December 12 2021

 

Advent 3 Three December 12th 2021

Old Testament: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Psalm: Psalm 85

Epistle: Philippians 4:4-47

Gospel: Luke 7:18-28  

Sermon Text: Luke 7:18-27

Sermon Title: “Are You the One”?

Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Last Sunday, at the end of the Gospel reading, we heard that Herod had “locked up John in prison” because John “reproved him for Herodias, his brothers wife and for all the evil things he had done”. (Luke 3:20b, 19b) During his months in prison, Jesus began His ministry of preaching and healing. Just prior to our text this morning, He had raised a young man from the dead, and the people/crowds began to say things like, “A great prophet has arisen among us (and) God has visited His people. And this report about Him spread through the whole of Judea and the surrounding country”. (Luke 7:16-17)  

John had been in prison for some time now, and we know that at first Herod “heard him gladly” (Mark 6:20b) for even though he had arrested him, “Herod feared John, knowing he was a holy and righteous man; and he kept John safe” (Mark 6:20a) for the time being. By the way, this shows that it was not at all unusual for the prophets of God to rebuke their leaders for their sins. In prison, John would not have been aware of much of what was happening on the outside. But even in prison John had heard many of the things Jesus had been saying and doing, “for the disciples of John had reported all of these things to him”. (Luke 7:18a)  

So, from Herod’s prison, “John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord (Jesus) saying; Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another? And when the men had come to Him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us to You saying; Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another”? (Luke 7:19-20) In the midst of his struggles, John is asking this question both for himself and for his disciples.  

So, John’s disciples went and asked Jesus the question he gave them to ask, word for word; and “In that hour, Jesus healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind, He bestowed sight. And He answered them; Go tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the good news preached to them”. (Luke 7:21-22) By His words and deeds, it is clear that Jesus is truly “the One” who has come, and there is no need to “look for another”. (Luke 7:20)  

Jesus pointed to these things He was doing and saying as the fulfillment of many of the Messianic prophecies in Isaiah; who wrote of the coming of the Christ, “In that day, the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord and the poor … shall exult in the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 29:18-19) and “Then shall the lame man leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute shall sing for joy”. (Isaiah 35:6a)  

Jesus is the Christ; even though John struggled to understand why he was suffering in prison and why he would remain in prison and eventually be martyred, for the sake of Christ. (In prison, there is more than enough time to think and worry of such things) Even though John had testified earlier of Jesus, “He must increase and I must decrease” (John 3:30) he had some misconceptions about what the Messiah Jesus had come to this earth to do. John seemed to be expecting the Christ to assert Himself more in the areas of judgment, particularly on the Herod types (wicked rulers) of this world.  

Could this Jesus truly be the long-promised Messiah, if His forerunner was languishing in prison while the evil Herod remained on the throne? Again, the answer is yes, but it didn’t make any sense to John; who was humanly speaking in the most difficult of circumstances. Therefore Jesus, knowing exactly what John needed most, reassured him by His Words and deeds saying; “Blessed is the on who is not offended (or scandalized) by Me”. (Luke 7:23)  

In His day, we know a lot of people were offended by Jesus’ Word as “many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him”. (John 6:66) The same is true in our day as well, as God generously offers His gifts (of forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation) in Word and Sacrament and yet they are rejected by most. We who gladly receive these gifts, that we in no way deserve, are indeed blessed, even if/when we endure suffering and trials for our faith. Even in prison, John is better off than those who reject Jesus our Lord.

Like John, we too often have misplaced expectations of God/Christ. So, for example, when we hear the word “blessed” Don’t we automatically think of the material things of this world money, property, houses, land, etc; or perhaps good health or some other earthly gift? We often act as if nothing too terrible could happen to us in this life. Now, we certainly should be thankful for these material things, for our “daily bread” that the Lord provides for each of us us out of His pure grace and mercy; but when Jesus speaks of who is blessed in the Beatitudes, He mentions none of these things that we generally think of.

Instead, Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit … those who mourn … the meek … those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … the merciful … the pure in heart … the peacemakers”. (Matthew 5:3-9) Then He speaks even more difficult words, “blessed are those who are persecuted … blessed are YOU, when others revile you and persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account”. (Matthew 5:11) Jesus announces His blessing upon those who are His; even those in difficult situations, even those who suffer persecution or martyrdom for their faith.  

When we see these things happening, we too may ask the question John asked of Jesus; “are You the one to come, or shall we look for another”. (Luke 7:19b) Or we may ask, How can God call those who suffer blessed? Yet we are blessed, because of the gifts and promises God gives to us in His Word and Sacrament; forgiveness of sins and the certain hope of eternal life; every time we gather here. We can even “rejoice and be glad” (Matthew 5:12a) in these difficult circumstances, as Jesus told us in Matthew 5.  

We are blessed and we rejoice, because of the gifts of Word and Sacrament just mentioned; we are blessed because “the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27b), and because “Jesus lives to make intercession for us”. (Hebrews 7:25) We rejoice because the psalmist declares “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints”. (Psalm 116:15) “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord”. (Revelation 14:13a) We “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4a) because Jesus promised “I am with you always; even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b) and “I’ll never leave you, nor forsake you”. (Hebrews 13:5)  

In the Scriptures, Jesus has told us to expect hardships and even persecutions in this life, and some may even die for their faith, but Christ our Lord has conquered sin, death, and devil for us, by His atoning death on the cross and bodily resurrection on the third day. For all/we who trust in Christ alone for our salvation, we know that “nothing in all creation (not even death) will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Romans 8:39) “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. (1st Corinthians 15:57)

The Apostle Paul calls these trials we face, “a light momentary affliction (that) is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory” (2nd Corinthians 4:17) and states “the sufferings of this life are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us”. (Romans 8:19) Again, “blessed is the one who is not offended by Me”. (Luke 7:23)  

So, we who are “in Christ” are blessed, no matter our circumstances; (and I know some of you/us have had very difficult trials to face in the last few years.) so, also John the Baptist was blessed, even living in prison, with a reasonable expectation of being killed. He was blessed because, even when in weakness he doubted, God came to him with His precious Word. He does the same for you and for me in our time of crisis; comforting us and reminding us of all He has done for us and our salvation.  

If you don’t believe that John was blessed, listen again to the words of Jesus concerning him; “after John’s messengers had gone, He began to speak to the crowds concerning John” (Luke 7:24a) asking the same question three different times, “what did you go out (into the wilderness) to see”? (Luke 7:24b-26a) Was John a “reed shaken by the wind”? (Luke 7:24b) In other words, a yes man looking for approval, (with no solid convictions of his own) who changes his mind every time public opinion shifts ever so slightly. No, the man who greeted people with the words “Repent … you brood of vipers” (Luke 3:7b) was not trying to make a favorable first impression.

Was John a “man dressed in soft clothing … living in luxury as in a kings court”? (Luke 7:25b) Again, obviously not. John was no first century version of a prosperity, name it claim it preacher, with numerous mansions, a fleet of expensive cars and a private jet. No, “John wore a garment of camel’s hair … and his food was locusts and wild honey … and he preached in the wilderness of Judea”. (Matthew 3:4, 1b) John also knew nothing of the “kings courts”, but he knew a great deal about the king’s dungeon.

Jesus then asks if they went out to see a prophet. “Yes (John the Baptist was a prophet) and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written (in the prophet Malachi) “Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you”; (Luke 7:26b-27) and “to make ready for the Lord, a people prepared” (Luke 1:17); “to give knowledge of His salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God” (Luke 1:77-78a) as his father Zechariah prophesied.  

John’s role was to prepare the people for the coming of the Christ, and now that Christ had come, his ministry was complete. As he said, “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him … He must increase, and I must decrease”. (John 3:28b, 30) Shortly after the events of our text this morning, John was beheaded by Herod.

At his death, John entered heaven, because of what Christ had done for him. Which means that John was better off in prison and even martyred with faith in Jesus, than he would have been alive and free, without faith in Christ. The same is true for all of us; for nothing, not even death, “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Romans 8:39b) “He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”. (Philippians 1:6)  

So, fellow saints, when you suffer trials and hardships and persecutions, in this life, do not be offended/scandalized by our Lord Jesus Christ; rather continue to “hold His Word sacred and gladly hear and learn it”; and receiving His gifts of “forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation” in the Sacrament. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. Amen. (Philippians 4:7)