Matthew 11,2-10. Gaudete: 3. Sunday in Advent

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The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Matthew 11,2-10     0315

3. Sonntag im Advent  03 Gaudete 

Spiridion, Bishop on Cyprus, ✠ 348 

14. Dezember 2014 

1. O Christ Jesus, Thou Living Word, bless us, Your Church, to preach the gospel so that those who suffer may be assured of Your mercy and love in this life and the next. We await Your advent, O Morning Star (VELKD, Prayer for 3. Sunday in Advent § 6).  Amen. 

2. »Now when John the Baptizer heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and asked Him: „Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?“ And Jesus answered them: „Are you the one who is to arrive, or shall we wait for someone else?“ And Jesus answered them: „Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight and the crippled walk, lepers are made clean and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.“ [Isaiah 35,5; 61,1] As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: „What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Behold, those who wear fancy clothes are in kings’ houses. Did you go out to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it has been written: »Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.«“ [Malachi 3,1] 

  3. Advent tells us why Jesus was born on Christmas. In ten days we will celebrate Jesus’ birth, and here in Matthew 11 Jesus tells us the sort of man He had grown up to be. Jesus told John the Baptizer’s disciples that the ministry of the Messiah was about overturning the curse imposed upon creation as a result of mankind’s sinfulness. The sick and infirm will be made well, the dead will be resurrected and the gospel will be preached to those who are dejected. Thus the 3. Sunday in Advent is called Gaudete, for we rejoice over all Christ our Lord does for us. 

4. Is there rejoicing during times of persecution? By Matthew 11 John the Baptizer had been behind bars for about one year. Herod Antipas, King of Galilee and Perea, had imprisoned John because Herod’s wife, Herodias, was offended by John’s preaching, for John told Herod that he should not have married his brother’s (Philip) wife (14,12). Herodias was scorned by this moralistic pronouncement so John felt her fierce wrath. Blessed is the one who is not offended by Jesus, and the following is also true: blessed is the one who is not offended by John the Baptizer. John prepared the way for Jesus, so if someone is offended by John then they are also offended by Jesus. John certainly had his adversaries: Queen Herodias, Princess Salome, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. John had made some powerful political and religious enemies, but no angel was sent to unlock the cell door and lead John to freedom (Acts 5,19).  

5. Like John we have our moments of despair. Events in our lives may confine us or restrict our freedom. Perhaps our influence has waned in the eyes of children or co-workers. Maybe our enemies slander our good name or plot their petty  revenge against us for some unintended slight. Even the world’s ridicule of our Christian faith can take its toll upon us. We are mocked for believing in a God who promised to return but has thus far delayed His return for 2000 years. John had languished in a royal prison but he had not lost hope in Jesus whom he had baptized. He had prepared the way for Jesus and was comforted by the news his disciples brought him that Jesus was indeed fulfilling the messianic promises spoken of by the Prophets. 

6. John’s ministry was immensely important. Jesus declared that His cousin was more than a prophet. He prepared the way for the Christ, and thus John the Baptizer was the greatest born of women (11,9-11). This is high praise from the One who was miraculously conceived and God incarnate in human flesh. 

7. Nevertheless, the world often responds to the gospel and God’s messengers with violence and force (11,12). We see it around the world how Christians are forced from their homes, their property confiscated and their churches razed to the ground merely because of the faith they confess. Our brothers and sisters in the faith endure far worse than we do here. Several days ago ISIS beheaded four Iraqi Christian children because they refused to follow Mohammed. They confessed: „No, we love Yeshua; we have always loved Yeshua.“ For such martyrs the vision of the Apocalypse shines forth: »Then one of the elders told me: „These clothed in white robes have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who is seated on the throne will shelter them with His presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes“« (Revelation 7,13-17). In His day,  Jesus accused His own people of being feckless children who got upset when Jesus did not dance to their tune or cry at their dirge. They accused John of being possessed by a demon because he fasted and was a teetotaler. Then they accused Jesus of being a glutton and a drunkard because He feasted, drank and befriended sinners (11,16-19). As the world treats Jesus, so it treats us (10,24-25). The gospel is offensive and foolish to the world’s reasoning (1. Corinthians 1,18). 

8. In all this we rejoice! We do not rejoice that the world rejects Jesus and His gospel. We do not rejoice that the world is unrepentant and heading to hell. We rejoice because Jesus is our Savior from sin, death and hell. The gospel of Christ crucified is the power of God unto salvation (1. Corinthians 1,18). This proclamation offends people because it removes from them any of their own merit in regards to salvation and a right standing before God. Jesus offends people because He does not approve their conventional wisdom of who He is supposed to be and what He should be doing as the Christ. Jesus made it clear that the Christ was born to liberate people from the curse imposed upon mankind because of our sinfulness, to redeem the world as its vicarious sacrifice and to call all people (Jew and Gentile) unto Him as the only Savior who gives righteousness and everlasting life.  

9. Advent is the liturgical season that prepares us for the birth and arrival of this Savior. He is the Son of God and Mary’s Firstborn Son who redeems us back to our Heavenly Father. We rejoice in this and praise Him for being our Gift of everlasting life.  Amen. 

10. Let us pray. O Lord, You are gracious, righteous and merciful; give us the spirit of joy in this world of sin and suffering so that we prepare for the celebration of Your birth with peacefulness and confidence.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.  

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

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VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.