Sermon for Sunday 15th December 2019 - Are you the one...?

Sermon for Sunday 15^th December 2019

Gospel Reading         Matthew 11.2-11

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples ³and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ ⁴Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. ⁶And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ 

⁷ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. ⁹What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

   who will prepare your way before you.”

¹¹Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, my lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.

“Are you the one who is to come, or is there another?”

John’s question probes deep to the heart of faith, and then, Jesus’ answer is effectively yes, but…

He is the one, but not the same, he is one love, one blood, one life…

This song might help us see this question in a new way, the words…

Are you the one who is to come?

[video on screen] 

Has it ever struck you how U2 have written some great songs for Advent? I realise, some of you may be wondering who U2 are, so, they are an Irish rock band and they are also Christians, although don’t write specifically Christian music.

They’ve been around since 1976 and this song from 1992 came to mind as I read the Gospel, and while they might not be your cup of tea, the words struck a chord? Like John the Baptist asking, Are you the One who is to come?, the song is full of questions;

Is it getting better or do you feel the same?

Will it make it easier on you now you got someone to blame?

Did I disappoint you or leave a bad taste in your mouth?

Have you come here for forgiveness?

Have you come to raise the dead?

Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head?

Did I ask too much, more than a lot?

The writer is looking for hope, and so is John.

To us, the answer is obvious, Jesus is the one, but back then, it makes sense for John to be unsure

He knew his own story, different Jewish communities had different ideas about whether there would be a messiah at all, or more than one, or how the messiah might be identified.

Even today, the Jewish nation would use the verse quote by Jesus, which is taken from Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and Isaiah, to foretell the return of Elijah, and not Jesus.

On top of all this, is John the Baptist’s situation. He was in prison. He would probably die there, as we later find he does. So, after all his confident work in the wilderness, he is having a shaky moment. Was all I did worthwhile? This guy I proclaimed hasn’t formed an army or started a rebellion, so what’s going on?

So it’s not surprising that John is asking, are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?

Because Jesus is an enigma, he’s the messiah, but he’s not the messiah they were expecting. He IS speaking truth and upsetting rulers and elders, he IS answering questions with questions and he IS telling truth through parables, just as he does to John’s followers when they come to him with John’s question…

So, of course, Jesus answers with a central part of his gospel message:

·        People who have been unable to walk can now walk.

·        People afflicted with leprosy are now cleansed.

·        People who could not hear can now hear.

·        People who live in poverty can look forward to release from destitution.

·        People who had died, will be raised to new life.
Release from all of these conditions symbolises release from the broken old age, BC, before Christ, and this release only started as Jesus came to earth, he was the messiah – even if he doesn’t state it explicitly, but he was not the messiah they had expected.

Part of Jesus’ response, enigmatically, is not about himself, but is also about John, which may be odd, as he was speaking to John’s followers, but Jesus also knew that John was more than just a prophet, he was the herald for Jesus and the kingdom. John the Baptist, John the Prophet, was on a par with the great Old Testament prophets, Moses, Elijah and Isaiah.

Both John and Jesus were part of the prophecies which had led to the day we celebrate in ten days’ time, when God would come to live on earth as a fragile human baby and history would be changed forever.

This message would have been sent to reassure John, amid any possible self-doubt, that the work he had done was hugely important. I find hope in this, that even John the Baptist, the great prophet, was having doubts, and that Jesus wanted to reassure him. Even the best of us, and I’m nowhere near that place, but even the best of us, can be reassured by Jesus, that he cares and loves us.

This message from Jesus, is also there to make it clear that John is not THE One, THE Messiah, but he is important. Jesus asks them who they went into the wilderness to look at?

Well, not a reed shaken by the wind? – for the reed was a symbol used by Herod Antipas and appears on his coinage, or not someone dressed in soft robes and royal palaces – why would they see a palace – well, the answer is that Herod and others who conspired with the Roman Empire had lush homes, along the Jordan River valley where John had been preaching and immersing.

Well, we can be confident that Jesus Christ, the messiah, was, and is and will be, the one. And I think John knew this, from since before he was born, when he jumped for joy as a baby in the womb of Elizabeth, his mother, when they met Mary who was expecting Jesus.

So, with the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus racing towards us, perhaps some of still sit in wonder, but wondering, are you the one?

I’d go as far to say that in this season of joy and goodwill, whatever else is going on in the world, that as ambassadors for Christ, our calling is shout out that Christmas is named for Christ, it is Jesus who is King, it’s Jesus who is the ruler of our hearts, and Jesus holding the key to eternal life.

Christmas lights, baubles, trees, crackers, parties are all lovely, along the credit card debt, but we have a much greater gift, Jesus Christ, and

So we have Joy, being reminded that God was born to a young woman two thousand years ago, but what do we take from this? Is it simply that we have a time of Christmas trees, flashing lights, piles of presents, too much food and a good time spent with family? Or is there more to it?

One love

One blood

One life

You got to do what you should

One life

With each other

Sisters

Brothers

One life

But we're not the same

We get to

Carry each other

Carry each other

One...life

One

The One

"Are you the one who is coming?" John asked in despair.

"You decide," Jesus answered in love.

Silence reigned until John joined the community of saints.  But can you hear his answer now?  It is filled with joy.  YES. And Jesus says, I AM.

Amen.

Preached at St George's Church, Cam.

One – U2 (full lyrics)

Is it getting better?

Or do you feel the same

Will it make it easier on you now?

You got someone to blame

You say...

One love

One life

When it's one need

In the night

One love

We get to share it

Leaves you baby if you

Don't care for it

Did I disappoint you?

Or leave a bad taste in your mouth

You act like you never had love

And you want me to go without

Well it's...

Too late

Tonight

To drag the past out into the light

We're one, but we're not the same

We get to

Carry each other

Carry each other

One...

Have you come here for forgiveness?

Have you come to raise the dead?

Have you come here to play Jesus?

To the lepers in your head

Did I ask too much?

More than a lot

You gave me nothing

Now it's all I got

We're one

But we're not the same

Well we

Hurt each other

Then we do it again

You say

Love is a temple

Love a higher law

Love is a temple

Love the higher law

You ask me to enter

But then you make me crawl

And I can't be holding on

To what you got

When all you got is hurt

One love

One blood

One life

You got to do what you should

One life

With each other

Sisters

Brothers

One life

But we're not the same

We get to

Carry each other

Carry each other

One...life

One