Visiting the homebound, the hospitalized, those living in nursing homes, and the imprisoned is a privilege and a joy. Those in such circumstances are welcoming and happy to receive visitors. One of the challenges for them is dealing with isolation. Even with radio, television, and social media, it is easy to become out of touch with what is happening in the world if you can’t be part of it. Such was the case for John the Baptist.
John the Baptist
John is often referred to as the last prophet of the Old Testament, bridging it to the New Testament and heralding the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. John is the one who said of Jesus, “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). John had been imprisoned for speaking out against Herod Antipas. Herod had divorced his wife and married Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, Philip. In love and respect for their teacher, John’s disciples remained in touch with and updated him regarding Jesus’ activities. Further, as we learn in this month’s reading, they carried John’s question to Jesus:
And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And when the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” (Luke 7:18–19)
Rather than offering a simple affirmation, Jesus responded by charging John’s disciples to convey what they had seen—that Jesus is healing, raising the dead, and preaching the Good News to the poor. It is recorded in the Old Testament that the coming Messiah would do exactly these things. Jesus’ divine acts served at least two purposes. One, they served as evidence that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the Christ. Two, they served to encourage the people to believe in Him as the Savior. They have served the same function throughout history as people have read the Gospels. And by the work of the Holy Spirit, they have come to believe in Jesus. Only God could perform such miracles, and His Son, Jesus Christ, was at hand. For John, in particular, Jesus’ works were meant to encourage his faith. Languishing in prison, it is possible the prophet was dejected, even to the point of losing faith in Jesus. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me” (v. 23).
Divine Expectations
What do you expect from Jesus? Who do you expect Him to be? Many of the Jews in Jesus’ day were skeptical of Jesus because He was not the kind of Messiah they expected. Where were the soldiers, horses, and chariots? Where was the battle to rout the Romans and reestablish the kingdom of Israel? Their expectations of Jesus were not biblical. To what extent are ours today? For example, Jesus promises that He will provide all that is needed for this body and life. Yet He doesn’t promise us a life of wealth and comfort. He promises He will never leave us or allow life’s challenges to overcome us. Yet He does not promise that He will envelop us with an impervious shell against the troubles of a sinful world. What can happen, and often does, is that people, holding on to unbiblical expectations, become so bitter as to reject Jesus, placing themselves outside salvation. One of the challenges of being a Christian is to submit to Jesus’ lordship. Remember, Jesus came into the world first and foremost to live a perfect life, shed His precious blood on the cross, die, and rise again so that, through faith, we would have forgiveness and eternal life. Let Jesus be the Savior He is, not the one we want Him to be.
After sending John’s disciples back to him, Jesus asked the crowds that had gathered,
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 are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. (vv. 24–25)
In essence, Jesus said that John was indeed a prophet—and a tough one at that. We learn in the Gospels that John preached in the wilderness, wore clothing made from camel hair and skin, and ate locusts and wild honey. What is more, John’s message was tough. He preached the coming wrath of God due to humanity’s sin and the need for salvation in the Lamb, Jesus Christ.
Penitent and Waiting
John’s message of repentance is appropriate for Advent as we reflect not only on Jesus’ coming as a babe in Bethlehem but also His return on the Last Day. This is reflected in the colors used on the paraments in worship—purple or royal blue—penitence, and kingship, respectively. It is healthy and needful for Christians to reflect and repent during Advent, lest we allow sin to gain a foothold in our lives and forget our need for Jesus. While we mourn for our sins, we also rejoice in hope, looking forward to the birth of Jesus, the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.
Scripture: ESV®.
Go deeper into the first portion of Luke’s Gospel with Arthur A. Just Jr.’s Concordia Commentary on Luke 1:1–9:50.
