A, Advent 3 - Matthew 11:2-11 "The Coming One"
Picture John the Baptist sitting in prison. He’s probably not the kind of man who likes being locked up. After all, he lived in the wild yonder eating locusts and wild honey. He was completely free to roam the countryside in his camel hair clothes and leather belt.
And as he sat in gaol, he hears of this man whom he baptised in the
Literally, John gets his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the ‘Coming One’?” Another term for the Messiah or Anointed One. It seems that Jesus’ ministry is not happening in the way John expected, and coupled with his imprisonment which separated him from witnessing Jesus ministry, perhaps doubt began to overtake him in the solitude of prison.
Jesus sends John’s men back with a list of his happenings and a stern warning for the imprisoned Baptiser. First Jesus commands them to report the blind receiving sight, lame walking, lepers cured, the deaf hearing, dead people being raised, and the Good News being preached to the poor. A firm caution to John who may be having doubts then follows …blessed is the one who is not offended by me. (Matthew 11:6)
Is John stumbling due to his imprisonment at the hand of Herod? Is John falling away on account of Jesus; because of his seemingly powerless coming without any such baptisms of the Holy Spirit or fire, as he had earlier prophesied while baptising in the
What we do know, is when John’s disciples left to report what they heard and saw, Jesus spoke of John to the crowd saying, “What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’” (Matthew 11:9-10)
In fact John was the last of a long line of prophets. Like Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, he was the last, concluding the work of all the prophet. John the Baptist was the final seer; he was the last fore light before the dawn of a new era in God’s Almighty plan of salvation for humanity.
Prophets foresaw what was to happen, and they were given powers of discernment amongst those whom they were called to serve. But often they received little reward for doing so. In fact, many of the prophets were persecuted for proclaiming the truth that God allowed them to see and proclaim. But rarely did they ever see the reality of their prophecies.
James encourages us to endure and stand firm like the prophets as we too wait for Jesus’ coming. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. (James 5:8-11a)
And so Jesus also calls John to stand firm in he who is the Coming One and endure his hardship in prison as he goes on to testify to the crowd, Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 11:11-15)
Why is this so? How is it that John is the greatest, but yet the least in the kingdom of heaven are greater? What is this Jesus saying in this riddle?
John is privileged to be the final prophet; he is the one who actually sees the Messiah about whom all the prophets had proclaimed. However, like all who went before him he died without seeing Christ’s act salvation. In fact, John’s death was quite anticlimactic, having had his head chopped off by the whim of Herod to save face in front of his household. His body was quietly buried by his disciples, before they went and told Jesus, just prior to Jesus feeding the five thousand and walking on water.
Alternatively, unlike John and the many prophets before him, those who are the least are greater, because of Jesus’ baptism into his three year ministry by John at the
We are greater because we live post-resurrection in hope of our resurrection, because Christ has baptised us into his baptism, his death, and his resurrection with the Holy Spirit and with the fire of his hellish death at the cross.
Because of Jesus, you who are the weakest and the poor (and that’s all of us because of sin) have heard the Word made Flesh and are receive the benefits of his life and death, standing firm in perseverance as did the prophets of yesteryear.
We are blessed because we hear and believe the works of Christ, we are freed from death and will be raised to life, the Word is loosing our ears from deafness. We are being eternally cured not just from leprosy and ill health, but from sin. Not only are we being healed from lameness, but we can boldly stand firm despite persecution.
And because we live baptised post crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost we are better seers than any of the prophets as a result of faith. The Coming One has come and done what he was sent to do. We have the witness of this in the word and because of our baptism into Christ’s baptism, death, and resurrection we too are witnesses, by the power of the Holy Spirit who gives us faith. Because of faith we who are weaker and poorer than John and the prophets are great in the
This is why the Prophet Isaiah said, …the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to
Jesus is the Coming One. He is the Way of Holiness. His forgiveness is won at the cross for you. It’s lived through hearing the Word, through Baptism, and through the body and blood given and shed for you. In these things you are made holy through Jesus’ way, with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Amen.
Blessed is the person who does not fall away on account of Jesus, who is coming again to judge the living and the dead. Amen.
