Our Gospel passage finds John the Baptist in prison. How did he get there? He had publicly condemned the adultery of Herod Antipas. Herod, the governor of Transjordan, was not amused by this rebuke. The ruler arrested John and threw him into a dungeon. This pit was located beneath the city of Macheras, a mountain fortress near the Dead Sea. There, John languished, though his disciples could visit him from time to time. John's next action puzzles some people. Matthew 11:2 says, "And when John heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" On this Third Sunday in Advent let's explore John's question to Jesus, and Jesus' response to John.
Two disciples of John the Baptist make the 100-mile trek from southern Transjordan to Galilee to get an audience with Jesus, and pose a question: "Are you the Coming One, or is it somebody else?" Are you the One our Master John has been promising would come? He thought you were the Coming One when he baptized you in the Jordan. We all saw the hovering dove, and we heard the voice from heaven. It seemed to us that you were the one promised by the prophets, but now John is unsure, and we are too. He is chained in Macheras, suffering doubts. Are You really the Messiah? Or is it somebody else?"
John's question reassures us that if this great prophet has questions, it's all right for us to have questions. We need to be honest when we encounter situations that tax our faith or understanding. Never be embarrassed when asking a sincere and respectful question. Do you have a question about discipleship; about some passage of Scripture or some difficult doctrine? Make that call. Raise that hand. Write that email. To live is to discover, and no one learns without raising questions.
On the other hand, there are times to refrain from asking questions. Our queries have the potential to lead others astray. Jesus mildly rebukes John for his question. Why? John couldn't see the fulfillment of Scripture in the ministry of Jesus. And if John continues to question the reality of God's activity in Jesus' ministry, he will stumble in his faith. Not only that, John will lead his own disciples astray, and injure the faith of the crowds who respected John as God's prophet.
Why would John doubt that Jesus was the Coming One? In his preaching John predicted that this Christ would baptize the repentant with the Holy Spirit, and He would baptize the wicked with fire (Matthew 3:11). Fire baptism was a symbol of judgment. Moreover, the Messiah, according to John's preaching, would separate the wheat from the chaff. The wheat He would gather into His barns, and the chaff He would burn up (3:12). The ax was even now laid to the root of the fruitless trees. The tree that did not bear good fruit the Coming One would cut down and destroy. In other words, John couldn't see the fan in the hand of Jesus, nor the ax; he couldn't yet see the judgment. "Jesus, I preached that you would swing the fan and chop with the ax. Where is the swinging of your fan? Where are the crashing blows of your ax?"
Was John wrong? Was Jesus never to pick up a fan or wield an ax? No. Jesus would do it, but only at the Last Day. Furthermore, John proclaimed that the Coming One, the Lamb of God, would take away the sin of the world (John 1). This was still unclear to John because Jesus had yet to die on the cross. The failure of Jesus to fulfill these predictions must have vexed the great prophet.
John was no reed shaken by the wind. He was no pampered pleasure-seeker living in kings' palaces. Jesus called him the greatest of all the prophets. All that is true, but John was still dealing with his sin nature. The aftereffects of man's fall into sin are profound. The drudgery of the dungeon buffeted John; the fear of death gripped him; trials and tribulations discouraged him; the devil oppressed him. So it appears that John became impatient for God's Kingdom. If Jesus was the Messiah, why didn't He unleash an Elijah-like wrath on the oppressive rulers? Why didn't He call down fire from Heaven and ignite a burning baptism on evildoers? If He would hurry up and usher in the Kingdom maybe I would get free of this dark dungeon? These were possibly the thoughts that nettled John's nerves.
Like John the Baptist of old, people today come to the Lord with a questioning heart. They are looking for an answer, searching for some kind of rest for their souls. Why? They may be in a marriage that is falling apart. They may have lost a loved one. They may be a parent with a difficult child. They may be facing a crisis at work. These are the people that may question the Lord's control of life. They are seeking some kind of resolution in their heart to a big question in their lives. They have no answer. They may even doubt that God has an answer. What they need is rest and assurance.
I just learned about an old friend from high school. He and I were in the same youth group and graduated from high school the same year. He became a well-known youth pastor for twenty years. Then his wife left him and accused him of molesting his own children. For protective reasons a judge jailed him while awaiting trial. He was there for six months. A violent prison incident left him with a broken arm. News went out in the newspapers, on the radio, and over the internet that he was a child-molester. It was even mentioned at a national youth conference. Just weeks ago the judge and jury concluded the charges were completely bogus, and the evidence nil. John was found innocent and released. Apparently, his wife accused him of this in order to get custody of the children. My high school friend's reputation is ruined and he carries numbing debt due to lawyer bills. He has forgiven the people who accused him, and just got a job teaching karate. So thank God, he is on the way to getting his life back in order.
On a CD I listened to he tells about his birthday in jail. He sat on the top bunk of a triple level bed in a crowded jail-cell with a broken arm, and he sang "Happy Birthday" to himself. At this dark hour of hopelessness my friend wanted to understand God's will and wisdom. It was God's Word that helped. The Bible assured him that God is in control. The ways of the Lord are wise, and we can trust Him even in the most difficult circumstances.
Jesus sent a message to John the Baptist: "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see 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. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (Matthew 11:4-6).
This reference to the blind, the lame, the lepers, and the deaf comes from Isaiah 35, our Old Testament passage. Isaiah 35 paints a portrait of the messianic age. Once the Lord appears, great changes will ensue: the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. Zion, that is, the Church, will be purified, as all nations stream to her in joy. Tyrannous leaders will be subdued as righteousness reigns. And then, Isaiah foretells the restoration of the people when the Messiah comes: "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. The lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing" (Is. 35:5-6). Jesus answers, "Go tell John the blind see, the lame walk, and the deaf hear." In other words, the first stage of the messianic kingdom is under way. Physical healings are happening left and right. "Go tell him. Let him be satisfied with these signs and miracles." So John's disciples set off on their 100-mile return trip to the prison cell where John lay in chains.
What about all the other expectations of John? What about the winnowing fan, and the ax? Were these false teachings John gave? No. Jesus was (and is) the Messiah! He is the Savior and Judge of the world! He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. At His First Advent He set His kingdom in motion. His Spirit has been working, and is working today, through the Church, to extend the kingdom across the face of the earth. At His Second Advent the Lord Christ will come again as the dreadful Judge of mankind. He will baptize with fire. He will execute the Last Judgment. He will lay the ax to the root of the trees that do not bear good fruit. He will take up the fan and winnow His wheat in the blasting wind. His wheat He will gather into the barns; the chaff He will separate and burn up with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:10-12).
John didn't understand God's agenda between the First and Second Advents. He never saw the cross of Christ. He was murdered in prison. His head was cut off and delivered to King Herod on a wooden platter. He never got the chance to hear the Lord's teaching after the resurrection. Jesus explained that His kingdom would grow through evangelism. The judgment part would come at the very end of time after the nations were successfully baptized and discipled. John didn't have the knowledge of these kingdom principles. His life was snuffed out too early. In a way, we today have a greater spiritual heritage than John because we have come to know the finished work of Christ on the cross.
What are some other lessons from this episode in John's life?
The Bible teaches us that prisoners should be the Church's concern. John's followers visited him while he was incarcerated, and Jesus tells us to do the same in Matthew 25:36. Joseph, Jeremiah and St. Paul spent time in confinement. Jesus tells us that visiting prisoners is on a par with feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and visiting the sick. Let's pray for those involved in prison ministries. The jail environment can be brutal. Homosexual rape is a common practice; a vicious act that can destroy a person. We should support efforts to reduce such barbarity, and evangelize the prisoners.
What else can we say about John the Baptist? Does his doubt disqualify him as a good example? No! "Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist." Why did Jesus give him that title? Certainly John's discipline had something to do with it. He trained in the hardness of the wilderness. He lived a life of Spartan simplicity. He prayed in solitude, studied with diligence, and preached with power. It is true that one can romanticize asceticism and overdo it. But to ignore self-discipline altogether is a greater error. In ages past, the season of Advent was observed as a penitential season. Its purple stood for the self-reproach of believers as they prepared their hearts for the coming King. The season of Advent has long lost its sackcloth and ashes, but the Church still calls us to prepare for the Lord's coming with self-examination and repentance.
Christmas cheer is beautiful. The commercialism is wonderful too. The Wise Men were the first ones to buy presents on Christmas. But beware: you're more prone to sin in an environment of abundance. The spiritual dangers are greater. It's too easy to forget about God. John the Baptist's model calls you to maintain self-denial in your spiritual exercises. Don't slack off on church attendance. That is where you get fellowship and the spiritual nourishment of the Lord's Supper. Keep up your prayer time, Bible reading and meditation, and service to others. God teaches you good things in suffering. The difficult situations of life have a purpose because God is in control and He is good.
The message on this Third Sunday in Advent has to do with John the Baptist. He encourages us to work on our discipline and self-denial. He also reminds us that Jesus will return one day as Judge. That was the message he preached. Are you prepared to stand before the Judge at the Great White Throne Judgment as He lays the ax to the root of the trees that bear no fruit, and waves his winnowing fan, separating the wheat from the chaff? If you have faith in Christ's sacrifice, your sins are forgiven. You are covered by His perfect righteousness, and in gratitude for God's grace in Christ, you are bearing good fruit in your life. If you lack faith in the Lord Jesus, that makes you a tree without fruit, chaff among the wheat. You will come out badly on Judgment Day. Ask God now to grant you His grace and saving faith in Christ.
Let us pray. [See the collect for the Third Sunday in Advent.]
O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
