Sunday December 12, 2010 Matthew 11: 2-11

Advent: the coming or arrival of something extremely important, approach, coming. This is the definition of Advent that I found. We use the definition; waiting. We are waiting for something extremely important. It occurs during the darkest time of the year for us, December, with the shortest days. This is symbolic because into that darkness comes a great light; the birth of a child. The people of Israel were waiting for something extremely important too. They were waiting for the Messiah, their King, who would free them from oppression, subdue their enemies and eventually rule the known world with them. They had been waiting for this for hundreds of years; a word from God that this was that man, that Messiah, that Anointed One. And yet, God was silent. A Messiah hadn’t come to save them. The Romans now ruled them after years of other empires being their overlords. When would God hear their cries and rescue them like He had from Egypt; like he had, sort of, from Babylon? When they returned from Babylon they thought this was it, God was now freeing them from exile. But, they returned to ruin, no king of their own and oppression in their own land. When would God hear them and act? They had the Torah that God had given them. It instructed them on how to live within Gods community and they tried to follow it precisely. But yet, no matter how carefully they followed it, no Messiah came.
One day a man came from the wilderness to the river Jordan. He was dressed like some of their old prophets, especially Elijah. He lived on bugs and honey. He spoke words that God’s kingdom was finally coming and they needed to get ready for it. To do this they needed to repent, turn, from their old ways of relating to God and start in a new direction. He told them they needed to be baptized in that river. This was foreign to them as Jews weren’t baptized, only gentiles wishing to join their Jewish community were. But they did it; it seemed right and good to do. There was a feeling in the air, something was happening, but what? This prophet named John pointed to a coming man who would be great, even greater than he. John identified this man as Jesus who was bringing God’s Kingdom to them. If a man was bringing the Kingdom of God to them he must be the Messiah they had been waiting for. The people listened to Jesus’ teaching, followed him throughout the land and watched him heal people. They couldn’t figure out if he was the Messiah or not. He seemed like the Messiah but he wasn’t doing what they had expected of their Messiah. If their Messiah was to raise up an army to fight against their oppression when would he start? This man spoke of servanthood. This man ate with the worst sinners in the land, what Messiah would do that? Why eat with the worst when he could live with the best. And so there is confusion; is he or isn’t he.
John had introduced this man as God’s chosen one but John was now sitting in Herod’s prison. John waited. John began to have doubts.

V2 John sent his disciples to Jesus after hearing what Jesus was doing.

V3 Are you the one who is to come? Are you the Messiah we have waited hundreds of years for? Maybe we need to wait for someone else. After all if you are the long awaited for Messiah why am I in prison? Why hasn’t the revolution started?

V4-5 Jesus responded to the disciples of John by telling them to return to John and tell him what they have heard and seen Jesus do. The blind, the lame, the lepers and the deaf are being healed. The poor are having good news brought to them. In other words “remember John what the prophet Isaiah said would happen when Messiah came? Remember Isaiah 35:4-6? This is happening now through me.”

V6 Jesus then added “blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” Jesus is saying to John using other words “think it through John; you know the scriptures as well as me. You know what the prophets told of. However, I may not act like everyone was expecting me to. That doesn’t mean I am not the Messiah. I am doing the Messianic works but my mission is different from what everyone expected.”

V7 The disciples of John left to take this message back to John. Jesus then spoke to the crowds who had been listening to this exchange. What had they gone into the wilderness at the Jordan to see? “A reed shaken by the wind?” Their money had images of reeds on it because they couldn’t put people on the coins. Who minted the money: the Herod’s. Did you go out to the Jordan to see wealth?

V8 “Did you go out to see someone dressed in soft robes?” The ruling class dressed in the softest robes. Did you go out to the Jordan to see and become a part of the ruling class, the powerful? Remember, John wasn’t dressed in soft robes.

V9 “What then did you go out there for?” You went to see a prophet. You went to hear God speak through this prophet. But, John is more than a prophet. A prophet spoke of the people breaking their covenant with God. John was introducing the Messiah.

V10 Remember what the prophet Malachi spoke of? (Mal 3:1) God would send a messenger before the Messiah to prepare the people for his arrival? Remember Malachi spoke of Elijah coming before the Messiah. Think about it; was not John reminiscent of Elijah? Did he not dress as Elijah had and speak like a prophet?

V11 Jesus remarked John’s mission was greater than a prophet. “He was announcing the fulfillment of your long awaited dream; Messiah is coming! What the scriptures have pointed to is finally here! But John is still in the tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) and what is coming is so new, so radical that even the least in this new kingdom is greater than John.” John was the close of the Old Testament way of relating to God. Jesus brought in a new understanding of God and restored the broken relationship with Him. We in this New Kingdom are greater than John not because of our merits but because we have had the opportunity to know Jesus, to follow Him and listen to His teaching.

We are called to a decision; was Jesus the Messiah or wasn’t he? Even John the Baptist wrestled with this. He seems to be but He isn’t acting like we expected Him to. We are in a time of waiting and contemplating but we need to decide. We can only sit on the fence for so long before we have to get off on one side or the other. Which side are you getting off on? Was the child laying in that manger the Messiah or not?