A, The Third Sunday of Advent - Isaiah 35:8 "Way of Holiness"

“What then did you go out into the wilderness to see?  What then did you go out to see?  What then did you go out to see?”

Three times Jesus asks the crowd, “What did you go out to see?”  Was it a reed swaying in the wind of the wilderness?  No!  Was it a man in fine clothing?  No, you only find them in king’s houses!  Was it a prophet?  Yes, John the Baptist, dressed in camel’s hair clothing, living off wild honey and locusts!  What a strange, peculiar fellow!

Jesus asks the crowd these questions after John’s disciples take news back to John in prison.

They return after, “Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see:  the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.  And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’”  (Matthew 11:4–6 ESV)

In seeing and hearing Jesus, they heard and saw what was prophesied many years before.  Prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.  Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy”  (Isaiah 35:2c–6a ESV)

People had gone out into the wilderness to see, hear, and be baptised by John in preparation for Jesus’ coming.  Jesus points out that this event had been previously forecast and quotes from Malachi three verse one.  He says, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.” (Matthew 11:10 ESV) 

Not only does he proclaim John as messenger, but also that John is preparing the way for him, not only as Christ, as God’s Anointed, but that he actually is God, the Son of God.

Now hear the exact words from Malachi chapter three to see how Jesus reveals himself as one with the Lord God who is speaking through the prophet Malachi, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1 ESV)

God was sending a messenger to prepare the way of God, for God’s coming, and here Jesus says to the crowd, the way is now prepared for you, for my coming!  John the Baptist came proclaiming and preparing the way of God, God was now with them, both God and person in Jesus Christ.

This event, however, had come about through John sending his disciples to ask Jesus,  “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  (Matthew 11:3 ESV)

It sounds like John had doubts.  John was languishing in prison.  After John baptised Jesus, John’s ministry of preparation was complete.  Jesus had come and was now baptised into his ministry of death and resurrection. 

Jesus declares, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. ” (Matthew 11:11a ESV)  But now John was free to be less than the least in the kingdom.

If we think of John the Baptist as the greatest, born of women, it is quite amazing that he needs to ask if Jesus is the one who is to come.  After all, he is the most privileged among prophets.  He not only proclaimed Christ’s coming, but unlike all other prophets physically witnessed him.  And after refusing to baptise Jesus, arguing, “I need to be baptised by you”, John agrees to baptise him, fulfilling all righteousness.

But Jesus says, “ Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11b ESV)  What is this riddle that Jesus says?  John the Baptist, the greatest of all and most privileged of all prophets is less than the least in the kingdom of heaven!

What Jesus does in front of the crowd with John’s disciples is fascinating, he takes these men and sends them back to John with his word.  John’s disciples are now Jesus’ disciples witnessing to John the least in the kingdom of heaven.  And this needs to be so!  Jesus has to be the Saviour of all called into the kingdom of heaven!

One might think John was being foolish, enquiring if Jesus was the one or should they look for another!  Perhaps the crowd thought this too when John’s disciples came asking if Jesus was the one.  But what Jesus says and does is good news for the crowd and for us.

Why?  Because those in the crowd are the blind, the lepers, the dead, and the poor.  They are the least in the kingdom of heaven.  But they are greater than he whom they went out into the wilderness to see!

Why are they greater and what’s this to do with us?  And with you confirmees too, about to affirm what Jesus has done for you in baptism, and continues to do in you, through the Holy Spirit? 

And not just the confirmees, but all you who are least in the kingdom of heaven.  Who continue in the faith, daily returning to your baptism into Jesus’ righteousness!  Seeing and hearing the Word of God!  Seeing, hearing, eating and drinking Jesus’ body and blood!  Hearing and receiving the forgiveness of sin!

Like the crowd, Jesus asks you, “What then did you come to church to see?  What then did you come to see?  What then do you see?”

Like John the Baptist suffering in prison, we will leave this place to go out and see many turmoils and tribulations in this life.  What seems to be a foolish question by John the Baptist, we realise is the same folly that assails all of us.  All humanity from the greatest to the least are tempted to lose hope in Jesus Christ, from the wearing effects of sin within, and a world without hope.

But like John, when we’re tempted to question if Jesus is really the Christ, if he is really the Son of God, if he really died for my sins, if my sins are really that offensive to God, or if my sin really can be forgiven, we are called to look out of ourselves and see Jesus Christ! 

We are called to see him born in the wilderness of our world.  We are called to see him on the cross.  We are called to see him resurrected in glory at the right hand of the Father.  We are called to see him daily drowning the darkness within, with the light of his holiness shining the way so you and I do not go astray.

As you leave here and walk through the darkness of these days, follow Jesus on his road of righteousness.  The prophet Isaiah says, “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.” (Isaiah 35:8 ESV)

Many have departed this way and entered back into despair.  How can that be so,  if this way belongs to you and me?  Isaiah tells us, even if we’re fools, we cannot go astray from this Way of Holiness?

These are those who are rejecting the Holy Spirit.   The Holy Spirit keeps human beings from foolishly walking from the way of Holiness, the way of forgiveness, the way of salvation.  These are they who toss away God’s robes of righteousness in knowing Jesus, for robes of good and evil that make them once again unclean in spirit and in life.

But not you, when you patiently endure having your foolishness cleansed daily in the Way of Holiness, the Way of Jesus Christ, the way of perfect complete forgiveness!

Therefore, God’s call for all of us, recorded in the book of James, is one of perseverance and patience, “until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James 5:7–8 ESV)

Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28–29 ESV)

In these weary times the temptation is to go astray.  But let the Holy Spirit keep your eyes open, to see the right way!  The Way of Holiness, Jesus’ Holy Way!  Amen.