. Hang in there. You’re strong.” If John wants assurance that Jesus is the Coming One, the Messiah, then he needs to looks to the promises. It is no different for you. Your strength and your peace are not found within. “Buck up, buddy, you’ll be okay.” No. Man does not live by bread alone. Neither does he live by platitudes or gimmicks. But by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Jesus directs John to the Scriptures. In particular Jesus is directing John to Isaiah 35:
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He 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.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert (Is 35:3-6).
Isaiah says, Your God will come and save you and then, the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. John should look and see what is happening. That’s why Jesus says, Go and tell John what you hear and see. That’s what John’s father, Zechariah, said. You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways (Lk 1:76). He goes before the Lord to prepare His way, not to make the way. John is the announcer of the Lamb. He is not the Lamb. He was destined for the wilderness and for martyrdom. He is not the light, but bears witness to the Light who gives light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.
As He does with all of us, Jesus directs John away from his own heart, away from his own isolation and quarantine and gloomy surroundings. “Lift up your eyes, John, and see what’s happening.”
Yet he should not take comfort so much in the signs themselves, but in the Word and promises of God. The key thing is this: Your God will come and save you. Not, the blind will see and the lepers will be cleansed. The key thing is that God keeps His Word. And the faithful wait. That’s the Christian life, dear ones. Waiting. Creation waits (Rm 8:19). We wait (Rm 8:23). We wait with patience (Rm 8:25). We wait for the hope of righteousness (Gal 5:5). We wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus (1 Cor 1:7). We wait for our blessed hope (Titus 2:13). We wait for new heavens and a new earth (2 Pt 3:13). We wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:21). We wait in faith for the day when there will be no blind or deaf, lame of leprous.
So too John waits. And watches. He should look to his own office, as well. A few chapters later Isaiah gives John his duties:
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
This is the ministry of which Paul writes today. John is a servant of Christ. He is not a reed shaken by the wind, swaying with public opinion. He is more than a prophet. A steward of the very mystery of God that is Christ Himself. He, like all servants of Christ, is called not to be successful, but faithful.
For the Coming One is the Lord Himself, Yahweh in the Flesh. John doesn’t prepare for another fallen and fallible man in office. For a prophet, priest, or king. He prepares the way for the Lord Himself. For our God. What He prepares is the hearts of men. What he prepares them for is the Lord. For the One who led the people out of Egypt. For the One who brought the people back from Babylon. For the One who walked in the Garden seeing reconciliation with Adam and Eve.
He prepares the hearts of men for the Lord with tender words of comfort and a declaration of peace. But to the itching ears of men it comes and hits them as a harsh call to repentance. “Listen up, O people of God: Your warfare with God, your long rebellion and self-destruction, is ended. Your guilt is pardoned. Your sins are forgiven. The Lord has taken it upon Himself to stand in your stead and face the accusations and endure the tortures of hell that were due you in order to spare you and to welcome you back to Himself.”
That is the Lord’s glory of which Isaiah spoke and John proclaimed. It is revealed to those with eyes to see it. Not in shows of might or power. Nor in the healing of the lame and the raising of the dead. It is shown in the preaching of the good news of peace accomplished in Christ Jesus.
This is why Jesus adds for John and his disciples, Blessed is the one who is not scandalized by Me. Our Lord is about to die. To be crucified. Such a death is a stumbling block to jews and foolishness to Greeks. Many will take offense at it. Until the end of time men will continue to take offense at a Crucified Christ and His Church who lives from His Cross. Even Christians take offense at Christ when they fall away from Him because they are not willing to follow Him on the way of suffering. Christ’s blessing to John is also a warning to us.
For even at the final glory on the Last Day, when there are no more blind or deaf, lame or leprous, the full revelation of Christ’s glory is when He is lifted up from the earth. And in its on-going proclamation by which He continues to draw all men to Himself. Do not take lightly, beloved, the preaching of the Word. The outloud proclamation of the Gospel matters. The Word of the Lord is meant to be preached and heard. You cannot live without it. Even the imprisoned John, greatest of the prophets, greatest born of women, needed to be constantly reminded that the Lamb comes to be sacrificed for the sins of the world.
There is a sense in which we are all languishing in prison. Subject to little and greater Herods. For we have given in to our passions. We have indulged our fleshly desires. We have harbored grudges and jealousies. We have secretly hated and openly gossiped and lied about nearly everything. Everyone who sins is a slave, a prisoner to sin.
Repent and hear the Word of the Lord: “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will comes with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will comes 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. For waters break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
And God baptizes for Himself a people who were no people. He sets the prisoners free. He is the Coming One who has come for you. And behold, the Lord is at hand. Near to you now in Bread and Wine, His Body and Blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. The way is open. Blessed is the one who is not offended at Him.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
When John was in prison and knew that the end of his life was imminent, when it seemed as though the kingdom had failed and the satan Herod would win, he sent word by his disciples for a final word from Jesus. Do not be surprised by this. No one is immune from doubt. Even the most ardent and confident man behaves unexpectedly in the face of fear and death. John needed assurance. He needed hope. And he put it rather bluntly. Are you the Coming One or should we be waiting for another?
Typical of Jesus, He knows better than John what John needs. Its no different for you. He is patient and kind with His impatient children.
He does not, however, say, “Yes.” He does not say, “Its going to be okay John. You go to the prophet’s reward. Fear not, for I know what I am doing.” He says, The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
He doesn’t say, “It’ll be alright. It’ll get better. Hang in there. You’re strong.” If John wants assurance that Jesus is the Coming One, the Messiah, then he needs to looks to the promises. It is no different for you. Your strength and your peace are not found within. “Buck up, buddy, you’ll be okay.” No. Man does not live by bread alone. Neither does he live by platitudes or gimmicks. But by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Jesus directs John to the Scriptures. In particular Jesus is directing John to Isaiah 35:
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He 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.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert (Is 35:3-6).
Isaiah says, Your God will come and save you and then, the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. John should look and see what is happening. That’s why Jesus says, Go and tell John what you hear and see. That’s what John’s father, Zechariah, said. You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways (Lk 1:76). He goes before the Lord to prepare His way, not to make the way. John is the announcer of the Lamb. He is not the Lamb. He was destined for the wilderness and for martyrdom. He is not the light, but bears witness to the Light who gives light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.
As He does with all of us, Jesus directs John away from his own heart, away from his own isolation and quarantine and gloomy surroundings. “Lift up your eyes, John, and see what’s happening.”
Yet he should not take comfort so much in the signs themselves, but in the Word and promises of God. The key thing is this: Your God will come and save you. Not, the blind will see and the lepers will be cleansed. The key thing is that God keeps His Word. And the faithful wait. That’s the Christian life, dear ones. Waiting. Creation waits (Rm 8:19). We wait (Rm 8:23). We wait with patience (Rm 8:25). We wait for the hope of righteousness (Gal 5:5). We wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus (1 Cor 1:7). We wait for our blessed hope (Titus 2:13). We wait for new heavens and a new earth (2 Pt 3:13). We wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:21). We wait in faith for the day when there will be no blind or deaf, lame of leprous.
So too John waits. And watches. He should look to his own office, as well. A few chapters later Isaiah gives John his duties:
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
This is the ministry of which Paul writes today. John is a servant of Christ. He is not a reed shaken by the wind, swaying with public opinion. He is more than a prophet. A steward of the very mystery of God that is Christ Himself. He, like all servants of Christ, is called not to be successful, but faithful.
For the Coming One is the Lord Himself, Yahweh in the Flesh. John doesn’t prepare for another fallen and fallible man in office. For a prophet, priest, or king. He prepares the way for the Lord Himself. For our God. What He prepares is the hearts of men. What he prepares them for is the Lord. For the One who led the people out of Egypt. For the One who brought the people back from Babylon. For the One who walked in the Garden seeing reconciliation with Adam and Eve.
He prepares the hearts of men for the Lord with tender words of comfort and a declaration of peace. But to the itching ears of men it comes and hits them as a harsh call to repentance. “Listen up, O people of God: Your warfare with God, your long rebellion and self-destruction, is ended. Your guilt is pardoned. Your sins are forgiven. The Lord has taken it upon Himself to stand in your stead and face the accusations and endure the tortures of hell that were due you in order to spare you and to welcome you back to Himself.”
That is the Lord’s glory of which Isaiah spoke and John proclaimed. It is revealed to those with eyes to see it. Not in shows of might or power. Nor in the healing of the lame and the raising of the dead. It is shown in the preaching of the good news of peace accomplished in Christ Jesus.
This is why Jesus adds for John and his disciples, Blessed is the one who is not scandalized by Me. Our Lord is about to die. To be crucified. Such a death is a stumbling block to jews and foolishness to Greeks. Many will take offense at it. Until the end of time men will continue to take offense at a Crucified Christ and His Church who lives from His Cross. Even Christians take offense at Christ when they fall away from Him because they are not willing to follow Him on the way of suffering. Christ’s blessing to John is also a warning to us.
For even at the final glory on the Last Day, when there are no more blind or deaf, lame or leprous, the full revelation of Christ’s glory is when He is lifted up from the earth. And in its on-going proclamation by which He continues to draw all men to Himself. Do not take lightly, beloved, the preaching of the Word. The outloud proclamation of the Gospel matters. The Word of the Lord is meant to be preached and heard. You cannot live without it. Even the imprisoned John, greatest of the prophets, greatest born of women, needed to be constantly reminded that the Lamb comes to be sacrificed for the sins of the world.
There is a sense in which we are all languishing in prison. Subject to little and greater Herods. For we have given in to our passions. We have indulged our fleshly desires. We have harbored grudges and jealousies. We have secretly hated and openly gossiped and lied about nearly everything. Everyone who sins is a slave, a prisoner to sin.
Repent and hear the Word of the Lord: “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will comes with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will comes 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. For waters break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
And God baptizes for Himself a people who were no people. He sets the prisoners free. He is the Coming One who has come for you. And behold, the Lord is at hand. Near to you now in Bread and Wine, His Body and Blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. The way is open. Blessed is the one who is not offended at Him.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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