Advent 3 - Guadete - 12-14-08

The Church Season of Advent
Advent 3 – Gaudete
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI December 14, 2008

“A reed shaken by the wind”

Readings:
Is. 40:1–11
Psalm 85
1 Cor. 4:1-5
Matthew 11:2-11

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The text for today’s message is as recorded in the Gospel lesson from the 11th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses

Matthew 11:2-11 (NASB95)

2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” 7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! 9 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

So Far the Text

Jesus asks in our Gospel lesson if the people went out into the wilderness to see if John were like a reed shaken by the wind. Yet John, didn't bend to the prevailing breezes of his day in order to become more popular and to be well liked. John just preached the truth which God had given him to preach. But telling the truth does not always win friends, and when proclaiming the Lord it does include making enemies. John is calling it like he sees it and he does not live in luxury, but in obscurity. John wore the rough clothing of a camel skins, ate locusts and wild honey while calling out, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" That's how he prepared the way of the Lord Jesus, that is how he would make paths straight. He told people the truth about their sin and called them to turn from it. He did not mix words, nor was he mild mannered about his approach. John spoke in no uncertain terms to the people who came out to see him. He called them you, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father." And we are the vipers of today who still smile at each other when face to face, yet we strike with sharp fangs when we think no one is paying attention or listening. John the Baptist would not have been the pastor we would want or call to encourage new membership in our church, but John knew that people had to be confronted about the reality of their bondage to sin and their fallen condition. And if these people were looking to their good deeds of the past, present, and future, then they would not be ready for the One who was to come. John knew the Law is preached to sinners who are secure with themselves, the ones that know that they are better than everyone else. These people are the ones who are not yet ready for the Gospel, we deny we have met those people yet they are us.

We constantly hear the message of John, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." In hearing his words he still calls out to us today to turn away from our sin, to stop justifying it and to stop making excuses for it. We are helpless before God, despite our best efforts, yet we refuse to acknowledge it. We do so when we say, “don’t look at me I’m no sinner”, if those words are spoken or even thought then we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Our only hope is in this truth: Though the things of this world grow and die, “the grass withers and the flowers fades,” the only constant is, "the Word of our God endures forever."(Is. 40:8) and that Word is Jesus Christ.

This season of Advent we look forward to the Word, the Son of God, who has come into this world for us and who will return for us. Though Jesus was without sin, He took the curse of our sin into His own body and then He broke the curse, putting it to death on the cross. Even though the power of sin would drag us down to hell, the sin that condemns us, was completely destroyed and abolished on the cross at Calvary. Now, through faith in Jesus, we are released, we are free, we have been made holy. St. Peter writes, "You have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." All who have been baptized into Jesus, the Word made flesh, will live and abide forever in Him. Just as a lily dies in the winter but comes forth to life again from the bulb in the spring, so also you will rise again to an everlasting spring when Jesus returns.

Some may still wonder if John the Baptist was swaying in the wind when he asked if this man Jesus was Christ were the expected One to come, or should we look for someone else. Isn’t this the same John who leapt for joy while in his mother’s womb when Jesus’ mother drew near? How ironic it was that when John could not physically see he believed, but as he aged did something weaken? How could this John not now recognize his own cousin, why would he even have to ask whether Jesus was the promised one? Some may say it was not John who was doubting but it was those who were around him. Whether it was John or his disciples who doubted if Christ was the one, the question was still asked by those weakened in faith by their own sin.

We may wonder why John would do such a thing, why would he or others bend to the pressure of the winds of hot air from the people around him? Yet we, at this very moment ask this same question as we sit here impatiently on earth. Are you really the Christ who is going to save me or should I look for another. Our post-modern world offers us many suggestions which follow the winds which would blow us in many directions yet offer no lasting comfort. It may be in ten easy steps to more riches, or how to win friends and influence people, or it may be the fool hearty theory that there are many religions and many ways to a god. When we succumb to those thoughts we are not only shaken in the wind we gladly travel the twisted winding breezes which flow through this world. A world which seeks not the truth, but rather only defines truth by whatever you say it might be and that is not truth. But if you say to someone that their god is untruth, you will offend them.

But, Jesus says, "Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." And Jesus says to you, blessed are you who are not scandalized by My suffering on the cross. If we are offended when asked to repent then our indignity has convicted us, we are guilty as charged. The worldly winds have not only blown a sinful breeze to bend the reeds, those same winds bend and break our faith. We have the audacity to deny our sin, and then compound it by daring someone to say what we have done wrong, and whether we say it or think it, it is then that we have deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us.

But blessed are you who are not offended by your need to repent and to trust in Jesus alone to save you. Blessed are you who are just like John the Baptist or his disciples who have been swayed yet would still ultimately cling to and place your hope in Jesus Christ.

We wait here in this place wondering if Christ will ever get here. We are here together in the great Advent of our Lord, anticipating the second coming of Christ. We are here together awaiting the time to celebrate the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem. While the season of Christ’s birth is near, even more importantly, season of Christ’s return is near. His kingdom draws near to you, because the Christ, the King Himself is at hand. He is here for you today for Jesus Christ gives you His body and blood for you for the forgiveness of sins. Christ has done and will do all these things, He is our only comfort in our times of sorrow, loneliness, or need. And though the things of this world will blow us about and we will be shaken by the winds of our sin, Christ is not shaken, His path has been prepared and it comes straight for you, and one day you will no longer be shaken by the things of this world, for one day He will come again and your path will return straight to Him. AMEN

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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