“REJOICE, THE LORD IS IN HIS TEMPLE”
Saint Matthew 11.2-20
Gaudete -The Third Sunday of Advent: 12 December Anno Domini 2004
Fr Watson
Today is Gaudete Sunday. This Latin word means "rejoice" and is taken from the appointed Introit. But let's not make a law out of it. Rather, it serves to accurately describe your Christian condition this morning as Advent hurriedly rushes on. You "rejoice in the Lord alway!" Why? The Incarnation is alway! The Christ-child may be no more, but the Christ is! He is alway. With the Lord there is no past tense, not even a mere present tense, but rather an ever-Present, a durative NOW & FOREVER: "For I Am the Lord, I change not." [Mal. 3.6]
Before the Second Person of the Trinity became incarnate. He already promised His people the coming good news: "Behold, I will send My Messenger and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple." [Mal. 3.1]
That messenger was St. John the Baptizer. John is the best man not because He was any less sinful than you. John is the best man because we was the "best man," i.e. the Bride Groom chose him for that singular vocation; that important office. St. John was the Prophet spoken of by Prophet Malachi. John was the voice of God. When John spoke, God was speaking through him. John was the messenger ordained by God to speak the ultimate message: repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
You need this message because its content cannot be seen to the naked eye. The Lord IS, and is HERE, but He is not received directly by the senses. The Lord comes to you through faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. And, how shall they hear unless one is sent. There has to be a messenger who delivers the message; a gospel-er who gospels the good news.
John's faith had not deserted him in the dungeon cell. Christ never deserts His brothers. When you feel alone, abandoned by friends, family, colleagues, synods... don't doubt for a moment that Jesus is the Christ of God, that He remains the enfleshed God/Man, that He loves you, and that He is keeping you safe unto eternity. He never abandons you even when it looks like He does; not in the flood, the desert wanderings, the fiery furnace or the lion's den; not in the raging storm at sea, not when the daughter is demon-possessed and He seems to be walking past, not when the 12-year old girl lies dead in the upper room, not when no one lifts up the man to bring him to the pool of Siloam, and never, ever in your moments of crisis, darkness, pain or despair. "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple."
No, John's faith remained strong; he had heard the Words of the Lord. He had baptized the Word made flesh; he had seen the descent of the dove. Even in prison, "under the cross," the Word kept John strong. The "works" which Jesus had been doing confirmed the prophetic Scriptures. The miracles of Christ substantiated the Words, proved the prophecies. This was evidence that the restoration had begun. All the teaching and preaching of God were demonstrated by the Lamb enthroned upon the altar of the cross. The word is substantiated, made real for all of you this morning, in font (+), forgiveness, and feast.
Jesus wants all of you strongly rooted in Him. He wants His Gospel message of forgiveness substantiated in you; substantial in you. John wanted the same for the men who had been following him during his tumultuous ministry. He sent. He gave, two of them to Jesus. Perfect love is perfectly giving. God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son; the Son's love for the Father was perfect in that He willingly gave up His life on the cross for all of you. God gives Law & Gospel. God gives initiation (in Holy Baptism) and maturation (in Holy Eucharist). That's what God does: give. And, that's what His servants, the Messengers, do as well---give.
Note well that in v. 3 it does not say that St. John questioned Jesus' identity but rather that the two disciples said to Jesus "Are You the coming one?" An earnest, searching question? Yes, but also an indication of weak, troubled faith; of a confidence slipping away. They had been disciples of the Last Mighty Prophet, the Voice, the "Best Man" and still they questioned the word, the scriptures, their Master's ringing endorsement of the Nazarene.
You are all disciples, followers, of the Prophets and the Apostle's. Believe their messages, their message of the Good News of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. Be on guard against your old sinful flesh putting Jesus to the question, to the test: "Are you God?" "Are you really the crucified, risen and reigning one?" Even baptized saints have troubles with that last category---reigning. If your God is victorious over sins, and demons, and decay...why doesn't it appear so? Don't you find yourself saying: "Are You the coming one?" It didn't look like John was the brother to God, the Best Man to the Eternal Groom of Grace while he was rotting away in the prison. It doesn't look like you're a tender much loved little lamb when you're struggling with sickness, lost loved ones, chronic debilitating sins, and constant ever-present selfishness. The answer of course is in the Word. You can't go back to Calvary, so don't look for the answer in either history or emotions. The answer is in the Word given John to preach, the Message: "Believe! Do Good Works !" This doing of good works is simply the evidence of the believing; the fruit of the new blooming tree. This is exactly what the Christ gives to these two unnamed men: "Believe, and go and tell John." Jesus is telling them what He tells you: Believe, receive Me, and then tell others about Me so that the table will be full. And note what He tells them to share with John: "the things which you hear and see." The things they had heard, from Hebrew Scriptures, from John, from Christ Himself: the Good News written, sung, spoken, and prayed of God's love and redemption. The things they had seen were the attesting miracles, nature reversed, evil routed, bondage broken and the Word substantiated: The Blind See; The Lame Walk; The Lepers cleansed; The Deaf hear; The Dead Raised; and The Poor having the Good News Preached to Them.
That's it. That's the only Good News there is...nothing else; not big buildings nor big congregations, not entertainment and jazzed up feelings just the Lord Jesus Christ. And not a memory of Him, not a spiritual telegram from Him, but Him, the real presence of Christ in His Church, Word, and Mysteries. That's all the Baptizer needed even while in prison. That's all you need now, even while struggling through this Second Advent awaiting His final visible return.
Rejoice, the Lord is in His temple!
In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost