What then did you go out to see?
Matthew 11:2–10
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “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.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’” (ESV)
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending faithful preachers like John the Baptizer, who prepared the way by preaching repentance and pointing to the Messiah. Kindle in us a fire for the faithful preaching of your Word so that we might defend it, support it, and find comfort in it. For your Word alone points us to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.
Dear Fellow Redeemed,
If someone asked us for a list of traits describing the perfect preacher—what would we say? A preacher preaches and so we would likely want someone who communicates well. We also would maybe like them to be well kept and pleasant to listen to. We’d also want someone who is welcoming and doesn’t scowl at the members and visitors. We’d want a preacher who is in good standing with the community and the law. Most churches would prefer to avoid any scandals because of their Pastor.
Well, we don’t know what John the Baptizer looked like, but he certainly wasn’t the best dressed. Scripture states, “Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.” He wasn’t a snazzy dresser, and his strange diet would have made it unlikely for people to want to attend his church potlucks. His manner didn’t always seem welcoming. On one occasion, when he saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). If I started greeting visitors like that, I don’t think the members of the council would be singing my praises at the next meeting. But even worse, John was in prison. He was in prison because he called King Herod to repentance for committing adultery with the wife of his brother. In our culture, people view calling to repentance public shaming, which they consider even worse than the actual offense.
Most might not think of someone like John as a model for preachers. But Jesus did. Jesus said in the verse directly after our lesson, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). If John is the greatest of prophets, we would do well learning a little bit about him.
The Scriptures foretold of John the Baptizer. He was the one mentioned in our Old Testament lesson for today by the prophet Malachi, “Behold, I will send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me” (Malachi 3:1). John would prepare the way of Jesus. He did this even from the womb! Scripture tells us that John leapt in his mother’s womb at the greeting of Mary who was also pregnant with Jesus. Remember, John was the cousin of Jesus, his mother was Elizabeth. John, the locust and honey eating man, would prepare the way of Jesus throughout his life by preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” John preached the Law because it’s only those who are terrified and wounded by the Law, that will find comfort in the Gospel. A faithful preacher must always preach the Law for without the Law people will remain prideful and lost in their own sins. John showed our complete inability to fulfill the Law and earn favor with God—which is why the religious leaders despised him. But like all faithful preachers, to those who were burdened with guilt and shame, John preached the Gospel, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
Yet, John’s faithful preaching did not win him any political favor. When he preached against King Herod’s adultery he was thrown in prison. Herod, like many, didn’t like hearing about his sin and his own need to repent. It must have been difficult for John’s disciples to see their teacher in prison. They would have certainly had some of their own doubts about John and the message he preached. So, John sent his disciples to Jesus. All faithful preachers send their hearers to Jesus. John sent them to Jesus to dispel any of the doubts they may have had.
John had his disciples ask Jesus, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And how did Jesus respond? Did he just say, “Yes, I Am!” No, he pointed them to the Scriptures—to the Word they had studied and heard—the Word about the coming Messiah. And by pointing them to the Scriptures, Jesus was indirectly pointing to himself—because all the Scriptures point us to Jesus (John 5:39). From the account in Luke, we learn that Jesus fulfilled all these prophecies of Isaiah right before John’s disciples: “And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight” (Luke 7:21).
After Jesus performs these amazing miracles and sends John’s disciples back to him with this wonderful and comforting news, Jesus draws the crowd’s attention back to John the Baptizer. So that this great prophet, who now sat in prison, would not be forgotten, Jesus reminds the people of why they had gone out to hear John in the first place. They didn’t go out to the wilderness because John was the most exquisite spokesman, the best dressed or most welcoming preacher whose message went along with the whims of society or to the likes of his hearers. No. The people did not go out to see John the Baptizer because he was so great of a person; they went to hear his preaching because of his message. Because he preached the truth—the Word of God in its entirety.
Why do we come to church? It’s not because of the building. The Jews left the beauty of the Temple to go out into the wilderness to hear John preach. It’s also not because of the person behind the preacher. While we might appreciate certain characteristics our view of a preacher should not be based on personal traits. Put another way, why did the shepherd’s we heard about in our Christmas program go to Bethlehem? They went for Jesus. We go to this church because we need Jesus. We want faithful preachers, because they like John, point us to Jesus. As John himself said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John preached the best sermon ever preached: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” As if to say, “Raise your heads! Do you see who this is! It is the Lamb of God. The One who God promised he would send. The One who you have been waiting for! The One who has come to bring peace between God and man! How? By taking away the sins of the world—yours and mine. All your guilt, your shame, and your sins, gone. Because of this Man—the Lamb of God.”
Sinners need Jesus. We are sinners. We need Jesus. Faithful preachers give you Jesus. They point to him who was born of a virgin for you, who lived a holy life for you, and who died on the cross to take away the punishment you deserve. This is why faithful preaching is so important and why believers would even go out to the desert to hear it. It points sinners to Jesus and his forgiveness.
There is nothing we could do to save ourselves. By nature, we are sinful and unclean, deserving of God’s punishment. Our sin brings punishment. Punishment brings fear. That’s why our Children’s program was so important. The angel said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” The birth of the Savior brought joy because he took away our fear—our sin. The story of our Savior’s birth must always be connected to the cross and the forgiveness of sins. For a Savior without the cross is no savior.
Our lesson summarizes the purpose of Advent. During this season, we prepare for Christ’s coming at Christmas. We learn that to love Christ means to love his Word. When we are confronted with God’s Law, we are to say, “Yes, everything you say is true. I do not deserve anything. In fact, I deserve only your judgement. I have sinned against God, my family, my neighbor. I have done what I should not have done, and I have not done what I should have done.” Yet, to love his Word also means that we believe his Gospel, “Your sins are forgiven. Jesus has taken them all away. By grace you have been saved.” There may be times in our life where we do not always “feel” loved or see how God is working, but we have God’s Word which does not lie. And so, we “cling to what my Savior taught, and trust it, whether felt or not” (ELH 226:10).
John was the greatest among the prophets, but he sat in prison and would eventually be beheaded for his faithful preaching. But don’t you think, as the greatest born among men, he might be allowed to die and go to heaven in peace and with a measure of dignity? Why must he go through the humiliation of imprisonment, that will only get worse in the hour of death? Hasn’t John proven love and loyalty to your Word? Haven’t we? One theologian put it well:
“But it doesn’t happen. St. Paul tells us the way with such a beautiful summary of it all: We live by faith and not by sight. The report from John’s disciples to their master reassured the greatest of the prophets, the one closest to Christmas. He could face unafraid the horrible and humiliating death that would soon be his; he could face it with courage and even joy. And his disciples? They could weep at their teacher’s graceful death and go on with joy to follow the One whose coming John had proclaimed. For that is the nature of faith: to cling to the promises of God even when all the evidence I can see seems to contradict those promises. And the Word itself creates and sustains such a trust that though I die a thousand deaths, his promise remains true that ‘in all things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37)” (Deutschlander).
John the Baptizer, along with all believers who have gone before us, understood that the cross comes before the crown. And it is the same for us. I find this encouraging. The troubles we face, the pain, suffering, and heartache we might go through in this life are not unique to us. Every Christian has their crosses to bear in this vale of tears. We are not guaranteed perfect peace in this life. However, we are promised peace with God through faith in Christ Jesus. And it is this knowledge, this sure and confident hope in the Savior, the humble Child born in a manger, that gives us the courage in our daily lives.
If someone were to ask you why you go to church, here is an answer: because I need Jesus. At church the liturgy points me to the truths of God’s Word, the sermon calls out my sin and points me to the Lamb of God who alone can take my sin away, and I receive the forgiveness and strength I need in the Lord’s Supper. As the Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). Amen.