Title: Rejoice in the Lord always!
Text: Luke 7:18-28
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22 And [Jesus] answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
As a little boy, I use to get presents from relatives in Pennsylvania. As the presents came in, they would get arranged according to whom they were for and then … a certain little boy … I’m not saying who, would start counting the presents! If one of his brothers or my sister had more presents, it could take the joy of the Christmas season for the little boy and make Christmas seem joyless.
Today many of us are wrestling with the tragedy that occurred in Oxford. It has impacted everything. For many - their Christmas has become joyless - or nonexistent. But as we look at the Advent banner for today, we can Rejoice in the one to come, who will take all our pain away and has given us joy in His Gospel message of forgiveness.
Christ – the promised one - is the one to come and we can rejoice in this Good News!
The work of John the Baptist was talked about this past weekend. He was the one who would prepare the way, for another … but who?
The disciples of John had been reporting all these things to him and many of the healings. You might remember Jesus’ healing the Centurion’s servant. It is recorded earlier in Luke chapter 7 where the Centurion says:
“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof … But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; … 9 When Jesus heard these things, … and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Luke 7:7-9
Or, the funeral procession of the widow’s son from the town of Nain that Jesus came upon. And Jesus said to her also in Luke 7:
“Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched, the man and he said, “Young man … I say to you, arise.” And he gave him back to his mother. Luke 7:14-15
So this is the question that John wanted his disciples to answer …
“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
John knew that his own calling was to prepare the way … to be the one crying out in the wilderness … to point his followers to the Messiah, the Christ, the one who was to come.
The question that they asked of Jesus,
“Is it you? Are you the one? What should we tell John?”
Jesus, answering them said:
22 … “Go … tell John what you have seen and what you've heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Christ is the one to come, and we can rejoice in this Good News!
Some years ago Pastor Tom Fisher from Rochester did a sermon at one of our Pastor Circuit Meetings about God interrupting lives through the preaching of John the Baptist. Well, there was a terrible interruption to our Advent season this year.
Pastor Fisher’s message said:
"We must always be prepared for being interrupted by God". This interrupting opens us all up to God’s and is one of the core objectives of the Advent's message; … prepare ye the way of the Lord!"
Tragedy, interrupts our lives as does hospice, illness, Covid, supply chain disruptions and so much more.
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Jesus asks and wants to know a very important thing from these disciples who were following Him.
“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
25 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. 26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.
Is there no one greater than John?
This prophet who would prepare the way for the Lord? When you think of some of the prophets; Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and on and-on-and John … is the greatest of all of these …
Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Rejoice in the Lord always!
You, who are the least in the Kingdom, are greater than John!
Think about that!
Christ has lifted you up!
He has redeemed you!
He has made you His own!
He has called you to be his child!
He has washed you clean in the blood of the Lamb!
He will feed you on His very body and blood given and shed for you!
You who deserve death have been given new life in Him. Rejoice in Him!
Martin Luther who was not only a great theologian and defender of the faith but quite a good hymn writer as well wrote this little hymn that it a great comfort for all who live this Christian life of faith:
Feelings come and feelings go, and feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God— Naught else is worth believing
Though all my heart should feel condemned, for want of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart, whose Word cannot be broken.
I'll trust in God's unchanging Word, till soul and body sever,
For, though all things shall pass away ...
HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER!
― Martin Luther
This Advent as we watch and wait, know that there is one who knows you and has known you from the foundation of the world and has called you to be His own child.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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