"Behold, The Coming One!" Matthew 11:2-11

Gaudete, The Third Sunday In Advent               11-December-2022
Sermon Text: Matthew 11:2-11
Sermon Theme: Behold The Coming One! by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. Philippians 4:4-5 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (5) Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” St. Paul writes these words from a prison cell in Rome. It would be his final imprisonment. Soon Nero would order his execution vainly trying to silence the voice of Paul by beheading him. Paul’s voice still echos in our ears today, the words of Nero have long been forgotten. Yet it isn’t Paul’s voice that we hear, but Christ’s voice through him. The apostle confessed that he was a “servant of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God.” A faithful steward pastor doesn’t preach himself, but determines to know nothing among you but Christ Jesus crucified, risen, ruling, present, and coming again for you!
      Jesus preaches, Matthew 11:12-15 GW From the time of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people have been seizing it. (13) All the Prophets and Moses' Teachings prophesied up to the time of John. (14) If you are willing to accept their message, John is the Elijah who was to come. (15) Let the person who has ears listen!” Dr. Martin Luther summarizes our Lord’s teaching writing, “The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also. “ The Kingdom of God forcefully advances tearing down Satan’s cage of darkness, lies, slavery to sin, and the fear of death. It comes in the whisper of Christ Jesus speaking His Word within His Church. “God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.”
      The new Elijah is imprisoned. The one voice crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” has been locked away. The voice calling all, even King Herod, to repentance - to turn from pet sins and be washed forgiven in the blood of the Lamb of God - the only Sin-bearing and sacrifice - is now far from baptizing waters locked in the desert fortress dungeon near the Dead Sea. King Herod will call for John for entertainment, but he won’t listen to his preaching. Soon Herod will silence John’s voice by beheading him - but John’s preaching cannot be stopped - it rings in our ears through Christ’s Church through all ages. It rattles the dry bones of your ear drums today. Listen to John’s final sermon - “Behold, The Coming One!”
            Isa 40:6-7 The voice said, "Cry out!" And he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. (7) The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.” Death awaits. Sinners die - justice demands it. Lawbreakers die. Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—“ Deceive yourself that you aren’t a sinner - your deception ends at your grave. Where is hope found? (Vs.2-3) The outlook is dire for John the baptizer. Multitudes had flocked to hear him preach in the wilderness. Confessing their sins he poured baptismal water over them sprinkling them forgiven in Christ to live a new life by the power of God the Holy Spirit - The Comforter - The Strengthener. John had seen it. The heavens torn open. The Holy Spirit descending and remaining upon Jesus. He heard the Father speak, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” Forty days later he would preach to his students, “Joh 1:29 , "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Two of his disciples listened, left preacher John to follow Jesus.
      Does John now doubt Jesus? He had been filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. Leaping for joy in the womb of his mother Elizabeth’s womb as a six month old fetus - he rejoices in the Lord - present in the blessed womb of the Virgin Mary. Does he now doubt? He had tried to prevent his cousin Jesus from being baptized, but his Lord told him that it was necessary for them to fulfill all righteousness. The One who would baptize by the Holy Spirit within His Church and with fire on judgment day - stood before him. Does his faith now falter? Or is John like us, like St. Paul, living life under the cross - we don’t see the “Coming One” according to our own reason or strength. Paul had his thorn in the flesh - what does he do - he seeks the Lord Jesus - prays to have it removed - instead of removing it our Lord speaks His Word - 2Co 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
      John the baptizer preaches to you - in your weakness - in your prisons - send word to Jesus - ask Him in prayer, ‘Are you the Coming One?” Then listen to Him - (vs.4-6) Where is Jesus found? Preaching! He comes in His flesh and blood, and by His Spirit as two or three gather around His doctrine to hear His Word, receiving His healing forgiveness, and calling upon in prayer. Take heart John! Listen to His Word - “I baptize you!” “I forgive you!” “I make you a new creation!” “I teach you to pray!” “I feast you on my living flesh and blood!” “I am with you always!” Where is Jesus found? Among the blind stumbling, the lame limping, the leprous rotting, the deaf, and the dead unable to save themselves. He is here among us sinners - bringing us life from outside of ourselves - comforting, comforting us under His cross - our warfare is over! Our iniquity is pardoned - our bill has been nailed to the cross in the innocent flesh and blood of Jesus. Peace proclaimed! “Christ is Risen!” ‘He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Sinners receive triple gifts in His living flesh and blood - forgiveness, life, and salvation! Hear! And then see with new eyes - Hear the gospel - it is for you! The poor who have nothing to offer - but simply cling to His cross!
    Learn from John in your dungeons of despair - not to take offense at Jesus. Don’t look for Him in other fellow sinners in your congregation - see Him in His Word. Then see your fellow sinners through His Word as your forgiven brothers and sisters in Christ. Don’t allow Satan to rob you of the comfort of Christ’s Word and gathering together within His Church to receive daily and rich forgiveness the Comforter - the Holy Spirit gives to you and all believers in Jesus.
  Don’t take offense at the poor miserable preachers King Jesus sends you as heralds of His cross! (Vs.7-10) The multitudes ran to the wilderness to hear John - why? He didn’t preach what they wanted to hear - He was no reed preaching to their felt needs. Clothed in rough dirty garments - He wasn’t trying to influence kings and win friends. He was a prophet! More than that - he is the last prophet. We could say, ‘There is no God, but Jesus and John the Baptizer is His prophet!” He is the one of whom the Holy Spirit testified through the prophet Malachi - the messenger - preparing the way of the Coming One!
  Dear fellow poor miserable sinners - pastors are sent from Christ Jesus by God the Holy Spirit calling through the local congregation. Like John - they must decrease and Christ Jesus must increase. Like Paul they determine to know nothing among you but Christ Jesus crucified for your sins and raised again that you might “be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.” Jesus is the Coming One - He comes to you - speaking His Word - baptizing, forgiving, teaching, comforting, admonishing you - through His called and ordained servants of His Word. Stewards of the mysteries of baptismal regeneration, feast of forgiveness, and the comforting words of absolution - forgiveness poured, fed, spoken. Jesus comes in His Church, in His Word - here and now. Among you - today! (Vs11) He is here to make you greater than John - He births you from above - John is the greatest born of woman, you are born of water and the Holy Spirit baptized in His death and resurrection. He comes for you!
    A Lutheran writer well summarized this the other day in a brief article entitled: “Whispering “Joy to the World”
Hard as it is to believe, though our world is shattered by evil, imploding by the second, Jesus is glad he came into our world. To us who need him. To us who whisper Joy to the World through tears. To us who cling like castaways to any scrap of hope still floating in our shipwrecked lives.
We say, “I can’t go on.”
Jesus says, “I will hold you so you can.”
We say, “But I don’t think I can even believe that.”
Jesus says, “Even when you are faithless, I will be faithful to you.”
We say, “But I feel so alone.”
Jesus says, “I am Emmanuel, God-with-you, God-never-leaving-your-side.”
We say, “But what’s the point? My life is over.”
Jesus says, “I am your life. And I am never over.”
We say, “But look at what I’ve done. I’m dirty.”
Jesus says, “Look at what I’ve done for you. I have taken your dirt and smeared it all over me. You are clean, I am filthy. See me dirty on the cross. See you clean beneath it.”
We say, “Nobody wants me.”
Jesus says, “I want you—desperately, lovingly, crazily, I want you.”
He does. No one twisted Jesus’s arm to make him enter Mary’s womb. No one tricked him into being born into a world strung out on the meth of sin. He came in with his eyes wide open. And his heart too. A wide-open heart big enough to hold the whole world.” (Chad Bird)
      Listen to John the Preacher: Joh 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Philippians 4:4-5 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (5) Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”