Are you the One Advent 3a 2007

Jesus, are you the one? Or are we to wait for another.

This was John the Baptist's question when he was sitting imprisoned by Herod the King. Jesus said John was the greatest man ever born of woman. He live boldly declaring the word of God out in the wilderness. People came from Jerusalem and all over Judea to meet him, and be baptized by him as they lay down their sins. News of what he said went from the wilderness into the center of society. Even Kind Herod knew what he said. John got into hot water when he said that it was wrong for Herod to marry his brothers wife and Herod locked him away. Herod loved to hear him talk, but he couldn't let him talk like that in public so he had John put in cell. In that cell even he, John the Baptist, this great man of faith and courage had doubts and hopes that mingled together about Jesus.

John's ministry as, baptizer and forerunner, brought him into the imagination of the people and into the prison of King Herod. Jesus said that he was more than a prophet, he was the one to prepare the way, but now he was the one in a cell sending out his followers to meet Jesus. His words outside of the walls of society had been heard by those in power inside the walls. Herod chose to have John locked away. An old teacher of mine, Jim Nestingen wrote,

John’s fate is linked to his Lord’s. So, having heard him sounding forth in the desert the radical freedom of detachment, we find him now doubly attached―in prison, yet held even more firmly by the One whom he has proclaimed (Matt 11:2-11).

John's fate was real, just one enticing dance by a young woman was all it cost in the end to see the Baptist's head on a silver platter (Matthew 14:1-12). His days in prison were days to question and to hope. John's ministry would end but Jesus' would grow. And with Jesus ministry came a new hope, a hope that is not fulfilled in Christmas but in the Cross and Resurrection of the baby born on Christmas.

Early in life John's faith led him outside of society and moved him to call people to repent. He had faith that moved him at his very core to be bold and to preach like no one else. And even he had questions. The mystery of John's appearance in the wilderness bold and strong dressed in a camels hair fasten at the middle with a belt is contrasted today with him sitting in a cell. You'd remember meeting this man out there in the wilderness with a beard eating locusts and wild honey. But now he sits imprisoned questioning if Jesus is the one.

Maybe you know somebody who has hope and doubts all at the same time. John the Baptist had this question for Jesus, “Are you the one?” A great verse in scripture, Hebrews 11:1 says that, “Faith is being sure of what you hope for, and certain of what you do not see.” Faith is hope put into action. Hope comes not because of anything that you've seen, tasted, smelled, or felt with your body. Hope comes from a promise and it depends on the one who made the promise. John had faith, hope, and doubts.

John's own calling as a prophet amazes us today. He lived with boldly with purpose and vision. He wasn't afraid to stand outside of the norm. The normal people sought him out because being normal people wasn't working any more. The gospels leave no doubt that John's call for repentance was heard; but its wasn't universally heeded. Calling for repentance was only part of John's ministry; he was to prepare the way for the one. Imprisoned he wondered if Jesus was the one. It didn't start this way, he was the wild one outside the walls of civilization and now civilization held him in the walls of cell. In that cell he lived on hope.

We've all seen people living on hope; maybe you've been the one living on hope; maybe you are the one right now today who is filled with hope and doubt. Hope is there in the praying dad or mom in the hospital room of the sick child. Hope is real in the marriage counseling session of the troubled couple when one spouse is still praying that it can work. Hope was there when John John the Baptist sent his followers to Jesus with this question. Matthew 11:3, "Art thou the coming one? or are we to wait for another?" 1890 Darby Bible. It's the question Christians have to ask Jesus.

Jesus sent a message back to John.

Matthew 11:4-6

Go, report to John what ye hear and see. ⁵ Blind men see and lame walk; lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear; and dead are raised, and poor have glad tidings preached to them: ⁶ and blessed is whosoever shall not be offended in me. 1890 Darby Bible.

Even John the Baptist, this man who would call so many to repentance needed to hear the good news. Sitting in a prison he needed to hear what God was doing through Jesus. When you live on hope what you see and hear God doing in the world, even if it doesn't change your circumstances, can sustain you. John was sustained in a prison cell by the Good News of Jesus ministry. John's calling was to prepare the way for the one and now in prison John sent out his followers to ask Jesus, "Are you the one?"

Christmas by itself doesn't save us. Jesus came as an infant, but that doesn't save us. He taught and healed, but that doesn't save us. He called for justice and toppled over the money counter's tables in the temple, but that doesn't save us. What saves us is Jesus death on the Cross. At the very center of this church is a reminder of what saves. The cross was an ancient instrument of death. Jesus the baby we celebrate at Christmas grew to a man who would have his arms and feet pierced with spikes before he was hoisted up to die on a blood piece of wood.

John the Baptist's ministry faded away. The crowds came out to be baptized but no more. Now he sat in a cell. He didn't preach to crowds any more. Some committed followers came to see him now and then; but John's public ministry ended as Jesus ministry grew to include more and more of God's people. John's purpose was to prepare the way. Now he asked Jesus, "are you the one?"

“ Go back to John and tell him about what you have heard and seen―the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. Matthew 11:4-5 New Living Translation

Hope began with John's call for repentance; hope grew as Jesus healed and forgave the hurting; hope died for 3 days as the cross claimed Jesus life; but the love of God did not end. Hope grew fresh from the stump in the resurrection not only that we could have freedom through repentance but that that through Christ crucified and risen we might die to sin, death and the devil. John's message, repent, will forever be linked to Jesus life, dying and rising. He came to prepare the way for hope...