Mid-Week Advent, Wednesday, 7 PM Central Standard
Pastor Gregory Jackson
The Hymn #81 Gerhardt O Jesus, Christ, Thy Manger Is
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm 100 p. 144
The Lection - Matthew 11:2-10
The Sermon Hymn #63 On Jordan's Bank
Go and shew John again those things
which ye do hear and see.
The Prayers and Lord’s Prayer p. 44
The Collect for Peace p. 45
The Benediction p. 45
The Hymn #552 Abide with Me
Go and shew John again those things
which ye do hear and see.
TEXT: Matthew 11:2-10. 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their 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, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
This episode seems to confuse people about Jesus and John the Baptist. Naturally, the self-identifying historians want to make up all kinds of stories. I recall my first New Testament professor saying, "John the Baptist was far more popular than Jesus. John was the famous one."
That was like saying water is wet and the desert is hot. John the Baptist was the voice crying in the wilderness, Isaiah 40. That passage was especially powerful because it was known for many centuries, very clear, and coming from the most important prophet. During that interval, Israel had changed from a kingdom to a vassal state ruled by the Roman Empire, which had been almost nothing when Isaiah wrote his book through the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah was very ancient compared to the empires we know from our books and documentaries. The wait for the Messiah began at Genesis 3:15 and continued in the Old Testament books. John knew he was appointed to the "voice crying in the wilderness (desert)." People followed him to hear the exciting news, but Herod Antipas had him arrested and doomed to die.
Sending his disciples to Jesus did not mean he was uncertain of the Messiah. After all, he baptized Jesus, who seemed to be a nobody at that time. John's imprisonment meant he was that much more a hero or threat.
Clearly, John sent his disciples to Jesus so they could identify with the Messiah and know His mission. They had to have faith in Jesus and part with their teacher John. That was a foreshadowing of Jesus being arrested as a threat, causing great anguish.
Jesus gave them a command that would not surprise John but would teach those disciples.
"Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their 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, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
Believe it or not, many modernists want to erase this quotation and say Jesus did not identify as the Messiah. They see their own timid image in the mirror and cannot comprehend Jesus as the Son of God, Savior, Good Shepherd. But Jesus is exactly who He is, as the Father knows, and nothing changes that, no matter what we might think, imagine, or reject.
Jesus did not tell the Johannine disciples those words to help John, although it probably strengthened the prophet. Jesus, in revealing Himself, supported the role of the One Crying in the Wilderness. It had to happen, 7 centuries predicted beforehand.
The year is roughly 1300 AD. What was happening then, whether in America or Europe or Asia? We can hardly imagine or guess. That was how long people waited for Isaiah 40 to be fulfilled.
Jesus also assured the crowds -
"7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? [No!] 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? [No!] behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. [True.] 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. [The great and final prophet before the Messiah.] 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee."
Jesus was preparing the crowds, because some of them would believe in Him and continue to trust in Him. We can only imagine how the crowds grew around him, because the Gospels give us only a glimpse of these miracles and sermons in three years. At the same time, there was great dread among the Roman rulers and the Jewish opponents.
Turmoil made the earliest Christians flee for safety, which spread the Gospel miraculously.
This is all for us to enjoy the Savior's forgiveness and grace, His kindly attitude toward us, and His protection of us.
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