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Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
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Is This the Saviour |
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I
Corinthians 4:1, Matthew 11:2 Third
Sunday of Advent December
13, 2009 Advent
carries the meaning of waiting, of watching for the Messiah; looking for
the Saviour. Advent is a
season of anticipation. It is
a time to recognise the longing of the human race to be delivered, to be
rescued from the mess we have made of God's world, and of our own lives. On a more personal level, Advent is a time to recognise a
deeper longing, a longing to be delivered from the fear that attends the
realisation that we will one day stand before God's Infinite Perfection to
give an account for our sins. We
know we fall far short of perfection, yet we know it is the unyielding
standard by which we will be judged, and our hearts melt in fear that
reaches deep into the depths of our souls.
And so in Advent we long for the Saviour who alone can lift the
burden of guilt and fear from us, and enable us to live in hope, even
joyful anticipation, that when we pass from this troubled world we will
pass not into a world of deeper sorrow and pain, but into a world joy and
peace everlasting. Who
is this Saviour for whom we long? Is
it a person, such as Buddha or Karl Marx?
Is it mankind? Is it
Education? Science? Philosophy? Religion?
Is it Jesus of Nazareth? What
a terribly important question John the Baptist asks in our Gospel reading
for today. Are You the One,
Jesus? Are you the Saviour?
Are you able to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of setting
the world right again? Are
You able to accomplish that, which seems even more impossible; are You
able to make me right with God deep in my soul?
Can You relieve me of the burden of my sin that is crushing me down
to the depths of hell? This
is no mere academic question. This
is not merely a question for the halls of seminaries and universities.
This is not simply a question for learned discussions and
dissertations. This is a
question of life and death. This
is a question of Heaven and Hell. Eternity
hangs in the balance, for we desperately need a Saviour, and not just any
saviour, but the right Saviour. And
so John asks the question we all ask.
"Art thou he that should come, or do we look for
another?" (Mt. 11:3). "Art
thou he that should come?" On
the surface it looks doubtful. Like
the ancient Jews, we would expect God to come to us with Chariots of Fire
and Legions of Angels. We
would expect the earth to tremble and the stars to bow at His presence.
Instead, a child was born, not in the Palace in Rome, but in an
animal shed in Bethlehem. And
this child grew quietly in an obscure village, until He began a brief
preaching ministry, which at first drew great crowds, but ended in His
rejection and execution. Are
we really to believe this is the Saviour?
Are we really to believe His rejection and execution are actually
the means by which He saves us? Even
John the Baptist seems to have had his doubts.
And why not? At the
time of this event John was in prison.
Herod hated him because John told Herod the truth.
And John probably knew he was facing execution in the very near
future. John had made some very bold statements about Jesus in the
past. He had pointed Him out
as the Saviour, saying. "This is he of whom I spake" (Jn. 1:15).
"Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the
world" (Jn. 1:29). "I
saw and bare record that this is the Son of God" (Jn.1:34).
John had every reason to say these things.
He was the appointed forerunner of the Messiah.
He was the one sent to prepare the way, to call the people to
repent, for the Messiah and His Kingdom were at hand (Jn.1:21-23).
He had baptized Jesus. He
had seen the Holy Spirit, descend upon Jesus like a Dove.
He had seen the miracles of Christ, and heard His sermons.
He had the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit.
He was filled with the Spirit even in his mother's womb.
He was born to tell the world about Jesus.
Yet, in the filthy darkness and unspeakable horrors of the dungeon,
he questioned. Who wouldn't? He was about to die for his beliefs; he wanted to be sure
they were true. So he
asked, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for
another?" And
here is the response of Christ, "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" (Mt. 11:5).
There is a spiritual significance to each of these things.
The outward healings Jesus did were signs of the inward healing of
the soul which He would accomplish by His sacrificial death as the Lamb of
God. Raising the dead was a
symbol of giving life to souls that were dead in trespasses and sins, and
we have life in our souls only because Christ has quickened us, raised us
up, and healed the disease of sin that killed us in the first place. But
the point Jesus is making in Matthew 11 is that His works reveal His
identity. Jesus said in John
5:36 that His works bear witness of Him.
His works tell us who He is. Only
someone sent from God could do such wonders, as Nicodemus said in the
third chapter of John's Gospel. Jesus
also said the Old Testament testifies of Him and Moses wrote of Him (Jn.
5:39, 46). John had these
"witnesses" available to him.
He knew the Scriptures. He
saw the works and heard the words of Jesus.
Jesus is telling him to see them and believe.
He did. The
Epistle for today tells us that, as stewards of the mysteries of God, it
is required that ministers be found faithful.
John was found faithful. John proclaimed the Word of God to the
people. There was no
compromise, no attempt to change the message to please people, not even to
save his own life. I think
the movies have done John a disservice. They have caricatured him as an
oddball, shouting and screaming, angry at the Jewish people, almost glad
to consign them to everlasting damnation.
But I think the Bible presents a different picture of John.
I see a man who loves his people and is genuinely concerned for
their souls. His call to
repent is based on love, not hate. It
is not shouted in anger; it is whispered in love.
He was a steward of the mysteries of God in a unique way, for he
was called to prepare the way for the Messiah.
And He was found faithful. Would
that all who take up the mantle as stewards of the mysteries of God would
be as faithful as John. But
the message of today's readings is not for John alone, nor even for
ministers alone. Jesus urges
everyone to have the faith and faithfulness of John, saying, "He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Mt. 11:15).
Look at the signs, He is saying.
Look at the works Jesus did among us, in time, in history, in flesh
and blood. Search the
Scriptures. Incline your
heart to understanding. Open
your heart to receive His word. "Have
ears to hear." And
having heard, believe, and be found faithful. Holy
Father, by Thy grace may we have ears to hear, and, having heard, may we
believe, and be found faithful. In
the Name of Christ. Amen.
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