Sermon Text: Matthew 11:2–10
Dear fellow redeemed, confronting the reality of sin and death and the reality of our salvation: Do you know what a reality check is? It’s when we get in touch with things as they are.
It’s like when the fire alarm goes off, only this time there is smoke, and you have to find a way out. Reality check. It’s like when the doctor calls you back after the labs and says you need to go right to the emergency room. Reality check.
Advent is a penitential season. It’s a reality check. We take time to look at our mortality and our sinfulness, not so that we despair, but so that we see the hand of Jesus reaching out to us, so to speak, to recue us and give us life.
Reality checks are for good things also. Remember your first kiss of marriage? When your first child was born? Love became real. That’s a reality check too. I have reminded you this Advent season that advent means “coming” in the sense of
anticipation. We look forward to what is coming because we believe in a promise. In this case,
the promise of the prophets.
FAITH LISTENS TO THE PROPHET
I. His Words About Our Plight
II. His Words About Our Deliverance
I. His Words About Our Plight
Are you familiar with the story of John the Baptist? His birth was spoken of by Malachi the prophet 400 years before, “See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in—see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies.” (Malachi 3:1, CSB)
John was the messenger, and Jesus came right after him. They were relatives, remember, and John was born six months before Jesus, and at the usual age of 30, started his ministry. Jesus began His ministry 6 months later, then. The purpose of John’s coming was to so convict the people of sin that they would despair of the righteousness of the law, and see how absolute was their need for a savior. He would then point out the Savior, Jesus, as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. He is our hope. God blessed John’s ministry by moving the hearts of people to believe him, and to leave Him for Jesus. John himself applauded this, saying of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”” (John 3:30, CSB)
John, remember, had been imprisoned for condemning Herod’s public adultery. From prison He asks Jesus if He is the Messiah. That seems odd because John had pointed to Him as the Messiah. Was John losing faith? Could it be that he was beaten down in depression? More likely that this was a reality check for his own followers. Were they listening to Him? Faith grabs hold of spiritual realities through the words of the prophets. John’s words pointed to Jesus as our Savior and our Life, So John when sent them out to Jesus it served as a reality check. — 2 Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a
message through his disciples 3 and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” That is an interesting question. If in fact, Jesus IS the one who was to come, then why aren’t they following Him?
As you and I perform a reality check, we too need to listen to the words of the prophets – including Jesus. If we do, these words will make clear our REAL plight. Jesus, for example, says, ““If you love me, you will keep my commands.” (John 14:15,
CSB) Do you? Here’s a reality check; do you love your Savior absolutely?
How about His command, “Search the Scriptures?” Have you found every place in the Bible that reveals Jesus? How about his command, “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (Ephesians 4:32–5:2, CSB) Over our lifetimes we have said and done things that we would be ashamed to talk about. Why would God want someone like us to dwell with Him forever?
II. His Words About Our Deliverance
John sent his disciples for a reality check, and Jesus gave it to them. Putting his answer in the familiar words of Isaiah, Jesus told them what they were really looking at. 4 Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind
receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, 6 and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”
Here the words of deliverance from Christ himself are connected to the words of the prophets that these disciples professed to believe. Isaiah had said, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” (Isaiah 35:5, CSB) “in order to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness from the prison house.” (Isaiah 42:7, CSB) “The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners;” (Isaiah 61:1, CSB)
Why use these words of good news, healing, and liberty? Because they proclaim Jesus as the ONE LONG EXPECTED. Just as real as our sin, our plight in the face of death, is the reality of our salvation in Jesus Christ. It’s the real thing.
Can you sense Jesus’ exasperation in His words? 7 As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you., Do you think the words of God are just a curious opinion? Just an emotional crutch? Just for other people? Are you a Christian because it’s nice to be one or because it is REAL and TRUE? And because we really will die, each of us, and we need to get real about it, and confess our sins to the Redeemer who has taken them all upon Himself and saved us? As we come to the festivals of the Nativity and of Easter and of the others, take a reality check. You and I are such sinners that we need God in the manger to live our righteousness.
GOD on the cross to redeem us from all our sins. GOD stepping out of the tomb as victor over our own death. Because of Jesus living your life and dying your death for you, you have forgiveness of all your sins– including the sin of not taking His word seriously. And your sins of anger and grudge-bearing, and of lust and greed, and coveting what isn’t yours – things and other people too.
Advent is a good reality check. Get in touch with reality through the true and everlasting word of God, given through the prophets and apostles. Forget the messenger, forget the circumstances, and check in with the message of our desperate plight, and our perfect forgiveness. Then truly from the depths of our hearts we can earnestly pray: Even so, Lord Jesus,
quickly come.
AMEN