Advent 3
Mt
11:2-10
12/13/15
“How can this be?” On June, 7 1942 as the Japanese Navy was
sailing back to Japan, this is what they were asking themselves. The unthinkable had just happened. The Japanese had suffered a devastating
defeat at the Battle of Midway.
For the Japanese, World War II had
begun as a string of amazing successes.
The surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 was a stunning victory.
They had quickly conquered Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines and
the supposedly impregnable British stronghold of Singapore in as victory
followed victory. Japan had achieved all
of its initial goals and at the beginning of 1942 the commanders began to plan
the next move.
Looking back, the Japanese coined a
term to describe their outlook. The
called it “victory disease.” They had
achieve so much success so quickly, that they considered victory to be
inevitable. They overestimated their
power and underestimated the Americans.
The American aircraft carriers had
been out to sea when the Pearl Harbor attack occurred and had escaped. They had
proven to be a continuing threat. Admiral
Yamamoto’s plan was to force them to meet him in battle by attacking Midway Island. There, his superior numbers would allow him
to annihilate the American carriers.
Yamamoto believed that he would
outnumber the Americans four to two in aircraft carriers since the U.S.S.
Yorktown had just been severely damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea in the
beginning of May. But the Japanese were
mistaken on two accounts. First, the Americans worked around the clock and were
able to repair the Yorktown so that it was ready for action.
And second, the Americans knew that
the Japanese were coming. American
intelligence had cracked the Japanese naval code, and they knew that Midway was
the target. When the Japanese arrived,
the American aircraft carriers were already in position and ready to
strike. In the ensuing battle all four
Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk – four of the six that had launched the
Pearl Harbor attack. It was what
military historian John Keegan has called, "the most stunning and decisive
blow in the history of naval warfare.” The Japanese could only ask, “How can
this be?”
In our Gospel lesson this morning,
John the Baptist sits in prison and is asking the same question: “How can this
be?” Nothing about his ministry was
going as he expected it to – which is very troubling when you know for certain that you are a prophet
sent by God. Things were not happening
as they were supposed to, and so John sent a question to Jesus by means of his
disciples. He asked, “Are you the one
who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
John the Baptist’s ministry had gotten
off to an impressive start. Would you
expect anything less? After all, he was
the “prophesied prophet.” He was the
prophet that other prophets had foretold.
We hear one of those prophecies in our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah
chapter 40. As Matthew tells us: “In
those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he who was spoken of by the
prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:‘Prepare
the way of the Lord;
make his paths
straight.’”
John was hard to miss – he dressed
like Elijah as he wore camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waste. He dwelt in the wilderness and lived off the land
as he ate locusts and wild honey. People
were looking for God to act. His action
in the Old Testament was associated with the wilderness. And so they flocked
out to hear John’s message and receive his baptism. Matthew tells us, “Then Jerusalem and all
Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”
Even the Pharisees
and the Sadducees came to check him out.
John’s message was clear. He called all to repentance because God was about to act. And John left no doubt
about what this action would be. He
said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me
is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will
clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he
will burn with unquenchable fire.” John
declared that God was sending the one who would bring the judgment of the Last
Day.
This coming one had arrived. And much to his surprise, Jesus asked to receive John’s baptism. John wanted to prevent this. He said, “I need to be baptized by you, and
do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is
fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” And so John baptized him.
Now, Jesus had begun his
ministry. John was hearing reports that
Jesus was doing amazing things. But he hadn’t brought God’s judgment against
sin. He hadn’t brought the Last Day. And this fact pressed in on John because of
where John the Baptist now found himself. John had spoken out against King Herod Antipas
because he had taken his brother’s wife to be his own. So Herod Antipas showed John who was king. He had John thrown in prison.
John asked himself, “How can this
be?” It didn’t make sense. And so John sent a question to Jesus via his
disciples. It was the only question that
mattered for John. He asked, “Are you the coming One, or should we look for
another?”
John’s question is just as relevant
today as it was two thousand years ago. The
question he asks is the same one – if we are honest – that we wonder about. We are getting ready to celebrate
Christmas. We will celebrate that the
Son of God entered into our world in the incarnation.
But it’s easy to wonder, “What
difference has it made?” Sin is still
here. It’s present in our lives as we
hurt others. It’s present all around
us. It still causes people to get cancer
and die. It still causes violence and
murders and wars. What’s more the Gospel isn’t believed by so many people. It’s rejected by people we know – by people
who are our friends; by people who are our own family.
“Are you the coming One, or should
we look for another?” That’s the
question John asked. Jesus replied, “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.”
Jesus pointed to the miracles that
he was doing in his ministry. Yet he did
so in a very special way. He used language from Isaiah chapters 35 and
61 – language that described God’s end
time salvation. Jesus’ answer is a
resounding, “Yes!” He leaves no
doubt. But then he adds, “And blessed is
the one who is not offended by me.”
Jesus says to you, “I am your Savior
… if you are not offended by me.” Our
Lord puts us on notice that he is doing things in ways we do not expect … and
frankly don’t want. We will see this
already at Christmas. God’s answer to
the enormity of sin and evil in the world is a baby lying in a feeding trough
for animals. But at least that scene is
cute. Things only get worse because it turns out that his answer is a tortured
man dying on a cross. And things don’t get any better because he says the
answer is now the message about this crucified One – a message that people all
around you reject as dumb and stupid.
The answer is water and some words.
The answer is bread and wine on an altar.
Jesus declares that he is the
answer. And blessed is the one who is
not offended by him. He says this
because of what we have been hearing in our mid-week Advent readings. Jesus is the incarnate Son of God – true God
and true man. He was present bringing
the reign of God in his ministry through his message and miracles.
Yes, the cross looked like
foolishness. But that’s because God chose to make the world’s wisdom foolish. St.
Paul told the Corinthians: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not
know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to
save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we
preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but
to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of
God is stronger than men.”
The confirmation of this fact
occurred in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his resurrection Jesus
defeated sin’s most powerful outcome – death.
By Jesus’ death, your sins have been forgiven. By Jesus’ resurrection, your resurrection and
transformation has already started.
Jesus says to you, “I am your Savior
… if you are not offended by me.” Jesus was mighty in the midst of
humility. He was powerful in the midst
of rejection. His resurrection and
ascension demonstrated this was true.
Now his saving work is mighty in the midst of humility. His Gospel is powerful in the midst of
rejection.
There is no doubt that Jesus’ saving
work is humble. It occurs through a word
that is preached, when even people who claim to be members of his church don’t
bother to show up and hear it. It occurs
through water in a font, and bread and wine on an altar. But it is mighty for through these means the
death of the Son of God becomes yours.
Through these means you receive the ability to be in fellowship with the
Creator of the universe.
There is no doubt that his Gospel is
rejected. But it is powerful in that is
it giving eternal life to all who believe and trust in Jesus. And it is powerful because the rejection of
this Gospel brings eternal damnation.
Jesus says, “Blessed is the one who
not offended by me.” This includes now
the life that you live because of Jesus.
Our Lord’s might is now shown in your humility - in your willingness to
help and serve others because of Jesus.
You have faith in Jesus. Martin
Luther commented on our Gospel lesson that after trusting in Jesus you are to,
“think nothing else then to do to your neighbor as Christ has done to you, and
let all your works with all your life be directed to your neighbor. Look for the poor, sick and all kinds of
needy; help them, and let it be the practice of your life that they are
benefited by you, helping whoever needs you, as much as you possibly can with
your body, property and honor.”
Like faith itself, this too will
look foolish to the world. But the whole
of the Christian life is founded on the crucified and risen One. And it lives
in the confidence that Jesus is still the
coming One. John the Baptist was correct.
Jesus is the One who will clear his threshing floor, gather his wheat
into the barn, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. He is the One who will come in might and
irresistible power as he brings judgment upon all who have rejected him and
gives resurrection life in the new creation to all who have believed and
trusted in him. Blessed is the one who is
not offended by Jesus - blessed now, and for all eternity.
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